Kong Adventure: father-of-three rescued from indoor cave in adventure centre in Keswick dies age 49

A father-of-three who was rescued from Kong Adventure Centre in Keswick has died from his injuries, his family has confirmed. 

The family of Carl O’Keeffe, 49, have said that he died at 3pm on Sunday 30 April.

Mr O’Keeffe, from Lancaster, had been at the adventure centre to celebrate a birthday party of a family member on Saturday 22 April. According to reports, he had been inside the caving experience with four children when he slipped and became stuck. 

When staff at the centre were unable to rescue Mr O’Keeffe, the emergency services were called just after 3pm. The incident was seen to by six crews from Cumbria Fire and Rescue, the police, Keswick Mountain Rescue, Cumbria Ore Mines Rescue Unit, Great North Air Ambulance and the Northwest Ambulance Service’s Hazardous Area Response Team. 

Sections of the climbing wall were taken apart by climbing wall staff, with the help of visiting climbers, to gain access to the tunnels that are hidden behind the climbing wall panels. 

Over four hours later, Mr O’Keeffe was rescued and subsequently rushed to the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle, where he remained until his death. 

A family member, who had stayed by Mr O’Keeffe’s bedside since the accident, said: “Carl was a devoted parent and he will leave a huge hole in their lives. He was a strong advocate for the neurodiverse community He taught people to learn what adjustments they needed in life and to not only accept them but to live them.

“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. He was fascinated by solar storms and had been predicting the one that happened this week while he slept. He spend years having the NASA Hubble photos tattooed onto his arm.”

A Cumberland Council spokesperson said: “We have been notified of an incident that took place at the Kong Adventure Centre, Keswick, and are investigating the matter, as the regulating body.”

A spokesperson for Kong Adventure Centre added: "All the staff at Kong Adventure are shocked and saddened to hear this terrible news. Our thoughts at this time are with the family, friends and everyone involved."