scubaguy:
Afew months ago a man lost his life at Roubidoux, it was a big mess, But the point here is I heard the other day through the grapevine the guy that was with him is loosing his Instructors lisence over the deal, I refuse to list any names so if you dont know about it please dont ask,
Has anyone else heard anything, I was just curious.
Here is the artical I think . It is all I could find.Hope it helps.
B.D.B.
Diver drowns in Roubidoux Springs
By Jodi Thompson
photo by Jessica Wilson
A St. Louis man died Saturday morning during an apparent diving accident at Roubidoux Spring Cave in Waynesville.
Steven T. Wibracht, 50, of St. Louis, was reported missing at 10:40 a.m. by one of his two companion divers.
The man emerged from the cave within the Springs to report Wibracht had been lost during the dive to the Pulaski County Sheriff's Department.
Reportedly, as the three divers were ascending to the surface, Wibracht notified the two others accompanying him that due to his psi level, it was time to "move on." As they continued in their ascension, Wibracht was forced to share a tank. And some point, Wibracht lost contact with his partners.
As one man left the spring to report Wibracht missing to the sheriff's department, the other diver remained in the cave, searching.
Two members of the Pulaski County Dive Team, Jonathan Davis and Mike Gibbens, were called to the scene for their expertise in cave diving. Also, responding were the sheriff's and fire departments and officers with the police department.
Less than an hour later, Wibracht's body was found and at 11:36 a.m., Wibracht was pronounced dead at the scene by the Pulaski County Coroner.
Wibracht was transported to Greene County for post mortem examination by the Southwest Missouri Forensics Department.
"We had all of his [Wibracht's] gear checked out," said Waynesville Police Chief Don McCullough, "and everything was in functional condition."
McCullough explained all divers are required to check into the Pulaski County Sheriff's Department before and after their dive, and that all divers must be certified cave divers before diving at the Roubidoux Spring Cave. Wibracht was certified as required. This was his fourth time diving at the Springs since February of 2003, according to records.
This is the fourth diving fatality in Roubidoux Springs since Chief McCullough began working for the Police Department in 1987, he said.
Because of where the body was found, fairly close to the surface, it is believed that one of the possibilities is the buoyancy mechanism in the suit was not released.
In 1991, it took the Police Department nearly two days to find the body of a couple who had were reported missing during a dive. Wibracht was found in less than an hour.
"At this time, we're not really sure what exactly went wrong," McCullough said. "Autopsy results are still pending. There are a number of things that can go wrong."
The Roubidoux Spring Cave is acclaimed around the nation, as well as around the world, as one of the most beautiful underwater caves known. The Roubidoux Spring Web site explains that the spring once emerged from a cave opening, but it is now permanently backflooded by a dam built to keep it out of Roubidoux Creek. "People come here from all over," McCullough said.
A joint investigation by the Waynesville Police Department, Pulaski County Sheriff's Department and the Pulaski County Coroner's Office is still underway. Also responding to the scene Saturday was the Waynesville Rural Fire Department.
