He was given an IV drip and some food and water, and was even able to speak to his wife over a police radio. For more information, please see our "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.". The cave diving death of Dave Shaw is a multilayered tragedy. One of the divers is believed to have mentioned that he possibly had a leak in his tank.. But after more than 24 hours trapped upside down, the pressure and stress on his body became too much. His doomed final dive was caught on camera. An experienced California diver who was helping with the exploration of the narrow underwater passageways that radiate from a well-known swimming hole in eastern New . One rescuer was able to get close enough to pronounce him dead of cardiac arrest. In 1987, a woman attempting to break into a home was shot dead. . We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. [15], By Sunday, August 22, no other signs of Ben had been found. He slipped beneath the clear waters of Vortex Spring, with one goal in mind: to make a name for himself in the extreme world of cave diving. Yesterday at 8:16 AM. Maltese soldier dies in diving incident off Marr ix-Xini. A private investigator they hired believes that his body may have been removed before any authorities were contacted, or that he may even have been murdered on land and the narrative of his disappearance fabricated as a cover story. Two days later, it was noticed that Ben's car was still in the . Earlier that day, a diver had had a confrontation with several teenagers on the property about their drinking; they eventually left but may have come back in an attempt to exact revenge. A guest drove Kelly to his home in Ponce de Leon, helped Kelly shower and then placed a blanket over him and left Kelly to rest in the bathtub. Members of a specialized cave diving rescue team responded to the scene and found the second diver, also deceased, more than 130 feet below the surface, authorities said. [2], On some nights when they had seen Ben dive late, the two had stayed at the spring after resurfacing until they saw bubbles on the surface, indicating that he was beginning to decompress in order to safely resurface. They either succumbed to disease and hunger, or were murdered in gas chambers or were shot and killed. There are millions of possible ways to die, some less pleasant than others. But within minutes he realised he was stuck, with no room to turn around or even go backwards. National Library of Medicine The grim mystery of where Ben is haunts the McDaniels family. [2] That opinion, the Memphis Commercial Appeal later reported, was shared by posters on a scuba diving website, scubaboard.com, who had also met Ben during trips to Vortex Spring. May 26, 2022. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. There were no marks on the limestone where a divers helmet or tank would have scraped the cave ceiling. "He's not in great shape physically, there's a lot of pressure on his upper body and back but he's been amazingly resilient and he has incredibly high spirits under the circumstances," Sgt Spencer Cannon said at the time. Cave diving is for the most adventurous of scuba divers. Replies 39 Views 2,017. 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. "It would have affected his ability to breathe adequately.". There was no sign of a struggle at his car and his belongings were untouched, including $1,000 in cash. We know our son to know he wouldnt put us through that again, said Patty, Bens mother. Knowing that divers in trouble will often burrow deeper into narrow crevices such as those within the cave in a mistaken effort to get back to the surface, she revised her opinion. GO NO FARTHER. When tested, the tanks were found to contain normal air, not the specialized gas mix required for diving at depth. Volunteer searches continued afterwards at the spring through November, often with the McDaniels and Greer in attendance. For those who are willing to push boundaries to the absolute limits. Manatee Springs SP cave fatality. Unanswered Questions", "Mississippi Man Killed in Cave Diving Accident", "Questions remain about Lowell Kelly's death", "Parents of lost diver pin hopes for closure on team of dogs", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Disappearance_of_Ben_McDaniel&oldid=1104006595, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 12 August 2022, at 01:54. [7], The McDaniels suggested their son take a sabbatical, offering to support him financially while he and his dog, a chocolate Labrador he had rescued, lived in the family's beach home at Santa Rosa Beach on the Emerald Coast of the Florida Panhandle. When authorities arrived, the diver was deceased, according to the sheriffs office. "It's very narrow, very awkward, and it's