I have experience in both camps--trying to get information and trying to avoid giving it.Can you narrow down the "They" just a tad?
As someone who helps write accounts of cave incidents for the National Speleological Society, I have encountered extreme reluctance from individuals involved in incidents to reveal what they know. I have been convinced at times that individuals were flat out lying. I have also encountered incidents in which people sincerely regret having told what they know earlier, after their well intentioned words came back to bite them. As someone who has been involved in an incident, I can understand the reluctance to tell what you know for a wide variety of very good reasons.
The IUCRR is an organization that tries to effect cave rescues (more often effects body recoveries) and writes reports on the cause of the incidents in which they participate. They used to publish their reports on their website. They don't do that anymore, and they stopped doing it on advice of counsel. There are too many ways in which something they write in a report can end up becoming part of a lawsuit, even a lawsuit against them. Today their reports go only to the police, and if you want to read them, you will need to use the Freedom of Information act.
BTW, once a report is written by the police, there is nothing to stop someone from getting it through the Freedom of Information act and then publishing it themselves.
EDIT on 4/16: I have been contacted by a member of the IUCRR indicating that my summary of their policy is inaccurate. I am going to investigate further and hope to be able to correct it.
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