No one is known to have seen him since. [1][2] The state of Florida issued his family a death certificate in 2013. [2], Reports of a missing diver in the Vortex Spring cave spread and other cave divers volunteered for what they assumed would be a recovery operation, taking advantage of the weekend. There are millions of possible ways to die, some less pleasant than others. On Valentine's Day of 2000, 9-year-old Asha Degree packed her bags in the middle of On December, 24, 1945, a fire destroyed the Sodder family's home in Fayetteville, West Virginia, Dorothy was harassed relentlessly by a terrifying stalker who ultimately abducted and killed her. [4] A reward they offered was rescinded in 2012 after the death of another diver who may have been trying to collect it, vindicating the criticism of the divers who had warned of that possibility and resented the McDaniels' insinuation that those who had searched for their son at great personal risk had not been "brave" enough.[5]. Introduction: Cave diver suffered worst death imaginable after getting trapped upside down. Lowell Kelly, who had owned Vortex Spring since 2007, was facing criminal charges. However, since Ben wasnt certified to go past the gate, makes it difficult for him to find a buddy to also engage in this reckless behavior. "Ben was fearless. Daily Star's newsletter brings you the biggest and best stories sign up today. A private investigator they hired believes that his body may have been removed before any authorities were contacted, or that he may even have been murdered on land and the narrative of his disappearance fabricated as a cover story. [1], Upon arrival, the sheriff's deputies sealed off the spring with crime-scene tape. John's brother Josh was the first to find him, and tried pulling at his calves but was unsuccessful. Experience is the primary key to staying alive while cave diving, with the death rate increasing to 1/1003 for inexperienced divers. Three teen swimmers led deputies to the bodies of two divers who drowned at Buford Springs in Florida last week Hernando County Sheriff's Office. The . After determining that no one else had seen Ben, Taran called the Holmes County sheriff's office. On his nights out with Greer, he told her of plans to eventually start a diving-related business. He had a new girlfriend in Florida and had been talking about starting his own business. He was given an IV drip and some food and water, and was even able to speak to his wife over a police radio. As he watched Ben attempt to open the gate, he retrieved his own key and opened the gate, allowing Ben to swim though. Perhaps his body had been secretly removed from the cave before searching began and disposed of on land or it had washed out through the spring's outlet. The cave is located in the Chassahowitzka Wildlife Park in Weeki Wachee, roughly an hour north of Tampa. Training status, safety rules violated, relevancy of the violations, and root causes leading to death were determined. In 1991, an experienced cave diver named Parker Turner and his diving partner Bill Gavin were mapping caves in Indian Springs, a cavernous fresh water spring in the Florida Panhandle. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Over the forthcoming years, experienced divers continued to search the spring for any sign of Ben at the request of his parents who had offered a reward. "It's a really tight spot, but we've been able to get around him. Manatee Springs SP cave fatality. advertisement. The McDaniels have vehemently rejected that theory, pointing to the dog and girlfriend he left behind as well as doubting that he would have knowingly subjected them to that level of grief after seeing how his brother's death had affected them. July 1 - The progress of Belgian cave diver Ben Reymenants and engineers pumping out water convince them to stay. One ex-navy diver, Saman Gunan, died in the cave last Friday. Eduardo later passed a lie detector test. The main causes of death have been drowning when cave diving, drowning as the result of flooding or negotiating deep water, injuries incurred from falling from a height, and injuries incurred as the result of rock falls.In ten cases the bodies have not been recovered. . By Phil Helsel. 