This is no surprise. It is a blatent violation of RULE NUMBER 1 in cave diving, don't dive in a cave if you haven't been trained. These guys were "technical" divers, had rebreathers, etc. but had no training in cave diving. On top of that Eagle's Nest is a very deep cave, the bottom of the sink before the side passages start is about 200 feet, even a trip to the top of the debris cone directly beneath the surface opening is about 160 feet deep. This is deeper than air and especially any nitrox mix can sustain lucidity in a diver, even an experienced one. I have no idea what sort of mix the divers were carrying, but I would wager that rules two three and four may have been violated as well (continuous guideline, adequate reserve breathing supply, especially considering the rebreather, and appropriate depth limits). Deep caves combined with rebreathers require extreme precautions and are best approached in progressively deeper and longer stages over time. Sympathy for the families, but these guys should have known better.
--- On Thu, 11/5/09, [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote: > From: [email protected] <[email protected]> > Subject: [Texascavers] Cave diving death in Florida - Eagle Nest Sink : > To: [email protected] > Date: Thursday, November 5, 2009, 2:44 AM > > > > > > > > > Drowning shows Eagle Nest Sink > underwater caves in Hernando > County are dangerous — even to skilled divers > > > By Joel > Anderson, > Times Staff Writer > In Print: Thursday, November 5, 2009 > WEEKI WACHEE — A few yards before a wooden ramp > descends into Eagle Nest > Sink, signs warn those who dare submerge themselves in the > world-renowned > underwater abyss. > > One large, green sign with white letters — all of them > capitalized — advises: > "CAVE DIVING IN THIS AREA IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS — > EVEN LIFE THREATENING! DO NOT > DIVE UNLESS YOU ARE A CERTIFIED CAVE DIVER!!" > Still, longtime friends and diving partners James D. > Woodall II and Gregory > S. Snowden were not intimidated. And that might have cost > Woodall his life. > Woodall, 39, drowned Tuesday afternoon while diving in > the underwater caverns > of the Chassahowitzka Wildlife Management Area, according > to the Hernando County > Sheriff's Office. No foul play is suspected. > His body was pulled from the water after midnight by a > diver with the St. > Petersburg Police Department and the owner of a Citrus > County diving shop. > Deputies said Woodall and Snowden, 34, both of Richmond, > Ky., came to Florida > for the annual Diving Equipment and Marketing Association > show in Orlando. But > they also made plans to visit Hernando County for some cave > diving. > The men were experienced divers but had no cave-diving > certification, said > Sgt. Donna Black of the Sheriff's Office. > Authorities and diving experts said divers without > advanced cave-diving > training should not even think of trying Eagle Nest. > "Once you get in there, you find out it's a > different beast. It's only for > the more experienced divers," said Victor Echaves of > the Florida Fish and > Wildlife Conservation Commission, which owns the > property. > Indeed, from the shore, Eagle Nest appears to be an > ordinary-looking, > algae-covered pond. Below, however, is a mile of passages, > one of them more than > 300 feet deep. The caves are known in diving circles as the > "Grand Canyon" for > their stunning views, extreme depth and remote > location. > The area is several miles from hard roads and difficult > to reach without > off-road vehicles. The site was closed to divers from 1999 > to 2003. > According to the Sheriff's Office, Woodall and > Snowden were down about 270 > feet and nearly 500 feet inside the caves Tuesday afternoon > when Woodall started > having problems with his breathing apparatus. > Snowden tried to help but Woodall was in an > "altered mental state" and pushed > him away, according to a report. By the time Snowden was > able to steady himself, > Woodall had drowned. Snowden surfaced and called for help > at 6:01 p.m. > Back in Kentucky, friends recalled Woodall developing a > love for diving in > recent years. A onetime paramedic and owner of a sign shop, > he threw himself > into his new passion. > "I don't think Jim ever did anything a little > bit," said Jimmy Cornelison, a > friend. "He would tell you that he loved to dive. > Period. It was a great pastime > for him." > Accompanying Woodall on most of his excursions was > Snowden, who worked at > Woodall's sign shop in Richmond and was founding member > of the Madison County > Rescue Squad Dive Team. > "This isn't just something they up and did — > this is something they did all > the time," Cornelison said. "This was a big deal > for them." > Including Woodall, at least six divers have died at > Eagle Nest since 1981. > The last deaths came in June 2004, when the caves claimed > the lives of Craig > Simon of Spring Hill and John Robinson Jr. of St. > Petersburg. A year later, Judi > Bedard nearly died during a dive there. > Regardless, Eagle Nest remains a popular destination for > divers around the > world. > Wednesday, just hours after investigators reopened the > area, a handful of > divers were heading into the murky waters. They all had > heard of Woodall's death > but remained undaunted. > "It's a wonderful, silent place like a lot of > cave-diving spots in North > Florida," said Helge Weber, 43, a public safety diver > back in his home of > Friedberg, Germany. "This is one of the best places on > Earth for relaxing." > http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/accidents/kentucky-man-dead-missing-after-cave-diving-accident-in-hernando-county/1049287 > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit our website: http://texascavers.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