difficult to get rescuers down there," rescuer Shawn Roundy told media at the time. Cave diver David John Shaw (Dave Shaw) died more than 10 years later whilst attempting to retrieve Dreyer's cadaver. News media in the Panhandle and Memphis followed the search closely. Authorities identified the two divers as Todd Richard McKenna, 52, and Stephen Roderick Gambrell, 63. A decades-old mystery surrounding the death of a Florida cave diver has been solved by a simple experiment by three scientists in a lab at Florida State. The spring was closed and crime scene tape was tied from tree to tree while his disappearance was investigated. [2], Ben was 6feet 1inch (185cm) tall and weighed 210 pounds (95kg), one inch (2.5cm) taller and 20 pounds (9.1kg) heavier than Sorenson. Shane Thompson, an experienced scuba diver with a passion for cave explorations, died at the Blue Hole State Park when the 43-year-old father and husband got lost and trapped in an unmarked . 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 . Some theorise that something more sinister happened to Ben: that he was murdered. . The McDaniels were called, and they drove to Florida, along with Greer, to observe from the shore. John decided to try and find the formation known as the Birth Canal, an incredibly narrow vertical passage. Larsa Pippen Is 'In Love' With Marcus Jordan And Swears Dad Michael Is Cool With Their Relationship! Bethesda, MD 20894, Web Policies Only one returns. Today, we're covering the true scary story of deep cave diver Dave Shaw. All contained normal air, not a specialized gas mix. 7. While underwater, he discovered the body of missing Deon Dreyer, who had passed away in the cave ten years before Dave's dive. Warning: Do not read this story if you're claustrophobic. An inquest has heard how a cave-diver in Cumbria drowned close to the surface early last year, after a problem was thought to have occurred with his rebreather, a unit under development. A well planned hoax? It was "discovered" by Jim Bowden and Ann Kristovich on a reconnaissance trip made at the end of two weeks of exploration and surveying in the Nacimiento Santa Clara, a cave system at the . Med Sport Sci. The incident was reported on Divernet, although at . He had left his dog in Santa Rosa Beach and had not given Greer any indication of such plans. [4] (Due to technical issues, it was unable to go any farther than the human divers had ventured. Last month, Larry Higginbotham, 43, of Biloxi, Miss., drowned inside the cave at Vortex. 2. [1], Captain Harry Hamilton, an investigator in Holmes County, assumed at first that a very large number of divers, both amateur and expert, would volunteer to search for and recover McDaniel's body. Ben reached the locked gate at the entrance to the cave; only experienced divers were given a key to the lock. What happened next is enshrined in mystery. A massive rescue expedition was launched to pull out a man trapped in one of Utah's narrowest caves, but heartbreakingly John Edward Jones was unable to be saved and his body is still inside, Don't miss a thing! Data regarding trained cave divers were divided into two equal 15-year time periods. 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. The rescue mission became a body recovery operation, but it became apparent that it would simply be too dangerous to get John out of the passage. John Edward Jones, 26, was a medical student and experienced spelunker who went cave diving with a group of friends while visiting family in Utah for Thanksgiving in 2009. [1], Some other events reported to have occurred on the day Ben disappeared supported that theory. [1] Undeterred, the McDaniels increased the award, twice. CNN . Very interesting. That being said, cave diving comes with heightened risk. Two days later, it was noticed that Bens car was still in the parking lot where it had remained for the past two days. The British cave diver who led the rescue of the Thai boys' soccer team and personally saved the captain, Duangpetch Promthep, has opened up about the heartbreaking death of the 17-year-old. government site. you'd be dead a long time ago," diver Ben Reymenants, who was part of the rescue mission, says. Others theorise he faked his own death. Multiple divers searched through the weekend, but did not find Ben. [14] The talk box, originally located in the Piano Room of the cave, was moved to the basin area of Vortex Springs and is now at a depth of only 21 feet (6.4m). Keywords: "After what we went through with Paul, we know our son well enough to know he wouldn't put us through that again," his mother told the Commercial Appeal.