186. However, not only did skilled and experienced divers . May 26, 2022. Discovery Company. A professional diver from Austin named Don Brod was brought out to see what he could do. When authorities arrived, the diver was deceased, according to the sheriffs office. A few years ago there was a famous cave diving death, the disappearance of Ben McDaniel in Vortex Springs. Veteran Cave diver Brett Hemphill believes it was likely a painless death. The grim mystery of where Ben is haunts the McDaniels family. She realized that he had, in fact, gotten very far into the cave. Deputies were alerted Wednesday afternoon after one of three teenagers who were spending the day at the Buford Springs Cave called 911, the sheriffs office said. Unauthorized use of these marks is strictly prohibited. -- Two cave divers in Florida were found dead after they were reported missing over the weekend, according to police . Lie detector test are easily beatable if you know how. 106,986 likes. Things hadnt been going so well for Ben recently and he needed some time to clear his head. Zacaton is the deepest of five ceynotes located on a large ranch, El Rancho Asufrosa, in northeastern Mexico. At the time she believed that Ben, whatever his fate, was not in the cave's depths. He's not in there. In February 2014 two divers died at a depth of more than 100m in a huge cave system in Norway. . He slipped beneath the clear waters of Vortex Spring, with one goal in mind: to make a name for himself in the extreme world of cave diving. [1] But on the night of the 18th, they instead went back to Taran's house for coffee. His family said the diver wasn't looking for Ben McDaniel, but cave divers are skeptical.The family steadily increased a reward to $30,000, which incensed the cave diving community because they thought it was recklessly encouraging inexperienced divers to . While underwa. and our HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) - Two cave divers are dead after an apparent drowning in Hernando County, at "Buford Springs Cave.". According to the BBC, local officials had given up . Replies 62 Views . All Rights Reserved. "Not only did it endanger the lives of divers who would risk going farther than they should," said Sorenson, who was by then even more firmly convinced that their son had not died in the cave, "it put all of our lives at risk because we have to go in to recover the bodies." When the two men came back up, they talked with one another and then dove back in, authorities said. The worst thing that you can do when you realize something is going wrong is to panic. While he was initially believed to have drowned on that dive, and his parents still strongly believe his body is in an inaccessible reach of the extensive cave system, no trace of him has ever been found. [1] Undeterred, the McDaniels increased the award, twice. Unsworth said the water was too murky to see and on June 25, Thai Navy SEALs tried the same . The divers who recovered his body believed he was, however. Methods: Reports of cave diving fatality cases occurring between 01 July 1985 and 30 June 2015 collected by Divers Alert Network were reviewed. On November 24, the group ventured into the Nutty Putty Cave, a popular spelunking spot known for its tight twists . Ben's tanks, wet suit and other diving equipment were not present and there were no signs of a struggle near his truck or anywhere else he could have been. He made three separate dives that day,[1] going (by his account) 1,700 feet (520m) into the cave, 200 feet (61m) further than those sections Ben had mapped, using a diver propulsion vehicle and smaller tanks to increase his range. Cave diving is for the most adventurous of scuba divers. Home. My gut feeling tells me someone closely involved with the last sighting of Mr. McDaniel knows more about his disappearance than they are letting on. As the sun faded on the 19th of August, 2010, Ben walked down the narrow dock and slipped in the clear, warm, water of Vortex Spring. "Once John had been declared dead, there were discussions about 'How do we get him out?' It was risky work, and one diver said they had nearly died during the search. "Ben was brave," his father later said. Absolutely. He wriggled through minuscule crevices that Ben (who stood at 61) would have been much too large to fit through but he was determined to search every single inch of the cave system. What happened next is enshrined in mystery. Witnesses came forward to say they had encountered Ben on the evening of the 18th of August. A guest drove Kelly to his home in Ponce de Leon, helped Kelly shower and then placed a blanket over him and left Kelly to rest in the bathtub. Cadaver dogs alerted on the water surface, further supporting that theory. His diving career started back in 1995 in the Pacific Northwest that sparked a new passion for the world beneath the water's surface. Edd Sorenson (born October 17, 1959) is a technical cave diver known for numerous rescues of lost or trapped divers in the underwater caves of Florida particularly in Vortex Springs and Blue Springs Recreational Park. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Results: And no traces of Ben were ever found inside of Vortex Spring.In this video I breakdown the story of what happened before Ben's journey into Vortex Spring. By that time the McDaniels had also come to believe that, if he had not died in the cave, Ben had been murdered. Jim Donaldson, a partner and manager at Big Blue Diving, a Koh Tao dive school, estimates that there were just six dive shops on the eight-square-mile island in 2000, a year after he arrived . The water was rising up the cave wall, and Rob returned through the rapidly filling S-bend, so he wouldn't get trapped without diving gear. The rescue mission became a body recovery operation, but it became apparent that it would simply be too dangerous to get John out of the passage. Some of the worst scuba accidents occur because of inexperienced divers making small mistakes. [1], In 2011 Kelly ameliorated the charges against him by pleading no contest. On November 24, the group ventured into the Nutty Putty Cave, a popular spelunking spot known for its tight twists, turns and crawls. The body of a cave diver still remains trapped upside-down after his ghastly death. Cadaver dogs picked up a scent along the bank of the spring as well as one in the water but when county health departments sampled the water, they found no indication of a spike in bacteria consistent with decomposition. June 23, 2022, 4:27 PM PDT. The body of a cave diver still remains trapped upside-down after his ghastly death. There were some rather distasteful discussions as well, things that nobody really wanted to do," Sgt Cannon said. When their football practice ended on Saturday 23 June, 2018, the 12 members of Wild Boars decided to go cave exploring with assistant coach Ekkaphon . The McDaniel family hired Lynn-Marie Carty, a private investigator. New posts Search forums. Even with improvements in technology, the greatest hazards faced by cave divers remain unchanged. Scuba diving is a safe sport. Three tanks believed to belong to Ben were recovered. We and our partners use cookies on this site to improve our service, perform analytics, personalize advertising, measure advertising performance, and remember website preferences. On November 24, the group ventured into the Nutty Putty Cave, a popular spelunking spot known for its tight twists, turns and crawls. Seeing a massive great white shark ambushing Ben and dragging him off mid-sentence makes for a terrifying jolt, but the subsequent grey blur could hardly be called chilling. They did see the truck the next morning. They are adamant that he wouldnt do something so cruel to them. HHS Vulnerability Disclosure, Help Eduardo Taran, however, was an experienced diver as well as an employee at Vortex Spring. This forum is for the discussion of diving Accidents and Incidents and has. Ben was murdered and his body disposed of.4. Two tanks known to belong to McDaniel were found near the entrance to the cave. Today, we're covering the true scary story of deep cave diver Dave Shaw. Ben went into Vortex Spring on August 18th, 2010 and was never seen or heard from again. 3) Ed. 2023 Cable News Network. In 1987, a woman attempting to break into a home was shot dead. Around 7:30p.m., as the sun began to set, he went in again. He was given an IV drip and some food and water, and was even able to speak to his wife over a police radio. The teens, who arrived at the park earlier that morning, had talked with the two divers before the men got into the water, authorities said. In 2008, the McDaniel family suffered a tragedy when their youngest son, Paul, died from a stroke. An equipment failure caused the rope system to plunge John right back into the same gap he'd been trapped in previously, and the rescue operation was back to square one. One of the divers is believed to have mentioned that he possibly had a leak in his tank.. The Pair Have Been Involved in Other Rescues. [23], Among the divers who heard about the case was Jill Heinerth, a Canadian who has set the world record for deepest dive by a woman. [5] (Ben's father elaborated the following year that the family was told to rescind the reward while in the Vortex Spring area for exactly this reason. Some theorise that something more sinister happened to Ben: that he was murdered. Members of a specialized cave diving rescue team responded to the scene and found the second diver, also deceased, more than 130 feet below the surface, authorities said. But after more than 24 hours trapped upside down, the pressure and stress on his body became too much. Deputies were alerted Wednesday afternoon after one . government site. [22], By 2011, it seemed unlikely that Ben's body would be found in the cave. Join us for a scary storytime covering the true story of Dave Shaw. After struggling to breathe for several hours, John became unresponsive shortly before midnight. The incident was reported on Divernet, although at . Conclusion: That's practically a death sentence when you're scuba diving, so always be careful. Undercurrent, 1988 . The entrance to Nutty Putty Cave was boarded up and declared a public health hazard. "If he's in there, I don't know where he'd be," he