Discovery Company. )[20], McDaniel was not the only person associated with Vortex Spring at the time facing serious legal issues. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); document.getElementById("ak_js_2").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); My husband used to dive that. Whether it's for sport or research reasons, cave diving is an extremely dangerous activity. The Holmes County sheriff's office, which had also been the lead agency investigating the McDaniel disappearance, implied that it had not gotten the full story of what had occurred the night of Kelly's injury and that it had some questions it wanted answered. Normally, because cave diving is so dangerous, it's logical to think that he experienced an unfortunate accident while diving. Two cave divers died in a possible drowning in Florida, authorities said Thursday. The divers who recovered his body believed he was, however. An official website of the United States government. "It would have affected his ability to breathe adequately.". In 2014, two cave divers died at a depth of more than 300 feet while exploring an ice-cold underwater cave system in the Plurdalen valley in central Norway. They are adamant that he wouldnt do something so cruel to them. The cave diving death of Dave Shaw is a multilayered tragedy. 1 This location was perfect for Ben, who was an avid diver. Please enable it to take advantage of the complete set of features! A true story of death and survival in the world's most dangerous sport, cave diving. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Two cave divers . He came to Vortex Springs the next day. Authorities in Florida are investigating the deaths of two cave divers at a wildlife park, the Hernando County Sheriffs Office said. Ben Died and his body was removed as to not cause too much bad press for the spring.3. Prevent your death!' said sign at Florida underwater cave. Ben must have gone deeper than anyone expected. On the 18th of August, 2010, Ben McDaniel dived into an underwater cave at Vortex Springs in Florida, never to be seen again. This was the last time Ben was ever seen. News, analysis and comment from the Financial Times, the worlds leading global business publication They went through their very long decompression burdened by the "mental horror that just took place.". Rescuers began a different approach, using air-powered tools to chip away at some of the rock surrounding John. [2], Cronin and fellow employee Eduardo Taran, on their way back from a dive themselves something they often did on Wednesdays after the shop closed saw Ben as he began descending, with his lights on and wearing a helmet, suggesting he was venturing into the cave. By that point John had been hanging upside down for more than eight hours. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.\"00:00 Intro00:35 Chapter 1: Ben McDaniel04:17 Chapter 2: Vortex Spring11:04 Chapter 3: The Search17:27 Chapter 4: The Search Continues24:56 Chapter 5: Lowell Kelly27:49 Aftermath This policy was instituted after the deaths of 13 divers in the cave during the 1990s, and in response to threats from the state to ban diving in the cave entirely. Stemberga V, Petaros A, Rasic V, Azman J, Sosa I, Coklo M, Uhac I, Bosnar A. J Travel Med. [2], Sorenson, who has been described by the Tampa Bay Times as being able to go where other divers cannot,[2] persisted. Morbidology is a weekly true crime podcast created and hosted by Emily G. Thompson. [2], The day had been hot, with temperatures around 90F (32C), and as evening came Ben began preparing for another dive. But when John breathed in again, his chest expanded and he was wedged inside for good. Consequently he was fined, and sentenced to seven years of probation. Cadaver dogs picked up a scent along the bank of the spring as well as one in the water but when county health departments sampled the water, they found no indication of a spike in bacteria consistent with decomposition. "Once John had been declared dead, there were discussions about 'How do we get him out?' Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. BlueTrin; Jan 18, 2020; 2 3 4. [2], In March 2012, the McDaniels arranged for cadaver dogs to search the area of the springs again, but with no results. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Updated: Jun 24, 2022 / 04:53 AM EDT. Around 7:30p.m., as the sun began to set, he went in again. Rescuers began a different approach, using air-powered tools to chip away at some of the rock surrounding John. [1], Some other events reported to have occurred on the day Ben disappeared supported that theory. [2], Ben's truck was still in the parking lot the next morning, but with many summer visitors coming to enjoy the site's many water-based recreational opportunities and picnic grounds in addition to diving, the employees said they were too busy to notice. The Hernando County Sheriff's Office shared this photo of the area near the Buford Springs Cave where the two cave divers died. As the sun faded on the 19th of August, 2010, Ben walked down the narrow dock and slipped in the clear, warm, water of Vortex Spring. The oldest of three sons born to Shelby and Patty McDaniel, a wealthy couple who lived in Collierville, Tennessee, outside Memphis, he had returned to live with his parents after his marriage ended in divorce and his construction business failed, the latter leaving him with tax debts of almost $50,000 to the Internal Revenue Service and the state of Tennessee. "There is just as much reason to look above the water for Ben's body as there was to look below it in the cave," she told the Commercial Appeal. He wriggled through minuscule crevices that Ben (who stood at 61) would have been much too large to fit through but he was determined to search every single inch of the cave system. 