[1]. John's brother Josh was the first to find him, and tried pulling at his calves but was unsuccessful. "It would have affected his ability to breathe adequately.". John decided to try and find the formation known as the Birth Canal, an incredibly narrow vertical passage. Ben McDaniel was the oldest of three brothers born to Shelby and Patty McDaniel. Others, including Cronin and Kelly, suggested he had staged his own disappearance to start his life over under another identity and escape his past troubles. 106,986 likes. 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. Tank one, an "aluminum 80" (80 cubic ft capacity), full tank with a regulator, was found 200 feet (61m) inside the cave. The body of a cave diver still remains trapped upside-down after his ghastly death. Several posters on scubaboard.com leaned towards this theory, adding that hes probably living it up in Mexico. The tragedy began with the 1994 death of Deon Dreyer. The man escaped, and prosecutors later charged Kelly with assault and kidnapping in the incident. As the sun faded on the 19 th of August, 2010, Ben walked down the narrow dock and slipped in the clear, warm, water of Vortex Spring. There were some rather distasteful discussions as well, things that nobody really wanted to do," Sgt Cannon said. Replies 62 Views . A 10-year estimate of the incidence of decompression illness in a discrete group of recreational cave divers in Australia. Or, perhaps he had been found dead by the dive shop staff, who feared the consequences of that discovery. On Valentine's Day of 2000, 9-year-old Asha Degree packed her bags in the middle of On December, 24, 1945, a fire destroyed the Sodder family's home in Fayetteville, West Virginia, Dorothy was harassed relentlessly by a terrifying stalker who ultimately abducted and killed her. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Diving instruction is offered for all levels; experienced divers come for the underwater wildlife and the cavern, which begins 58 feet (18m) below the surface. Police assigned divers searched for Ben for days. She realized that he had, in fact, gotten very far into the cave. 8600 Rockville Pike Undercurrent, 1988 . Her identity Would love your thoughts, please comment. [2], Reports of a missing diver in the Vortex Spring cave spread and other cave divers volunteered for what they assumed would be a recovery operation, taking advantage of the weekend. "It's very narrow, very awkward, and it's difficult to get rescuers down there," rescuer Shawn Roundy told media at the time. official website and that any information you provide is encrypted On Saturday, June 23, 2018, 12 members of a local Thai football team, who were between the ages of 11 and 16, and their 25-year-old assistant coach, entered the Tham Luang Nang Non cave for a day . No one is known to have seen him since. . As always you can unsubscribe at any time. At 46, Brod was a highly regarded diver, a gruff, opinionated man who as a boy in El Campo had swum along . It is unknown at this time if all the equipment was working properly, the sheriffs office added. John left behind his wife Emily and their baby daughter Lizzie. [1], She and McClellan turned their private video short into a feature-length documentary, Ben's Vortex, released in 2012. Ed Sorenson, an experienced diver who owns a dive shop, searched the spring scrupulously. An avid diver since his teens, he had been a regular at the spring, where he had apparently been covertly exploring the cave despite lacking the required certification. Ben had found Paul unconscious in the family home and tried to revive him; he later became active in raising money for the foundation his parents established to support research into prevention and treatment of strokes. Ben must have gone deeper than anyone expected. This is the dark truth about cave diving. Deputies were alerted Wednesday afternoon after one of three teenagers who were spending the day at the Buford Springs Cave called 911, the sheriffs office said. It considers all the theories regarding its subject's disappearance: an accident as originally believed, a murder or coverup of the accident as the McDaniels have sometimes alleged, and the possibility of a staged disappearance to allow Ben to escape his problems, which McClellan believes. He told them he was working on getting certified as an instructor so he could find a job and that he was researching cave diving with an eye toward getting that certification as well. October 23, 2022 7:16 pm. Emily was also expecting their second child at the time, a boy who was born the following year and named after his dad. 