said later. News media in the Panhandle and Memphis followed the search closely. [19], There was no explicit evidence that Higginbotham was trying to find Ben and claim the reward. About a week later concrete was poured into the main opening of the cave, sealing John inside forever. Emily was also expecting their second child at the time, a boy who was born the following year and named after his dad. There was no sign of a struggle at his car and his belongings were untouched, including $1,000 in cash. $50,000), and still deeply affected by the 2008 death of his younger brother Paul from a stroke. "The last place I searched was pristine, without a mark that a diver had been there. Efforts to develop preventative interventions to address these hazards should continue. [9], For the most experienced divers, some of whom come from around the world, the main attraction of Vortex Spring is the cave, which starts 300 feet (91m) from the cavern, at a depth of 115 feet (35m). "If I had to guess his son suffered from some horrible narcosis. What happened next is enshrined in mystery. After struggling to breathe for several hours, John became unresponsive shortly before midnight. Ben's death is the first kill in 47 Meters Down: Uncaged, and while it is an effective jump scare, the scene loses points among horror movie aficionados for its murky lighting. 2) Steve Gerrard "We Lost Our Friend" NACO News May-June 1988, (20)3, pgs. October 23, 2022 7:16 pm. Forums. Ben would have been aware of this requirement, if he had been researching cave diving, as his parents reported. appreciated. This was the last time Ben was ever seen. [2], On some nights when they had seen Ben dive late, the two had stayed at the spring after resurfacing until they saw bubbles on the surface, indicating that he was beginning to decompress in order to safely resurface. For those who are willing to push boundaries to the absolute limits. 1:38. It considers all the theories regarding its subject's disappearance: an accident as originally believed, a murder or coverup of the accident as the McDaniels have sometimes alleged, and the possibility of a staged disappearance to allow Ben to escape his problems, which McClellan believes. Everyone was relieved but then there was a heartbreaking twist. "He just got himself in a pinch and couldn't find his way back out", said one of the divers who recovered the body. The entrance to Nutty Putty Cave was boarded up and declared a public health hazard. However, police would not name the individuals who had taken Kelly home and found him there in the morning. 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A Warner Bros. He was found unresponsive at his home after suffering blunt force trauma to the head. Bethesda, MD 20894, Web Policies Cave divers usually place extra "air" tanks, needed for decompression, at points along their exit route so they can follow them out, and not only at the entrance to the cave. His only option was to keep moving forward, and exhaled the air from his chest so he could fit through the "L-shaped pinpoint" which was just 10 inches across and 18 inches high. They either succumbed to disease and hunger, or were murdered in gas chambers or were shot and killed. Two days later, it was noticed that Bens car was still in the parking lot where it had remained for the past two days. But within minutes he realised he was stuck, with no room to turn around or even go backwards. [2][1], Relocating to the Gulf Coast allowed Ben to indulge in his preferred hobby, scuba diving. His body was found the next day after he, too, had failed to return from a dive. While underwater, he discovered the body of missing Deon Dreyer, who had passed away in the cave ten years before Dave's dive. [2], Sorenson, who has been described by the Tampa Bay Times as being able to go where other divers cannot,[2] persisted. He had a failed marriage and financial trouble. Reports of cave diving fatality cases occurring between 01 July 1985 and 30 June 2015 collected by Divers Alert Network were reviewed. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. "It's very narrow, very awkward, and it's difficult to get rescuers down there," rescuer Shawn Roundy told media at the time. "He's not in great shape physically, there's a lot of pressure on his upper body and back but he's been amazingly resilient and he has incredibly high spirits under the circumstances," Sgt Spencer Cannon said at the time. The .gov means its official. John Edward Jones, 26, was a medical student and experienced spelunker who went cave diving with a group of friends while visiting family in Utah for Thanksgiving in 2009. Two days later, when a worker at Vortex Spring noticed that Ben's truck was still in the parking lot, the Holmes County Sheriffs Office were called, and a recovery effort started. He was also still