Posted on 10/18/2016 9:19:22 AM PDT by MeneMeneTekelUpharsin
When I read they went down 260 ft, I thought, "Dang, they were on mixed gas for a cave dive!" But, I think you're right, the reporter mixed up distance with depth.
It may have actually been that deep.
When I was a kid in the early 60s or maybe late 50s a diver drowned in Morrison Springs at something close to 300 feet. I guess my memory could be off a bit.
Lloyd Bridges came but when he found out how deep he was, he said it was too deep.
It took a while but finally some kids from Auburn got the body out.
Thanks for posting! I’m a caver but I would never cave dive. Way too dangerous.
I have been a diver and a spelunker. Would NEVER mix the two!!!
Did a few long lava tubes in Hawaii, including one with a very tight passage. Having done them, had enough of that.
This brings to mind the old aviator’s saying - “There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots, but there are few old, bold pilots.”
To me this looks like pure craziness, but then I’m somewhat claustrophobic so the idea of deep cave diving, or even spelunking, sends shivers through me. These guys died in an unusual place and way, but I could just as easily kill myself while pushing my limits on the road on my motorcycle. I’ll presume that these guys weren’t idiots, and apparently they were experienced, so I guess something unexpectedly went wrong.
At least if I ever manage to kill myself on my motorcycle, it won’t likely require a team of people to risk their lives to recover my body.
Went through a large cave system in Kentucky. Had been fully explored, guide knew it very well. Was my last time spelunking though.
Why?
One of the people in the group could not fit through a squeeze because he had a panic attack and could not relax enough to get through. Guide had to take him back out the way we came in. So he put *me* in charge of the group. I was not nearly experienced enough. His instructions were clear though — take every right turn that did not involve squeezes, wait for me in the “window” room where you can see sunlight (that particular chamber was open to the outside — the opening was about 100 feet above the base). After about an hour, he got to us through another passage.
That’s when I quit.
Saw some amazing things down there, though.
PS Cannot remember the name of that cave system. Will have to look it up...
I read the NSS accidents publication every year. Cavers can usually be rescued, but almost never do the divers get rescued.
Don't be sorry, that warning is worth repeating...
A diver was rescued just last year near here.
The rescuer was informed, he jumped in his pickup with a buddy in back to get his gear ready. He drove 100 mph and got there just in time to rescue the kid.
Around a week later the rescued guy’s Father drove from Oklahoma and met with the rescuer. He tried to give him a check for $5000 but he refused it.
Me, I would have taken it.
Me too. You could max out on donations to Trump with that check.
I went to Ginnie Springs with my Senior Scouts. I saw a shiny object on the floor of one of the springs. It changed my life. It was a miniature lock back knife. I put my old 3” lockback in a drawer where it remains. Once hooked on the little blades there was no turning back
We went out into the river and there was a large tree extending out over the water. The scouts went out there to jump in the river.
One scout raised a hue and cry....... manatee! Manatee!
Everyone started looking for the rare beast so close.
He deflated the baloon.......”no manatee, it’s Mr bert.”
ha-ha
On multiple years in Jr. high and high school in miami there would be news of cave diver deaths, followed by at least one teacher in classes at school going over how stupid it is to dive in caves without training and equipment.
That has a happy ending.
The sharks, no problem but the Blue Hole at about 100’? A decompression dive on top of a cave dive? So how long do you decompress after exploring the cave?
I’ve been diving in both of those springs back in 1974 or 1975 but only went to the mouth of the caves.
After reading more about this cave complex, it’s apparently quite possible that they intentionally dived that deep, which I guess would mean they would be using mixed gas, as you say. Still seems nuts to me, why do people have to take already dangerous activities and push the danger right to the limit?
Same here, between 1976 and 1980. We called it spring or ledge diving, but never went so far you could not see light to the exit. Was fun coming up in air pockets in the "ceiling" of the cave entrance and having brief conversations...
It's been over twenty-five years, so there's no way I could possibly remember the dive plan, but we did plan the dive, and we did dive the plan. Based on the depth and the time spent at that depth, we made about four stops for varying lengths of time during the ascent.
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