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. The entrance to Nutty Putty Cave was boarded up and declared a public health hazard. What happened next is enshrined in mystery. The main causes of death have been drowning when cave diving, drowning as the result of flooding or negotiating deep water, injuries incurred from falling from a height, and injuries incurred as the result of rock falls.In ten cases the bodies have not been recovered. Updated: Jun 24, 2022 / 04:53 AM EDT. He is thought to be part of the group that first found the boys on the Monday. Rescuers began a different approach, using air-powered tools to chip away at some of the rock surrounding John. On the evening Ben disappeared, an inebriated Lowell showed up at the spring and asked if it was too late to go diving. The employees of the dive shop were familiar with Ben McDaniel, and knew his reason for being on the premises was to dive the spring. In the 1990s, 13 divers perished in the cave. One of the experienced divers who searched for Ben, Kevin Carlisle, explained: We may never know the truth of where he is, but we do know where he isnt and that is because of a lot of talented and qualified divers. As they searched the tiny passages, there was no sign of human activity. He was found unresponsive at his home after suffering blunt force trauma to the head. Ben's tanks, wet suit and other diving equipment were not present and there were no signs of a struggle near his truck or anywhere else he could have been. 2012;58:57-79. doi: 10.1159/000338582. BBC World Service. This was the last time Ben was ever seen. In 2008, the McDaniel family suffered a tragedy when their youngest son, Paul, died from a stroke. Here is another one from "Disappeared". Richard William Stanton (R) speaks to John Volanthen (L back to camera) at the Tham Luang cave area. "If he's in there, I don't know where he'd be," he said later. 2015 Sep;45(3):147-53. Neither of the divers had any obvious signs of trauma and both appeared to have the appropriate diving equipment. Equipment failure and training are rarely an issue for experienced divers, while insufficient training is the most . Authorities in Florida are investigating the deaths of two cave divers at a wildlife park, the Hernando County Sheriffs Office said. For the college football player and coach, see, Scuba diver who disappeared during or after a cave dive, Cave diving beyond the locked gate at Vortex Springs, bacteria that would indicate the presence of a decomposing human body, "Theories about Collierville diver's disappearance swirl in vortex of unanswered questions", "When a diver goes missing, a deep cave is scene of a deeper mystery", "Collierville parents pull reward for missing diver", "Article on Ben McDaniel Vortex Springs Case", "What Happened to Ben McDaniel? "I know what I'm doing and I barely made it through," he told the Commercial Appeal. An overwhelming majority of the fatalities occurred in the state of Florida where many flooded caves are located. [2][1] Later, it was revealed that Paul's cause of death was "anoxic encephalopathy due to combined drug (opiate/benzodiazepine) toxicity", [6] a drug overdose, not a stroke. Whatever the final cause of death, whichever of the million things a real cave diver knows can go wrong and kill you, which an open water diver has no idea . Clipboard, Search History, and several other advanced features are temporarily unavailable. Cave divers enter an inherently dangerous environment that often includes little visibility, maze-like passageways and a ceiling of rock that prevents a direct ascent to the surface in the event of a problem. Unauthorized use of these marks is strictly prohibited. The cave steadily narrows, reaching a makeshift rebar gate with a chain and padlock, at a point almost 300 feet (91m) from the entrance. (According to a 2014 online comment by his father, he could not find anyone at Vortex Spring willing to be his diving partner, so he did his dives alone. MeSH He had a failed marriage and financial trouble. Ben was murdered and his body disposed of.4. Eduardo Taran, however, was an experienced diver as well as an employee at Vortex Spring. He was also still grieving for his younger brother Paul, a frequent rock climbing partner during their youth, who died in 2008 at the age of 22 from a stroke. Hmmmm! The cave is located in the Chassahowitzka Wildlife Park in Weeki Wachee, roughly an hour north of Tampa. He had a new girlfriend in Florida and had been talking about starting his own business. On the 18th of August, 2010, Ben McDaniel dived into an underwater cave at Vortex Springs in Florida, never to be seen again. Seeing a massive great white shark ambushing Ben and dragging him off mid-sentence makes for a terrifying jolt, but the subsequent grey blur could hardly be called chilling. Man, 50, who sold guns to gangsters across Britain jailed for 19 years, Police accused of spending just ONE day a week fighting crime, Parole DENIED for Robert F. 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