True Tales of Terror in the Caves of the World

PREFACE

One of the first questions I am usually asked about cave exploration is, “Have you ever found any bodies?” Fortunately, I have never found a body or the bones from one; however, I have been in a number of caves where someone has met an untimely death, and it does make the dark passages seem a bit creepy.

Nowhere else on Earth are there places as awe-inspiring in beauty and wonder, yet at the same time mysterious and foreboding as caves. Their darkness has a way of seeping into our very souls, bringing on fears of impending doom that chill us to the bone.

Since the dawn of humankind, caves have been used for places of shelter and religious ceremonies, as a refuge from enemies, and for the mining of minerals. There are those among us who use these secretive voids of the Earth for the evilest of deeds. Their hearts are as cold as the caves are dark. To these twisted individuals, the underground is the perfect place to hide the spoils of their work, far beyond the eyes of law and justice—a place where light and life seldom visit. Many believe that the underworld is also home to the Devil. Judging from the stories in this book, that idea may not be far from the truth.

As I wrote this page, on a whim I scanned the web and found the following story from Rio de Janeiro: “The cave served as the venue for killings in which the victims’ bodies were squeezed into several car tires filled with gasoline and set on fire.” It never ends. For as long as caves exist, someone will use them for places of unspeakable horror. And I, of course, will have another book to write.