History

"The simple fact is that it takes cavers to rescue cavers... it takes a knowledgable group of cavers to perform a rescue"  - Brian Bailey 

In 1955 there was a rescue in Tumbling Rock Cave... it turned out to be a hoax, but the rescuers spent more than 24 very real hours looking for the lost cavers that never existed. During that rescue effort lessons were learned the hard way. Soon after the Tumbling Rock incident a cadre of local cavers, led by the late Bill Varnedoe, began to outline the fundamentals of cave rescue. At that time there was no National Cave Rescue Commission and the idea of an organized cave rescue unit was novel. The original members of the HCRU helped to pioneer cave rescue techniques and while times have changed those principles laid out in 1955 serve as the foundation to our modern day approach to cave rescue.

Cavers have always understood that the thrill of cave exploration is sobered by the reality of caving accidents and the need for cave rescues. This means that the roots of the HCRU can be traced all the way back to the founding of the Huntsville Grotto. At that time the unit was an informal group of experienced cavers within the Grotto, but in 1956 the unit became part of Civil Defense and has been a separate entity ever since. In 1991 the HCRU incorporated and elected its first Board of Directors, later becoming a member of the Alabama Association of Rescue Squads. Shortly thereafter, the HCRU began teaching its three day rescue course that has helped to familiarize hundreds of rescuers and cavers with the basics of cave rescue. 

Since the HCRU was first founded until now our purpose has remained unchanged: Cavers helping Cavers. Today we carry on the legacy of our founders by continuing to learn, grow and teach.