Robert Fredrik Svensson, a graduate student in the computer science department, died Monday evening in a caving accident in Clarksville.
Svensson was trying to clear an underwater passage in one of the rooms of the cave just off Route 443 when he apparently became tangled in the debris and his air supply ran out, the Times Union reported.
Institute President Shirley Ann Jackson said in response to Svensson’s death, "We are deeply saddened to hear of this tragic and untimely accident. Our hearts and our deepest sympathies go out to Robert’s family and friends."
Two other students were with Svensson when he became trapped in the passage. They had to crawl for 45 minutes to get out of the cave and find help, the Times Union reported.
Divers from the Albany County Sheriff’s Department arrived to investigate Monday night, but poor lighting conditions and large amounts of silt in the water made the search difficult. "There’s no current to move stuff away, so it all settles in there; very fine silt," said Albany County Deputy Chief Craig Apple. "As soon as they (divers) touch the water, it gets stirred up."
Divers were sent back in early Tuesday morning, and worked throughout the day to retrieve Svensson’s body from the narrow passageway. However, by late Tuesday their efforts had not been successful.
Albany County Sheriff James Campbell told WNYT News that the tunnel Svensson’s body is stuck in is under 8 feet of cold water, and is only about 20 inches in diameter. The divers who tried to free Svensson could only reach as high as his legs, Campbell said.
The crews planned to begin pumping water out of the room Wednesday, WNYT reported. They hope this will make it easier to see what they are doing and allow them to chisel away some of the rock surrounding Svensson’s body.
Svensson earned his B.S. in computer science from RPI, and was working on his master’s degree in the same department.
He worked as a teaching assistant for the Computer Science II course for several semesters as an undergraduate, and stayed on to become a graduate TA.
"The students loved him," said Robert Ingalls, professor of computer science, under whom Svensson worked.
Svensson also served as vice president of the Scuba Club and equipment manager for the Outing Club. However, the caving excursion was not part of a club activity.
Ongoing grief counseling is being provided by the Dean of Students Office, Counseling Center, and Chaplains Office.
"Our first priority is to come together to provide a support structure for those who are grieving," Jackson said. "Counseling and support services have been made available to the students and an on-campus memorial service is being planned."
