STATEMENT
This report is of an incident that occurred during the
annual Caroling in the Cave on December 17, 2005.
I, Pamela Plant, Assistant Manager at Longhorn Cavern State
Park, was sitting in the back of the audience and observed two
small children, a girl and boy, and a lady sitting on the back
row of chairs placed for concert guests. The girl appeared to
be around the age of two to three, the boy between four and
five.
Both children appeared to have no interest in the concert
and began playing on their seats, changing seats, and going back
and forth between the row they were on and the next two rows in
front of them. I also observed a gentleman and child at the end
of the row where they sat. The child sat still and did not move
much.
The row in front of the lady and children, I observed a
gentleman in front of the lady turn around two or three times
apparently speaking with her.
I noted both children enter the row in front of the man
whereby the young girl sat on the chair directly in front of
him. At the same time, the young boy darted across the path to
the other side of the passageway where he proceeded to climb on
one of the rocks. He then turned and darted back across the
path toward the little girl playfully. There was a shuffle
between the children when I noted someone lean toward the little
girl whereby the girl disappeared off the chair. The young boy
then sat on the chair for a short period. I also noted the lady
in the back row did not do or say anything to either of the
children.
As the performers began their next to the last song I noted
both children dart from where they had been sitting and head
down the passageway past the rows of chairs placed to the right
of the stage. From my vantage point, they appeared to be headed
past the end of the chairs. I also noted Al Gerow, turn around
twice and look behind him.
At this point, I noticed no one was going to retrieve the
children, so I got up from where I was sitting well behind the
audience and proceeded toward the children as it appeared to me
they were headed down the passageway. I was midway beside the
chairs when I observed Al stand then head in the direction of
the children. Both children had turned around and were quickly
headed back in my direction when Al reached them. He placed his
hand on the girls shoulder, and said something to her. Both
children ran past him back into the audience and Al returned to
his seat.
As Al reached his seat an elderly lady sitting two
behind him confronted him. She had risen from her seat
standing on the path as Al returned to his seat. As he
his seat, she moved up close to him, pointed her finger
stated, “Don’t you ever touch my grandchildren again.”
rows
and was
reached
and
As everything had happened so quickly, I do not know if Al
made a reply to the lady. I did overhear someone say, as Al
turned and sat down, that he was an employee at the cave and was
only doing his job.
By this time, the lady who had been sitting on the back
row, walked up to where I was now standing and stood beside me
the remainder of the show and kept looking back and forth from
me to the audience. She did not attempt to approach either of
the children who were now sitting with a young woman next to the
elderly lady. I did not want to cause further interruptions of
the show by talking, so I chose to remain quiet until the
performers had completed their final song.
After the show concluded I went to the phone and called
topside to inform Kaye Barlow, Operations Manager, that we had a
problem with some children in the cavern and she should be aware
of a possible incident when the guests arrived in the building.
As I was walking up to the surface, Al informed me the
elderly lady confronted him again in the cavern and that he was
not going to go inside the building, but he and his family were
leaving. He said he was going in to get his hat and leave. He
did not inform me of what the elderly lady said to him after the
concert was over.
Al walked past me, entering the building before I did. I
was a few steps behind him and as he reached to open the door, I
observed the elderly lady step toward him and in a very angry
voice stated, “I want your name, address and telephone number.”
I did not hear Al reply to the lady as he entered the building.
As I walked up to the door to open it and go inside the
building, I overheard her state to the group of people she was
standing with, “I’m going to sue that bastard. Since he’s not
going to give me any information, I guess I’ll have to get it
from them inside.”
I did not acknowledge the elderly lady as I entered the
building and went immediately to find Kaye and report to her
what I had taken place.