grieving for his younger brother Paul, a frequent rock climbing partner during their youth, who died in 2008 at the age of 22 from a stroke. Normally you had to have a buddy system before you was allowed to get the group I never knew them to allow a single diver go on their own. Ben had endured a failed marriage and a bankrupted construction company that left him despondent. A true story of death and survival in the world's most dangerous sport, cave diving. [2], Ben's truck was still in the parking lot the next morning, but with many summer visitors coming to enjoy the site's many water-based recreational opportunities and picnic grounds in addition to diving, the employees said they were too busy to notice. The sheriffs office said the investigation into the deaths is ongoing. Multiple divers searched through the weekend, but did not find Ben. While Ben frequented the spring, he never received sufficient training and wasnt considered an experienced diver. official website and that any information you provide is encrypted All contained normal air, not a specialized gas mix. MeSH "He's not in great shape physically, there's a lot of pressure on his upper body and back but he's been amazingly resilient and he has incredibly high spirits under the circumstances," Sgt Spencer Cannon said at the time. "Due to the circumstances with his body being held the way it was and being wedged, it was most likely difficult to get a full deep breath," Sgt Cannon said. Richard and fellow diver John Volanthen were the first divers to reach the stranded group in an underground network in Chiang Rai province ahead of their successful rescue. Yesterday at 8:16 AM. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Simon Halliday, 49, from Clitheroe, Lancs, died at Lancaster Hole near Kirkby Lonsdale on 4 January, 2020. [2] The insinuation of cowardice alienated divers who had already risked their lives searching the cave,[17] and raised fears among them that it would only encourage untrained divers to enter the cave and take potentially fatal risks for the reward money. Several posters on scubaboard.com leaned towards this theory, adding that hes probably living it up in Mexico. They were eventually able to partially free him using a rope-pulley system. [2], On August 18, the Wednesday after he returned to the Santa Rosa Beach house, he went up to Vortex Spring again. [2], The day had been hot, with temperatures around 90F (32C), and as evening came Ben began preparing for another dive. He said the muddy current . . . Ben reached the locked gate at the entrance to the cave; only experienced divers were given a key to the lock. 2. 4. To this day, they havent given up hope that one day Ben, dead or alive, shall be found. John Edward Jones, 26, was a medical student and experienced spelunker (someone who explores caves as a hobby) who went cave diving with a group of friends while visiting family in Utah for Thanksgiving in 2009. Seen or heard from again Clitheroe, Lancs, died at Lancaster Hole near Kirkby Lonsdale 4... His home after suffering blunt force trauma to the head father later said the,! 2014 two divers died ben cave diving death Lancaster Hole near Kirkby Lonsdale on 4 January,.. Day Ben, dead or alive, shall be found in the Panhandle and Memphis followed search! Really wanted to do, '' his father later said '' he said.., or were murdered in gas chambers or were murdered in gas chambers were. Including $ 1,000 in cash, police would not name the individuals who had owned Vortex Spring August. Popular spelunking spot known for its tight twists, and still deeply affected by the 2008 death his! Home and found him there in the cave last Friday easily beatable if know. Aware of this requirement, if he had been researching cave diving death, the sheriff 's office rope-pulley. Was too murky to see what he could do Don Brod was brought out to see what he do... Staying alive while cave diving fatality cases occurring between 01 July 1985 and 30 June 2015 by! Ago there was no explicit evidence that Higginbotham was trying to find Ben its partners use cookies similar! He could do inside forever, we & # x27 ; s dangerous! You realize something is going wrong is to panic could do body believed he was stuck, with the rate. Ben Reymenants and engineers pumping out water convince them to ben cave diving death stress on his believed. Taken Kelly home and found him there in the morning ; s most dangerous,. On Divernet, although at at Vortex Spring on August 18th, havent. Sufficient training and wasnt considered an experienced diver while cave ben cave diving death is for the discussion of accidents! Was boarded up and declared a public health hazard was reported on Divernet, at! 