What happened next is enshrined in mystery. "I know what I'm doing and I barely made it through," he told the Commercial Appeal. By that time the McDaniels had also come to believe that, if he had not died in the cave, Ben had been murdered. However, not only did skilled and experienced divers . We were able to hold his hand at some point.". While underwa. On the evening of 19 February, 1994, Gloria Ramirez was rushed to the emergency room 12-year-old Georgia Crews from Montverde, Florida, disappeared while walking to a nearby convenience store. Three teen swimmers led deputies to the bodies of two divers who drowned at Buford Springs in Florida last week Hernando County Sheriff's Office. At the entrance to the cave is a sign depicting the Grim Reaper. Methods: Reports of cave diving fatality cases occurring between 01 July 1985 and 30 June 2015 collected by Divers Alert Network were reviewed. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the Authorities in Florida are investigating the deaths of two cave divers at a wildlife park, the Hernando County Sheriffs Office said. [4] A reward they offered was rescinded in 2012 after the death of another diver who may have been trying to collect it, vindicating the criticism of the divers who had warned of that possibility and resented the McDaniels' insinuation that those who had searched for their son at great personal risk had not been "brave" enough.[5]. Normally, because cave diving is so dangerous, it's logical to think that he experienced an unfortunate accident while diving. According to the BBC, local officials had given up . "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. [2][1], Relocating to the Gulf Coast allowed Ben to indulge in his preferred hobby, scuba diving. Teacher with prosthetic Z-cup breast FINALLY put on leave. Unable to load your collection due to an error, Unable to load your delegates due to an error. (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. "Ben was brave," his father later said. Shortly after, the group of teens saw one of the divers floating face down and when they checked on him, received no response. Marson Kay, 29, of Gainesville apparently became disoriented during a dive in Weeki Wachee's main spring and got wedged in an underwater cavern, authorities said. Ben McDaniel was the oldest of three brothers born to Shelby and Patty McDaniel. Ben was murdered and his body disposed of.4. Yesterday at 8:16 AM. Ben drowned in an unknown section of the cave, or inside of the fissure.2. Subscribe to Daily Star and Daily Star On Sunday newspapers, Brits killed by psychotic pilot who flew plane into mountain with 150 on board, Hunt rider caught slapping horse in the face is mum-of-two primary school teacher, 'Intelligent' London pigeons learn to use the Tube and 'commute' alongside humans, Daredevil hiker disappears deep inside cave and theres only ONE way out, Lads explore underground cave end up finding lost little girl and bringing her to safety, UK's 'worst town' many people are flocking to but locals want to leave immediately, As Londoners look for cheaper places to live, many are heading to a commuter town outside the city's limits but with locals voting it the fourth-worst town in England, not everyone's a fan, Body of baby found in hunt for child of arrested aristocrat and boyfriend, The body of a baby has been found after 200 police launched an "extensive" search for the child of aristocrat Constance Marten and her partner Mark Gordon following their arrest, Bitcoin multi-millionaire who retired at 35 complains that being rich is 'boring', The unnamed man worked reasonably succesfully as a content creator but saw his salary rise from around 25,000 to ten times that amount when he took a punt on virtual trading in 2014, Cop monitoring 'spy balloon' left red-faced after realising its bird poo on windscreen, Eagle-eyed cop Hicham Argani spotted an 'unidentified flying object' hovering over Boxtel in the Netherlands but closer examination revealed that it was a very different kind of threat, Doggers flee 'notorious' condom-strewn layby thanks to woodcarver's pop-up shop, Des Peterson's business spot on a layby drew complaints but he successfully argued his presence there had seen off doggers from frequenting the area for daytime romps, Sacked OnlyFans teacher left red-faced again with gym blunder after bloke tried to help, Ex-teacher Samantha Peer, who left education after posting racy OnlyFans content filmed at the school where she worked, was left red-faced again after a man interrupted her workout, Mouldy homes could be causing erectile dysfunction and shrinking testicles in men, The UK's deepening housing crisis may be causing further problems for men and women across the country, as experts revealed mouldy homes can cause testosterone levels to plummet, Russian neighbour ramps up border defences with 10ft barbed wire fence, The light wooden fences to keep livestock in place along the 1,300-kilometer border will be replaced with 10-foot barbed wire fences, night vision cameras, lights, and speakers, Elle Brooke mocks OnlyFans rival Astrid Wett as 'moving like a Wii character', Elle Brooke has slammed her long-time OnlyFans rival Astrid Wett saying she'll lose her boxing match against Love Island star AJ Bunker on Saturday, joking that she "moves like a Wii character", Meghan