Accident at Vortex Springs 8-20-10

[Kevin Carlisle]

Let's remember family members see posts too. Please use descretion before posting any info.

 

[algulfdiver]

My Prayers go out as well.

 

[scubadog1969]

i called vortex at 4 pm they told me they were going in tonight and was hoping that they would be able to open tomorrow

 

[atrawick]

My Thoughts and Prayers for the Family and Recovery Team!

 

[Jax]

Remembering the family, recovery team, and the caving community in my prayers.

 

[irishsquid]

For everyone involved.

 

[oceanbound]

any word?

 

[CheddarChick]

Wow...be carefull everyone...My heart is heavy.....

 

[wjefferis]

Here is an update: Possible drowning at Vortex Springs | springs, hamilton, sheriff - Breaking News - The News Herald

UPDATE: Possible drowning at Vortex Springs

Comments 0



August 20, 2010 02:19:00 PM

Florida Freedom Newspapers

PONCE DE LEON — Holmes County Sheriff's Office has reported an apparent drowning at Vortex Springs north of Ponce de Leon on Hwy. 81. LT Harry Hamilton of the HCSO said the unidentified diver is missing in the underwater caves at the springs, a popular diving location.
According to Holmes County Sheriff's Office, the missing diver is from Tennessee and about age 30 and has not been seen since Wednesday evening. His name has yet to be released.
A cave-diving expert with the Holmes County Sheriff's Auxiliary is on the way to explore the cave at Vortex Spring. The search diver may have to swim up to 1,500 feet in the search, with air tanks left along the route.
HCSO reports that two air tanks and other equipment apparently belonging to the missing diver has been found in the cave.
Mark Smith of Underwater Adventures of Baton Rouge, LA, has dived Vortex Springs several times. Smith said it appeared that the missing diver ignored some basic safety precautions, especially by apparently diving alone.
"Diving is a buddy team sport," Smith said. He said cave diving like that done at Vortex Springs is a demanding sport and should not be done alone or without a plan.
"Plan you dive and dive your plan," Smith said.
The last death at Vortex Springs involved 64-year-old man in May 2009 that apparently died of a heart attack.

 

[Hetland]

Vortex Springs: Recovery Team Still Unable to Find Missing Cave-Diver
Vortex Springs: Recovery Team Still Unable to Find Missing Cave-Diver

Vortex Springs: Recovery Team Still Unable to Find Missing Cave-Diver
No one knew the 30-year old man victim was missing until Friday morning, because he was not authorized to enter the cave at Vortex.
Reporter: Meagan O'Halloran
Email Address: meagan.ohalloran@wjhg.com


Two teams of highly trained, certified cave divers are at Vortex Springs at this hour, looking for a Tennessee man who's been missing since Wednesday. The search was put on hold earlier today to allow the divers to arrive from all over the region.

No one knew the 30-year old man victim was missing until Friday morning, because he was not authorized to enter the cave at Vortex.

Local dive teams and certified cave divers spent most of the day and the night to locate a 30-year old Tennessee man who is presumed dead.

"We're going to put together a 2nd attempt to explore the cavern and see if he's there. We tried to locate him on the surface and around the area says Captain Harry Hamilton with the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office.

But investigators say they have reason to believe he is in the underwater cave that stretches more than 1600-feet long.

They found the man's decompression air tanks around the 3-hundred foot mark.

Mark Smith, a member of ‘UnderWater Adventures’ a dive team from Baton Rouge, participated in the initial search. He says this particular cave illustrates the tight and restricting path he had to negotiate.

"It’s a rather large opening going down the first 120ft. After that there's a metal gate that he either had a key or jimmied the lock to go through, which is a direct deterrent for most divers of any stature", Smith says.

The dive shop confirmed the man, who was a frequent visitor to Vortex Springs, was not authorized to have access to the cave and did not have a key.

The dive shop called Holmes County Sheriff's Officials Friday, after a worried employee noticed the man's truck had been parked in the same spot since Wednesday.

"We presume at this time he has made a solo cave dive into the springs; we've got reason to believe he planned this dive and executed it maybe sometime late Wednesday", Hamilton says.

As of 10:15pm Friday, the first dive team had no luck finding the man and if second team is unsuccessful, recovery operations will resume first thing Saturday morning.