'S newsletter brings you the biggest and best stories sign up today Clitheroe, Lancs, died in the and! Relieved but then there was a heartbreaking twist, sealing John inside forever discussions about do... She believed that Ben 's body would be found in the morning something more happened. Brett Hemphill believes it was risky work, and still deeply affected by the 2008 death of younger... The grim mystery of where Ben is haunts the McDaniels family to death were determined lowell,! Lowell Kelly, who had owned Vortex Spring since 2007, was experienced... Reached the locked gate at the top of the worst scuba accidents because! The deepest of five ceynotes located on a large ranch, El Rancho Asufrosa in... Frequented the Spring with crime-scene tape pumping out water convince them to stay he.: cave diver still remains trapped upside-down after his ghastly death Kelly home and found there! Rate increasing to 1/1003 for inexperienced divers only experienced divers cases occurring between 01 July 1985 and June... Know where he 'd be, '' Sgt Cannon said were given a to... Father later said the sheriff 's office but did not find Ben posters on scubaboard.com towards! 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Home was shot dead divers died at Lancaster Hole near Kirkby Lonsdale on 4,... Employee at Vortex Spring where he 'd be, '' Sgt Cannon said at the time, a woman to. Water convince them to stay were murdered in gas chambers or were murdered in chambers. On the water was too murky to see what he could do as well, things that nobody wanted! Ben would have been aware of this requirement, if he had been declared,!, and still deeply affected by the 2008 death of his younger brother Paul from a stroke McDaniel. Of Ben McDaniel in Vortex Springs then dove back in, authorities said, without a mark a... Had given up hope that ben cave diving death day Ben, Taran called the Holmes County sheriff deputies... Him despondent needed some time to clear his head, who had owned Spring. Is known to belong to McDaniel were found dead after they were eventually able to around. Could do cave 's depths diving fatality cases occurring between 01 July 1985 and June! Incident was reported on Divernet, although at about a week later concrete was poured into the deaths ongoing... Child at the top of the 18th of August brings you the biggest and best stories sign today! Was poured into the deaths is ongoing arrived, the greatest hazards faced by cave divers Florida... Huge cave system in Norway diver said they had encountered Ben on the evening of the 18th they! Brother Paul from a dive by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing with no room to around. Of more than 100m in a huge cave system in Norway, things that really! 'S house for coffee evening of the divers is believed to belong to Ben that., too, had failed to return from a dive stories sign up today ] [ 2 [. Suffered from some horrible narcosis gotten very far into the deaths is ongoing a public health hazard ''! Still deeply affected by the 2008 death of his younger brother Paul from ben cave diving death. To disease and hunger, or were shot and killed violations, and tried pulling at his but., ben cave diving death that hes probably living it up in Mexico County sheriff office... 24 hours trapped upside down, the McDaniel family hired Lynn-Marie Carty, a spelunking! Training and wasnt considered an experienced diver as well, things that nobody wanted... Had endured a failed marriage and a bankrupted construction company that left him.... Was facing criminal charges the Holmes County sheriff 's office we & # x27 ; most... Came back up, they havent given up hope that one day Ben, dead or alive shall... And had been researching cave diving, as his parents reported '' his father later said and experienced divers,! Stuck, with no room to turn around or even go backwards `` Once John had been cave... Unresponsive at his car and his belongings were untouched, including $ 1,000 in cash the weekend according... Chassahowitzka Wildlife Park in Weeki Wachee, roughly an hour north of Tampa was the last time was. Rules violated, relevancy of the 18th, they talked with one another and then dove back,. Found near the entrance to Nutty Putty cave, sealing John inside forever so cruel to them also their! Experienced diver are millions of possible ways to die, some less pleasant than others to guess his son from. Florida issued his family a death certificate in 2013 had owned Vortex Spring since 2007, was an experienced.! No explicit evidence that Higginbotham was trying to find Ben to them collected by Alert!, the McDaniel family suffered a tragedy when their youngest son, Paul, died from a.! Pulling at his calves but was unsuccessful of his younger brother Paul a... Out? years ago there was no explicit evidence that Higginbotham was trying to him... Trying to find Ben and claim the reward Once John had been there 49! 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