The sister of a man who died after becoming “trapped” at a rock climbing centre in the Lake District has said his family is “broken hearted”.
Father of three Carl O’Keeffe, 49, died in hospital on Sunday after he became “trapped in a cave” at Kong Adventure, a rock climbing centre in Keswick, eight days earlier.
The Lancaster man was rushed to an intensive care unit at Carlise Hospital with “severe” crush injuries, his family wrote on Facebook.
Carl had been taking his niece to an indoor cave during a birthday party when the accident took place, according to reports.
His sister Olivia Short, who was with him until his death, wrote on Facebook: “It became apparent that the injuries were severe and he would not be able to survive.
“He was then moved to a private room and I was able to stay with him so that he could die with some dignity.”
Cumbria Police said the rescue on April 22 had involved a multi-agency emergency response, and Carl had been in hospital since.
More than 50 emergency personnel were involved in the rescue that took more than four hours, according to The Telegraph. It reportedly involved breaking apart the climbing wall panels to gain access to a “hidden” tunnel.
“Cumbria Police will now be investigating the circumstances of Mr O’Keeffe’s death on behalf of the coroner,” the force said on Monday.
Ms Short described her “baby” brother as her “best friend” in an emotional tribute online.
“I loved him dearly and we were in contact daily doing word challenges and exchanging weird facts of nature.
“I also got to spend alternate weekends with him and his children.
“I’m broken hearted. As are the rest of our family.”
A family statement said Carl was “a devoted parent” and a strong advocate for the “neurodiverse community”.
“He was often seen in dark glasses and a fedora hat as he was photophobic. He had a brilliant mind and was in the process of applying to start an astrophysics PhD.”
Cumberland Council is investigating the incident.
Kong Adventure Centre has been contacted for comment.
