American Caving Accidents

Style Guide for Incident Reports

The summary reports printed in American Caving Accidents have a particular style which helps insure that the information is presented in a complete and consistent manner. If your report follows the guidelines below it will make it easier for the editor to review and prepare for publication.

All reports should include the following:

Information to identify this report:

• Name of the cave
• State or Province where the cave is located (don't need an exact location)
• Date of the incident
• Your name and contact information (email, phone, USMAIL)

Information about the people:

• Names and ages of the people involved
• The level of caving experience that they have
• Affiliations with caving or other organizations

Description of the incident:

• Summary of what happened
• Nature of injuries sustained
• Analysis of the main cause
• Any contributing factors
• What might have been done to prevent the incident

Response to the incident:

• Actions following the incident
• Persons or organizations contacted for help
• Description of rescue procedures

Any references:

• Newspapers reporting the incident
• Television or radio stations covering the incident
• Newsletter articles or other publications