novadiver
Contributor
Has anyone got any real info on the report that there was a fatality at Ginnie over the weekend . Is it just a rumor?
Diver Death
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tallydiver
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novadiver:
THe only thing I do know is that a 24 year old man, named Brian Luke Tindale died in Gainsville, his father is connected to a church in Tallahassee, and it was mentioned that he died at Ginnie Springs, during a diving accident. I have searched the newspapers but have been unable to find anything except the obituary for the young man. I have dived Ginnie Springs several times, but not in the caves. I am interested in seeing what happened.
Aucilla
Contributor
novadiver:
It is true. Tallahassee newspaper
Here is a report on what happened:
Television News Report
It's true.
He broke all the rules of cave diving all at once and paid for them all at once.
He broke all the rules of cave diving all at once and paid for them all at once.
My regards to the family.
Gator Diver
Contributor
ALL THE MORE REASON WE SHOULD BE PREPARED
TO DIVE, DIVE WITH A BUDDY, AND BE APPROPRIATELY
CERTIFIED....AND OF COURSE BE SOBER (although
from the article, I guess this aspect is still under
investigation)....Dive Safe Everyone!
Diver Drowns in Area Cave
8/23/2004
WCJB TV 20 News
A weekend diving accident claimed the life of a teacher. The Tallahassee man drowned on Saturday in an area cave while on a trip with three of his friends.
Gilchrist County Sheriff's investigators came out to the Devil's Ear cave right around 2 AM on Saturday morning. They say Brian Tindale of Tallahassee was with a few friends but was the only one of them cave diving in the dark early morning hours.
Investigators say Tindale was a certified open water diver, but they've found nothing to indicate he was certified for cave diving. A local diving instructor says a lack of training is the number one killer of people diving in caves.
"It's incredibly easy to die, unfortunately," says Diving Instructor Larry Greene, "What kills people going into these caves is just making mistakes, not being trained for what they're doing. So someone who is trained to go in there, they have more controls of the variables that effect their lives."
Sheriff David Turner says Tindale's friends started getting worried after he went diving and did not resurface quickly.
"He had went down 2 or 3 times and upon his last time resurfacing he had told them that he had just a few minutes of air left in his tanks and he would not be down that long," says Turner.
As the minutes passed, investigators say Tindale's friends called for help. A Ginnie Springs dive instructor went down to the Devil's Er cave entrance and recovered Tindale's body. A diving expert says darkness may have contributed to the victim's trouble and eventual death.
"It makes a lot of difference. When they go in an overhead environment and there's no light, it's very easy to become disoriented and lose what direction you came in from," says Green.
Sheriff's investigators also tell us several witnesses say they saw the men drinking.
The Gilchrist County Sheriff's Office is waiting on a report from the Medical Examiner's Office to determine whether alcohol played a part in Tindale's death.
TO DIVE, DIVE WITH A BUDDY, AND BE APPROPRIATELY
CERTIFIED....AND OF COURSE BE SOBER (although
from the article, I guess this aspect is still under
investigation)....Dive Safe Everyone!
Diver Drowns in Area Cave
8/23/2004
WCJB TV 20 News
A weekend diving accident claimed the life of a teacher. The Tallahassee man drowned on Saturday in an area cave while on a trip with three of his friends.
Gilchrist County Sheriff's investigators came out to the Devil's Ear cave right around 2 AM on Saturday morning. They say Brian Tindale of Tallahassee was with a few friends but was the only one of them cave diving in the dark early morning hours.
Investigators say Tindale was a certified open water diver, but they've found nothing to indicate he was certified for cave diving. A local diving instructor says a lack of training is the number one killer of people diving in caves.
"It's incredibly easy to die, unfortunately," says Diving Instructor Larry Greene, "What kills people going into these caves is just making mistakes, not being trained for what they're doing. So someone who is trained to go in there, they have more controls of the variables that effect their lives."
Sheriff David Turner says Tindale's friends started getting worried after he went diving and did not resurface quickly.
"He had went down 2 or 3 times and upon his last time resurfacing he had told them that he had just a few minutes of air left in his tanks and he would not be down that long," says Turner.
As the minutes passed, investigators say Tindale's friends called for help. A Ginnie Springs dive instructor went down to the Devil's Er cave entrance and recovered Tindale's body. A diving expert says darkness may have contributed to the victim's trouble and eventual death.
"It makes a lot of difference. When they go in an overhead environment and there's no light, it's very easy to become disoriented and lose what direction you came in from," says Green.
Sheriff's investigators also tell us several witnesses say they saw the men drinking.
The Gilchrist County Sheriff's Office is waiting on a report from the Medical Examiner's Office to determine whether alcohol played a part in Tindale's death.
Avalanche
Guest
Regardless of the why, i'm sorry for his family and friends. Another unfortunate aspect is that people who are not certified cave divers give caving a very bad wrap. I fear that one day enough of these incidents will happen where the counties feel that they need to start closing these wonders of nature to everyone, including the people who are trained to explore them.
This diver was a neighbor of my co-worker. She told me about it before the story broke. Although this is the first time that I was able to read a report on it. Thanks for posting.
This diver was a neighbor of my co-worker. She told me about it before the story broke. Although this is the first time that I was able to read a report on it. Thanks for posting.
Thanks for posting the information. What a sad and entirely unnecessary death. My family and I send our condolences, thoughts and prayers.
-Grier
-Grier
Gator Diver
Contributor
Yes. It is sad and unfortunate. My condolences as well.
Just hope everyone else can learn from this tragic
incident. That is why I thought it was good to
post the story rather than a link.
Just hope everyone else can learn from this tragic
incident. That is why I thought it was good to
post the story rather than a link.
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