0:00. The state barred entrance to the sinkhole in 1999, reported the Tampa Bay Times, and it was later reopened in 2003 amid pressure from the National Association for Cave Divers and the National . Jimlast-minute fill-in, Support Diver Number Six, mere mortal among godshas rescued the boys' coach, the monk who had done the impossible, too: kept 12 children alive in a flooded cave . After determining that no one else had seen Ben, Taran called the Holmes County sheriff's office. While he was initially believed to have drowned on that dive, and his parents still strongly believe his body is in an inaccessible reach of the extensive cave system, no trace of him has ever been found. Here is another one from "Disappeared". Daily Star's newsletter brings you the biggest and best stories sign up today. Undersea Hyperb Med. Some of the worst scuba accidents occur because of inexperienced divers making small mistakes. There were no signs of activity from aquatic scavengers like one would assume if there were a deceased body down there. Privacy Policy. A text message was sent to Edd Sorenson, a veteran cave diver and recovery specialist with nearly 2,500 logged dives. The most common cause of death was asphyxia due to drowning, preceded by running out of breathing gas, usually after getting lost owing to a loss of visibility caused by suspended silt. Despite nearly nonstop dives by more than 16 recovery divers over a 36 day period, no traces of Ben were ever found.This video is the main reason why I started this channel. Everyone was relieved but then there was a heartbreaking twist. DAN Annual Diving Report 2019 Edition: A report on 2017 diving fatalities, injuries, and incidents [Internet]. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Ben wasnt an experienced diver thus he had no key. Ben decided to fake his own death, and is still alive somewhere.More than a decade later, the truth of what happened to Ben McDaniel still isn't known.Disclaimer: I had tested positive for covid this week and was in the middle of getting symptoms while recording the videoso it's a little rough, but there was no way I was going to wait to post this story. Trained cave divers who died in the most recent time period were older but little else differed. They were eventually able to partially free him using a rope-pulley system. In the 1990s, 13 divers perished in the cave. They didnt want to risk their lives, understandably. An overwhelming majority of the fatalities occurred in the state of Florida where many flooded caves are located. A spelunker is somebody who explores caves as a hobby. His only option was to keep moving forward, and exhaled the air from his chest so he could fit through the "L-shaped pinpoint" which was just 10 inches across and 18 inches high. He was on a yacht in the Bahamas, leading an expedition. 2011 Jul-Aug;38(4):257-60. Epub 2012 Jul 18. [2][1] Beginning at the gate, over 1,600 feet (490m) through the area's limestone bedrock have been mapped, to a depth of 310 feet (94m); the cave's full extent is unknown. Mr Budd was right as among the horrific cave diving stories since 1973, is that of 26-year-old medical student John Edward Jones who became stuck in Utah in 2009. "It's very narrow, very awkward, and it's difficult to get rescuers down there," rescuer Shawn Roundy told media at the time. My gut feeling tells me someone closely involved with the last sighting of Mr. McDaniel knows more about his disappearance than they are letting on. Unquenchable heroism and complex human relationships amid the perils of extreme sport. The spring consists of a 200ft basin which leads to an underground cave system. He died despite a last-ditch . By Phil Helsel. A total of 161 divers who died were identified, 67 trained cave divers and 87 untrained. "Ultimately the decision was made that it was too much risk for the rescuers to remain there in an effort to get him out and the decision was made to leave him in place.". March 31, 2016 / 5:35 PM / AP. What happened next is enshrined in mystery. "Due to the circumstances with his body being held the way it was and being wedged, it was most likely difficult to get a full deep breath," Sgt Cannon said. Lie detector test are easily beatable if you know how. Yesterday at 8:16 AM. The dive shop withheld the gate key, unless a diver showed proof of cave diving certification, which requires two months' training including 125 dives with an instructor or certified diving partner. CNN . As he watched Ben attempt to open the gate, he retrieved his own key and opened the gate, allowing Ben to swim though. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}304617N 855653W / 30.77149N 85.94812W / 30.77149; -85.94812, On August 20, 2010, Ben McDaniel (born April 15, 1980), of Memphis, Tennessee, United States, was reported missing after employees in the dive shop at Vortex Spring, north of Ponce de Leon, Florida, noticed that his pickup truck had remained in the shop's parking lot for the previous two days. Deputies were alerted Wednesday afternoon after one . It's technical diving at its most technical. The .gov means its official. Thirty separate tests of the water over the next several months showed no sign of an increase in the bacteria that would indicate the presence of a decomposing human body. [5], The following month, amid increasing criticism, the McDaniels rescinded the reward offer. Taran, who said he had let Ben into the cave despite knowing he lacked certification to dive in it, passed a lie detector test of his account. He made three separate dives that day,[1] going (by his account) 1,700 feet (520m) into the cave, 200 feet (61m) further than those sections Ben had mapped, using a diver propulsion vehicle and smaller tanks to increase his range. Stanton and Volanthen have worked together on . Teacher with prosthetic Z-cup breast FINALLY put on leave. DAN Divers Alert Network; Deaths; epidemiology; recreational diving; root cause analysis; technical diving. [3], McDaniel had been living at his parents' beach house on the Emerald Coast during a sabbatical in the wake of a divorce, a business failure, and the death of his younger brother two years earlier. In 1991, an experienced cave diver named Parker Turner and his diving partner Bill Gavin were mapping caves in Indian Springs, a cavernous fresh water spring in the Florida Panhandle. John decided to try and find the formation known as the Birth Canal, an incredibly narrow vertical passage. Last modified on Fri 14 Jul 2017 15.42 EDT. [12] He spent much of the rest of the afternoon by himself alongside the spring, witnesses said, testing equipment and making notes in his dive log. Lowell Kelly, who had owned Vortex Spring since 2007, was facing criminal charges. 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