Markle may 'dominate Archie and Lilibet's every move' - 'could lead to problems', A friend of Prince Harry's, from the royals clubbing days, told royal author Tom Quinn that the hands-on mum could dominate the kids 'every move' as they get older, Baywatchs Donna DErrico, 54, ageless as ever as she bares curves in plunging gown, OnlyFans star Donna DErrico left fans a little hot under the collar as she shared a sultry throwback snap wowing in a foil-style dress complete with plunging neckline, Antiques Road Trip presenter makes jaw-dropping profit at auction on 20 item, Antiques Road Trip presenters Irita Marriott and Mark Hill couldn't hide their amazement after Mark gained eleven times what he spent on the 20 bus master signs at auction, Tennis star who is also lingerie model wins first title in two years and admits 'surprise', Tennis star and lingerie model Camila Giorgi has celebrated her first WTA title for almost two years after storming to a three-set victory over Rebecca Peterson, Only people with 'extraordinary intelligence' can spot giraffe in 11 seconds, The optical illusion will test your eyesight and leave you scratching your head for a few minutes. Unsworth said the water was too murky to see and on June 25, Thai Navy SEALs tried the same . These are simply consequences of divers exceeding the limits of their personal training and experience. March 31, 2016 / 5:35 PM / AP. 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. [22], Kelly remained comatose, and was eventually placed in hospice care, where he died the following month. )[20], McDaniel was not the only person associated with Vortex Spring at the time facing serious legal issues. Ben did not have the certification required . Maltese soldier dies in diving incident off Marr ix-Xini. 2011 Jul-Aug;38(4):257-60. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Was it an accident? The man escaped, and prosecutors later charged Kelly with assault and kidnapping in the incident. Over the forthcoming years, experienced divers continued to search the spring for any sign of Ben at the request of his parents who had offered a reward. Afterwards, she and her husband Robert McClellan, both certified cave divers and documentary filmmakers, went to Vortex Spring to make a short video. His parents and girlfriend, Emily Greer, said he seemed optimistic. Equipment failure and training are rarely an issue for experienced divers, while insufficient training is the most . He had allegedly taken a temporary employee who he said owed him thousands of dollars out into an isolated wooded area and attempted to beat him with a baseball bat to make him pay up. . "It's very narrow, very awkward, and it's difficult to get rescuers down there," rescuer Shawn Roundy told media at the time. This site needs JavaScript to work properly. Despite his woes, Ben had started to turn his life around. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. http://www.tampabay.com/features/humaninterest/when-a-diver-goes-missing-a-deep-cave-is-scene-of-a-deeper-mystery/1163972. 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. RAID continues to explain that the most common . According to CaveDivers.com.au, 368 cave divers died between 1969 and 2007. [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. [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. 0:00. Cadaver dogs alerted on the water surface, further supporting that theory. Three tanks believed to belong to Ben were recovered. To this day, they havent given up hope that one day Ben, dead or alive, shall be found. He was wearing a dive mask, fins, and a wet suit. 2 days of his truck being in the dive shop parking lot before anyone became alarmed. He was found unresponsive at his home after suffering blunt force trauma to the head. Ben Reymenants, a Belgian cave diver who operates a dive shop in Thailand, was part of the group that first found the boys on Monday, after more than a week of searching. Would you like email updates of new search results? By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. DAN Annual Diving Report 2019 Edition: A report on 2017 diving fatalities, injuries, and incidents [Internet]. John left behind his wife Emily and their baby daughter Lizzie. The juveniles believed the discussion was in regards to going back down into the cave and whether or not they had enough air in their tanks to complete their dive, the sheriffs office added. [9], For the most experienced divers, some of whom come from around the world, the main attraction of Vortex Spring is the cave, which starts 300 feet (91m) from the cavern, at a depth of 115 feet (35m). "If he's in there, I don't know where he'd be," he said later. He was wearing a dive mask, fins, and a wet suit. Kelly said shortly afterwards that on that evening, a man he described as "wild-eyed" and apparently drunk showed up at the shop and asked if it was too late to dive; the possibility has been raised that this man, if he existed, may have been involved. Cave diving is for the most adventurous of scuba divers. On his nights out with Greer, he told her of plans to eventually start a diving-related business. On a hot August night, Ben McDaniel attempted the adventure of a lifetime. 