The British Caving Association

This is just a brief note to those who know John Hey, the designer of the HeyPhone cave radio. John is currently in hospital, in Leeds, with terminal cancer. If any of you would like to contact him, his home address is in the CREG Journal masthead. If any of you live near to Leeds and would like to visit him, he is in St James' Hospital. You can contact me for details of the ward (Im told that its best to phone them before visiting)

Hello David

John Hey's daughter asked me to inform you that John passed away yesterday evening, 8th March 2016, at St. James Hospital Leeds. He had terminal stomach cancer.

I will pass on details of the funeral arrangements when I know them. They have already been delayed due to the Doctors strike. Sorry to have to pass on this sad news.

Regards

Peter Scholefield (Lifelong friend)

Ive heard that the funeral is on 24th but I have no other details yet.

I was really sorry to hear of John’s passing. He was a stalwart member of CREG for many years and continued to contribute ideas and articles to the CREG Journal long after he ceased to venture underground.

I remember our first meeting at which he unveiled a cave radio in an immaculately manufactured steel housing, putting my feeble metal-bashing skills to shame. This radio was based on John’s earlier, published, amateur radio design and went on to form the basis of the HeyPhone.
Notwithstanding the considerable contributions of others to the project, the HeyPhone would certainly not have emerged, or have been manufactured in such numbers, without John’s tireless efforts.

RIP John.

- Rob Gill

I bumped into John several times on LDWA walking events in Yorkshire but mostly, of course, I will remember him for the HeyPhones. If I recall, correctly, John manufactured some 50 units, which have been in regular use amongst the UK’s Cave Rescue Groups for some 15 years now. Additionally, CREG distributed over 80 kits world-wide, to countries as far away as Argentina, Australia, China, India and Russia, as well as throughout Europe and the USA., so John has made a very significant contribution to cave rescue and cave exploration generally, throughout the world.