Accident at Vortex Springs 8-20-10

[Mark Michaud SELAUSAR]

The arrow is correct. As far as the map is concerned, Eduardo is working on a new on as this one is not very accurate, anymore, past the gate. But for general reference, it is ok.

 

[FireInMyBones]

My prayers go out to the family of "B."
To all those working so diligently, keep up the good work and be safe.

I was going to stop in at Vortex after a trip to the coast, but was unable to. The information has already been helpful.
Has any update been made?

 

[Hetland]

The News Herald
Search continues for missing Vortex Springs diver | search, continues, springs - News - The News Herald

Search continues for missing Vortex Springs diver
Comments 0
August 21, 2010 06:55:00 PM
JAY FELSBERG | Florida Freedom Newspapers

PONCE DE LEON — The search continued Saturday for a missing Tennessee diver at Vortex Springs north of Ponce de Leon on County 81.

__________, 30, from the Memphis, Tenn., area, was reported missing according to Lt. Harry Hamilton of the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office. McDaniel’s vehicle and personal affects were found but there was no sign of the diver.

__________ had not been seen since Wednesday, according to HCSO.

On Friday, three dive teams explored the more than 1,600-foot-long cave where __________ was believed to have dived but found only equipment, including air bottles, at the head of the cave.

Three other teams went in Saturday but were unable to find __________’s body.

The cave is considered a challenging dive even by experienced divers, according to divers at the scene. The cave twists and turns, bottoming out at 165 feet below the surface, according to Master scuba trainer Ron Boyce, one of the divers who searched the cave Friday morning.

Other divers said it is necessary to travel a good portion of the cave in single file as the cave narrows, and it is essential for divers to decompress as they exit the cave. Divers drop off bottles with a mix of nitrogen and oxygen on the way in to use to decompress.

None of the divers that searched the cave Friday evening or Saturday could get through the crevasse after thoroughly searching the rest of the cave, and Jeff Loflin, who coordinated the search Friday and Saturday, called any attempt to do so “extremely dangerous,” due as much to the extreme difficulty getting out as getting in. One diver called the approach to the location “incredibly tight,” and Loflin said visibility was “zero” due to clay, sand and silt.

“It’s grim back in there,” diver Jerry Murphy said.

Marson Kay went in Saturday and reported that the guide line for divers was cut. Kay said a diver might have gotten through the crevasse without equipment, but the layout of the area and in the poor visibility it would have been easy to get disoriented.

Kay and diver James Toland said there were recent scratch marks that showed someone had been in the area.

The last death at Vortex Springs involved 64-year-old man in May 2009 who apparently died of a heart attack.

__________’s family was at the scene, having driven from Tennessee and arriving Friday evening.

Guide line was cut???

 

[Cave Diver]

I wonder if anyone has checked the rest of the spring run? Considering the amount of time he's been missing, flow could have carried him out of the cave.

 

[Jax]

What is this crevasse of which they speak? It sounds like a slit that one must take their equipment off to make it through?

None of the divers that searched the cave Friday evening or Saturday could get through the crevasse after thoroughly searching the rest of the cave, and Jeff Loflin, who coordinated the search Friday and Saturday, called any attempt to do so “extremely dangerous,” due as much to the extreme difficulty getting out as getting in. One diver called the approach to the location “incredibly tight,” and Loflin said visibility was “zero” due to clay, sand and silt.

 

[Mark Michaud SELAUSAR]

At the end of the "known cave" it is beyond normal sidemount. It is way small. If there are signs he is back there a recovery may not be possible without placing the search / recovery divers in serious jeopardy. Very sad.

 

[GLENFWB]

Agree about that one Mark. Recovery divers are going to have to weigh the cost/benefit of trying to get back in there. There is an obvious benefit to the lost divers family...but the cost to a rescue divers family, may be a price to high. You and I both have friends on the recovery team...they are good divers who it appears have decided they have done all they can reasonably do.

I appreciate all that the recovery divers did the last few days. Some of us will never know the physical and emotional toll an effort like this takes.

At the end of the "known cave" it is beyond normal sidemount. It is way small. If there are signs he is back there a recovery may not be possible without placing the search / recovery divers in serious jeopardy. Very sad.

 

[Jax]

Thank God for those that step forward to help in these situations. Their hearts if not their lives are on the line. I cannot imagine what it must be like to be retrieving a friend.

 

[Dive-aholic]

If Vortex is correct by saying that the diver in question was not supposed to be behind the grate, then this marks the fourth diver in less than three years to die because they foolishly broke the number one rule of cave diving. It will be interesting to learn more about the individual's certification levels, to see if Vortex was correct or incorrect. (I don't want to speculate on what might have been a mistake on Vortex's part.)

The diver did not have any cavern/cave training. This is not speculation.



The map posted in this thread is a very rough and limited map. There is a lot more passage to that cave that's not on that version. There is about 1500' of "main line" passage and bottoms out in the high 150s in the last 500' or so. This is also the smallest/tightest part of the main passage.

Guide line was cut???

Broken is probably a better word.

 

[ZenDiver.3D]

Thanks to all who have put themselves out there to find this guy. Know how appreciated you are for everything you all have done. Prayers are said for all. The lost and the looking. This is terrible for everyone.