Overview
- Aidan Kirsch became wedged in a narrow crevice roughly 400 feet from Merlin’s Cave exit during a regional caving weekend in May 2026 and remained trapped for about seven hours.
- Fellow cavers wrapped Kirsch in blankets, retrieved an emergency pickax stashed in the cave, and called 911 before nine rescue crews arrived to begin a prolonged extraction.
- Rescuers worked for hours with hammers and a pulley system and ultimately used a rock drill to break away rock, freeing Kirsch shortly after 1 a.m.
- Kirsch suffered only scrapes, bruises and a mild case of hypothermia and is recovering, and he has publicly recounted the incident in interviews with local outlets.
- Merlin’s Cave is known as a technical, tight cave that the Northeastern Cave Conservancy recommends only be visited in groups of three or more with helmets, three light sources, knee pads and awareness of on-site emergency tools.