Teens die in Minnesota cave

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A labyrinth of caves left by 1800s sandstone miners along the Mississippi River has long been a forbidden and sometimes deadly thrill for teenagers, who ignore the keep-out signs and thwart the city’s best efforts to seal off the passages.

On Tuesday, the caves again proved lethal: Three teens died, apparently of carbon monoxide poisoning, perhaps from a fire smoldering inside the caverns.

Killed were Nicholas Lee Larson, Natalie Lorraine Vanvorst and Patrick Gerard Dague, all 17. A 17-year-old boy was rescued and his condition was upgraded Wednesday from critical to serious. A fifth boy escaped and alerted authorities.

Fire Chief Douglas Holton said the teens entered through a small opening, about 3 by 5 feet. Once inside, they could stand up, he said. The dead were found about 600 feet in.

At least five other people have died in the caves in the past two decades.

The passages stretch for miles along the river and are known as the Wabasha Street caves. A brewery once dug some of the caverns to create earthen warehouses, and a mushroom-growing operation flourished in the moist, dark caves for decades. The caves even hosted a nightclub in the 1930s, the Castle Royal, and mobsters and big-name entertainers were said to frequent the spot.

Over the years, the city has tried to keep people out by posting warning signs, boarding up openings with plywood, piling up sand in the entrances, and dumping thousands of tons of construction debris from razed buildings in the passages to fill them up.

But people shimmy through the openings or chip away at the soft sandstone at the blockades.

“You can just imagine, you close up some hole – cement it shut – then they just seem to dig around it,” said Mayor Randy Kelly.

Fire Chief Douglas Holton said two entrances that were sealed after a fire just two weeks ago were quickly pried open. In addition, he said, “there are entrances and exits that we don’t even know of.”

Calvin Alexander, a professor of geology and geophysics at the University of Minnesota, said the efforts to bar the caves may only have made them more dangerous: The wooden construction debris has provided fuel for fires, and closing up the openings has reduced ventilation.

The source of the carbon monoxide fumes was not immediately known.

Cave visitors sometimes start fires, creating a buildup of carbon monoxide in pockets in the caverns. But Holton said he did not believe the teens themselves started any fire Tuesday because there was no smoke in the cave and the group had flashlights.

Police said the teens had gone to the caves to explore after learning about them from friends. The boy who escaped told police the group walked past a sign that warns that two other teens died in the caves in 1992.

The boy said he briefly lost consciousness and fumbled in darkness before he saw light peering from a hole and found his way out.

“I woke up and tried to find some way to get out,” said the teen, who did not want his name used.

On Wednesday, dirt, boulders and fresh-cut logs were piled up in front of the entrance that the victims used, in a fresh attempt to keep people out.

Copyright ©2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Customers enter and exit the Costco on Dec. 2, 2022, in Lake Stevens. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Costco stores could be impacted by looming truck driver strike threat

Truck drivers who deliver groceries and produce to Costco warehouses… Continue reading

Two Washington State ferries pass along the route between Mukilteo and Clinton as scuba divers swim near the shore Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Ferry system increases ridership by a half million in 2024

Edmonds-Kingston route remains second-busiest route in the system.

A view of one of the potential locations of the new Aquasox stadium on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024 in Everett, Washington. The site sits between Hewitt Avenue, Broadway, Pacific Avenue and the railroad. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Initial prep work for AquaSox stadium to start, with $200k price tag

The temporary agreement allows some surveying and design work as the city negotiates contracts with designers and builders.

The Joann Fabric and Crafts store at 7601 Evergreen Way, Everett, is one of three stores in Snohomish County that will close as part of the retailer’s larger plan to shutter more than half of its stores nationwide. (Aaron Kennedy / The Herald)
Joann store closure plan includes Everett, Arlington, Lynnwood locations

The retail giant filed a motion in court to close approximately 500 stores in the U.S.

Lynnwood
Lynnwood police: 1 suspect in custody, 1 at large after attempted carjacking

Beverly Elementary School went into a precautionary lockdown Thursday afternoon. Numerous officers continue to search for the second suspect.

Robin Cain with 50 of her marathon medals hanging on a display board she made with her father on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Running a marathon is hard. She ran one in every state.

Robin Cain, of Lake Stevens, is one of only a few thousand people to ever achieve the feat.

People line up to grab food at the Everett Recovery Cafe on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Coffee, meals and compassion are free at the Everett Recovery Cafe

The free, membership-based day center offers free coffee and meals and more importantly, camaraderie and recovery support.

Devani Padron, left, Daisy Ramos perform during dance class at Mari's Place Monday afternoon in Everett on July 13, 2016. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)
Mari’s Place helps children build confidence and design a better future

The Everett-based nonprofit offers free and low-cost classes in art, music, theater and dance for children ages 5 to 14.

The Everett Wastewater Treatment Plant along the Snohomish River on Thursday, June 16, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett water, sewer rates could jump 43% by 2028

The rate hikes would pay for improvements to the city’s sewer infrastructure.

The bond funded new track and field at Northshore Middle School on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024 in Bothell, Washington. (Courtesy of Northshore School District)
Northshore School District bond improvements underway

The $425 million bond is funding new track and field complexes, playgrounds and phase one of two school replacements.

Candidates announce campaigns for Everett city council seat

Ryan Crowther, founder of the Everett Music Initiative, will challenge incumbent Paula Rhyne for the District 2 seat.

Lynnwood City Council Vice President Julieta Crosby speaks during a Lynnwood City Council meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood picks top eight candidates to replace former council VP

The City Council will make its final decision Feb. 20 after interview process.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.