Freediver missing in Eagle's Nest

[PT4476]

I can understand not allowing untrained people in the caves, but I’m not a big fan of restrictions on bodies of water. I prefer information and warnings to closings and restrictions. It’s a slippery slope, first they might close it to certain classes of people, later to everyone.

In the case of eagle’s nest for instance, as a swimmer I would love to swim around the basin and admire both the scenery and the cave divers, and perhaps provide some support to people who are really cave divers. As a shallow free diver I might enjoy diving in the basin but never going into the chimney. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see that the tube penetration would be incredibly dangerous, and if you don’t realize that a warning sign should be sufficient. If we make a law every time fools do something dangerous we are letting fools determine everyone’s rules.

I don't think you'd enjoy free-diving the basin, it's a fairly shallow, silty pond at the end of a dirt road—not the kind of place that looks like a swimming hole. The only reasons to be there are to cave dive or hunt. There are many far more pleasant basins at the various springs in Florida.

 

[aquacat8]

I think the explosion of interest in free diving bodes well for the future of Scuba diving: A lot of young people are getting comfortable in the water, and later if they have some money maybe they will get into Scuba.

 

[aquacat8]

I don't think you'd enjoy free-diving the basin, it's a fairly shallow, silty pond at the end of a dirt road—not the kind of place that looks like a swimming hole. The only reasons to be there are to cave dive or hunt. There are many far more pleasant basins at the various springs in Florida.

Thanks, that may be true for most people. But Honey, I swim in brackish blackwater infested with bull sharks and alligators in Savannah GA—that is my home territory, And if I’m on a trip with cave diving friends and they go to Eaglesnest you can bet I’m going to want to get my gills wet at least for a swim.

 

[aquacat8]

But you may be right about freediving there @PT4476 , if it’s silty. I wonder why the freedivers were there? Depth? Daredevilry?

 

[PT4476]

Thanks, that may be true for most people. But Honey, I swim in brackish blackwater infested with bull sharks and alligators in Savannah GA—that is my home territory, And if I’m on a trip with cave diving friends and they go to Eaglesnest you can bet I’m going to want to get my gills wet at least for a swim.

Fair enough, it's just not a very pleasant place on the surface or in the basin but if you were there with cave diving friends it might be worth one visit to have a look, might not see very much though visibility in the basin and tube can very poor at times.

 

[PT4476]

But you may be right about freediving there @PT4476 , if it’s silty. I wonder why the freedivers were there? Depth? Daredevilry?

Maybe a bit of both, very sad outcome though. My condolences to their friends and family.

 

[Wookie]

Think of all the teenagers that die in car accidents… Yet no one talks about closing the roads!

No one sues the DoT for an auto accident, everyone sues the landowner when the "cave isn't safe".

 

[KevinNM]

No one sues the DoT for an auto accident, everyone sues the landowner when the "cave isn't safe".

There is a tradition in Florida about sheriffs making caves safe via large amounts of high explosives. If the authorities need to ‘take action” to keep people safe I’d rather it not be that action.

 

[smudge13]

@The_Aviator_1 Thank you for those screen grabs. Puts the location into stark perspective.

 

[Superlyte27]

...I would love to swim around the basin and admire both the scenery and the cave divers, and perhaps provide some support to people who are really cave divers.

What's your number? I'll call you next time I go. You can carry my tanks and scooters to the water.