The teen fossil hunter who was trapped in a cave

When a teenager went to a chalk cave to hunt for fossils, little did he know he would become part of a remarkable chapter in a Surrey village history.

The Westhumble cave, located in the North Downs near Dorking, was once mined for its chalk.

In February 1954, four adventurous youngsters - including Fred Topliffe - from London wanted to explore the site.

Pete Brown, from Dorking Museum, told Secret Surrey that the 15-year-old was interested in geology.

"He and his friends came well-equipped with helmets, torches and boots," he added.

"While they were exploring, they suddenly heard a rumble and the whole cave roof collapsed."

Brown said Fred was nearly completely covered and could only move his fingers and toes.

According to Dorking Museum, Fred's helmet protected his face.

Brown said one of the boys ran to the nearest village for help.

Police and fire service arrived, but there were initial challenges in rescuing the teenager.

"They were digging from the side but it became difficult because more rocks kept dropping," Brown said.

"The operation had to be paused because Fred was in great danger.

"Emergency services went to the top and found a way to dig in vertically."

Brown said there was even discussion about amputating Fred's leg at one point.

However, one firefighter named Bert Bullett found a way to free the youngster and volunteered for the most dangerous part of the mission.

According to the Mickleham Magazine, Bullett had spent nearly two hours dangling upside down and clearing the rubble from Fred.

"Bullett managed to pull the piece of chalk that was over Fred's leg and hauled him out," Brown said.

For his bravery, the firefighter was awarded the British Empire Medal.

Fred, who is now 88-year-old and lives in Oxfordshire, recalled: "The moment I feared I might not get out was immediately after the collapse.

"Once the rescue operation began, I felt much more confident that I would be rescued."

Despite his terrifying experience, he continued to be involved in cave exploration.

He was a co-founder of the Chelsea Speleological Society, one of the country's top caving groups.

Fred later joined the British Antarctic Survey on Signy Island, where he worked as a meteorological observer and studied snow petrels and Weddell seals.

"One of my proudest achievements is climbing out of a deep crevasse unaided in the Antarctic," he said.

When asked why he enjoyed cave exploring, he said he "couldn't explain the appeal", comparing it with the desire some people have to climb mountains or venture into unchartered places.

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