Madison man found dead in Stephens Gap Cave

JACKSON COUNTY – A Madison man was found dead at Stephens Gap Cave in Jackson County. According to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, a man’s body rescue crews found on Friday at the cave is 24-year-old Juan Gerado Cruces.

Madison Police notified the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office on Friday about a missing person, who was possibly at the Stephens Gap. Sheriff deputies found Cruces’ truck outside the cave in a parking lot. Rescue crews searched the cave and found a body, which was later identified to be Cruces.

Chief Deputy Rocky Harnen said they had help from the Scottsboro Jackson County Rescue Squad and the Huntsville Cave Rescue Unit. “Unfortunately sometime between 7:30 and 8:00 that night they located the body of the victim down at the bottom of the cave,” he said.

Harnen said it appears to be an accident. Officials said he looked like Cruces had fallen and died. This is the second accident like this at the cave in three years, Harnen said.