Cave Incident - Jackson Cnty, TN

[NAUI Wowie]

Edd is about par with everyone else in that respect. However, it's my opinion that every diver should at least get cavern certified. It will teach how to avoid becoming a statistic, not only around caves, but in OW diving.

I agree. I just came back from Cebu and Coron philippines and I did four wreck dives in coron and a cavern dive at lapu lapu cebu.

No training just did the cavern dive. it was only about 500 feet in but its 95 feet deep. and when it goes in it goes up so your NDL goes away which can be hazardous.

funny thing though I dove with a 100 aluminum and had my 19 pony. both DMs also had 19 ponys too so was pretty funny from my viewpoint reading all the no pony talk on scubaboard. almost everyone including all DMs had a pony on the cavern dive.

My plan eventually is to get a master diver cert because i want to get my deep diver, wreck, and cavern certs. im with padi now.

I have no desire, due to cost of even trying to do anything cave or trimix either. Its far too expensive.

but yes cavern I believe everyone should do to know what can kill you.

dont need or want master diver but i DO want to do cpr and rescue and deep in cold water.... and wreck and cavern...so thats basically master diver as i have nitrox and aow and 50 dives now.

why not get that cert

would i be a master diver? god no way. not compared to some true legends on scubaboard and even non legends who have 5000 dives like at my local dive center in nor cal.

working towards a goal in certification is a means to an end at becoming more able to survive or help others survive an emergency.

After all its not a diploma on the wall so it better well do something. Thats why I want to do the hardest cards possible to achieve my goal.

 

[rjack321]

The cave is only 18" tall in places - so of course it was silted out. These guys are from the UK, pretty sure they wouldn't stop trying just because of low or even non-existent visibility. Almost all UK caves have terrible vis. Either they didnt have suitable line/reels anymore, or they were out of penetration gas, or ripped drysuits or...

 

[Jack Hammer]

" specifically to explore the cave that's only reachable under water."

Is this some sort of press dramatization? I'm trying to understand how this is different from many other 'underwater caves'

Not sure about this cave. The entrance to some flooded caves are submerged as opposed to others where you walk/crawl/climb into the cave to get to the flooded section.

 

[nolatom]

I browse this Category just to make sure I don't do stuff that might end me up being written about here.
I ain't never going cave diving! I find normal diving affords me plenty of challenges and rewards.

No shade intended, and much respect held, for those of you that do dive caves. Me, I stop at the "Prevent your death--go no farther" sign because, well, I want to prevent my death.

All that said, what a great outcome. And what presence of mind by the rescuee to know when to stop, and just wait, no matter how long. And who else might be grateful for this outcome?? Those kids and families in Thailand.

Well done, from one not qualified to even know what it means in a technical sense.

 

[Miyaru]

New video shows dramatic moments of Tennessee cave rescue

 

[tursiops]

No training just did the cavern dive. it was only about 500 feet in but its 95 feet deep. and when it goes in it goes up so your NDL goes away which can be hazardous.

Was there an overhead environment for 500 ft?
You mean it goes down, or up? How does NDL go away if it gets shallower?

 

[NAUI Wowie]

Was there an overhead environment for 500 ft?
You mean it goes down, or up? How does NDL go away if it gets shallower?

Yes its a full overhead environment for about 500 feet in but its not a tunnel its a huge cavern.

the cavern is about 95 feet depth to go in. Google Marigondon Cave in lapu lapu on cebu philippines. It goes in about 500 feet but as you go in it angles up so you go from 95ish feet deep and at the back deepest part of the cave you are about 60ish feet depth of water. The DMs said the NDL would gain back time to stay under longer as you go up shallower in the back of the cave.
Then when you go back to the entrance you go deeper again back to 95 feet thus in their words reducing your NDL time left or bringing you closer to deco.
Now did I officially see this happen? No I wasnt watching my NDL as the dive wasnt that long at depth and I had 32 nitrox so not a big deal but some people supposedly get into trouble there and some have even died in the cavern. So they say.

Does that make sense?

 

[tursiops]

Could you see any light from the entrance?

 

[DandyDon]

It goes in about 500 feet but as you go in it angles up so you go from 95ish feet deep and at the back deepest part of the cave you are about 60ish feet depth of water.

I think you did a trust-me cave dive.

 

[tursiops]

I think you did a trust-me cave dive.

Perhaps. The web links fir that cavern say it only goes for maybe 140 ft, not 500, and that light from the entrance is indeed visible while inside. So it passes one test to be a cavern -- visible light -- but not the other: never more than 130 ft (or 200 ft, depending on the agency) from the surface. So if the entrance is at 95 ft, you can only penetrate 35 ft, or maybe 105 ft, but not 140 and definitely not 500. Even as a cavern dive, you dive using no more air than rule-of-thirds, a guideline, and two lights. So, I doubt it was a proper cavern dive, and probably was an improper cave dive. That's how people die.