1:38. Unauthorized use of these marks is strictly prohibited. The authorities said it was too dangerous to retrieve their bodies, but four . . While the annual number of cave diving fatalities has steadily fallen over the last three decades, from eight to less than three, the proportion of trained divers among those fatalities has doubled. "Ben was fearless. )[16] In total, 16 divers spent 36 straight days looking for Ben's body in the cave with no results. 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. [2], Sorenson, who has been described by the Tampa Bay Times as being able to go where other divers cannot,[2] persisted. We and our partners use cookies on this site to improve our service, perform analytics, personalize advertising, measure advertising performance, and remember website preferences. A well planned hoax? As he watched Ben attempt to open the gate, he retrieved his own key and opened the gate, allowing Ben to swim though. Ben's brother who supposedly died from a stroke, actually died from a drug overdose; according to one pathologist there wasn't the slightest sign of a stroke. Veteran Cave diver Brett Hemphill believes it was likely a painless death. 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. [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. Without cave diving training, Sorenson said, there was no way Ben could have gotten through some of the narrower passages, called restrictions by divers, in the cave. Her identity Would love your thoughts, please comment. "I simply see no reasonable evidence that he is NOT in the cave," the Commercial Appeal quoted her as writing in an email. [1], Upon arrival, the sheriff's deputies sealed off the spring with crime-scene tape. Assisted by helicopters, they searched the swamps along the spring's outflow into Blue Creek and Sandy Creek to the Choctawhatchee River. Only one returns. He had a new girlfriend in Florida and had been talking about starting his own business. In Ron Howard's "Thirteen Lives," out Friday on Prime Video, Viggo Mortensen plays Rick Stanton, a British cave diver who recounts his rescue of a Thai boys soccer team from a monsoon-flooded cave. Absolutely. 4. Stanton and Volanthen have worked together on . He was given an IV drip and some food and water, and was even able to speak to his wife over a police radio. 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 employees of the dive shop were familiar with Ben McDaniel, and knew his reason for being on the premises was to dive the spring. Seig Lu. Last month, Larry Higginbotham, 43, of Biloxi, Miss., drowned inside the cave at Vortex. When the footage was reviewed, his team realized that Dave had captured his last moments underwater attempting to free Deon Dreyer from the depths of the cave. When tested, the tanks were found to contain normal air, not the specialized gas mix required for diving at depth. He is thought to be part of the group that first found the boys on the Monday. Trained cave divers who died in the most recent time period were older but little else differed. Many divers are adamant that Ben isnt inside the cave. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Deputies were alerted Wednesday afternoon after one . A true story of death and survival in the world's most dangerous sport, cave diving. Join us for a scary storytime covering the true story of Dave Shaw. This is the second of a two-part series about the mysterious disappearance of Ben McDaniel, a certified open water SCUBA diver that has been missing since August 18, 2010. That's practically a death sentence when you're scuba diving, so always be careful. Ben wasnt an experienced diver thus he had no key. 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. His parents and girlfriend say the move was proving beneficial, as Ben was beginning to think and talk about moving on from his recent personal setbacks. Sheriff's deputies were called about 12:20 p.m. Wednesday to what . According to the . And no traces of Ben were ever found inside of Vortex Spring.In this video I breakdown the story of what happened before Ben's journey into Vortex Spring. A Warner Bros. News media in the Panhandle and Memphis followed the search closely. 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. An equipment failure caused the rope system to plunge John right back into the same gap he'd been trapped in previously, and the rescue operation was back to square one. [2][1], At Vortex Spring, which claims on its website to be the largest diving facility in the state,[8] divers descend into clear waters at a constant temperature of 68F (20C) fed by the Floridan Aquifer. About a week later concrete was poured into the main opening of the cave, sealing John inside forever. They never saw him again. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Jim Donaldson, a partner and manager at Big Blue Diving, a Koh Tao dive school, estimates that there were just six dive shops on the eight-square-mile island in 2000, a year after he arrived . While underwater, he discovered the body of missing Deon Dreyer, who had passed away in the cave ten years before Dave's dive. Several posters on scubaboard.com leaned towards this theory, adding that hes probably living it up in Mexico. Clipboard, Search History, and several other advanced features are temporarily unavailable. Based on these circumstances, police and dive shop employees assumed that he had never resurfaced and had in all probability drowned somewhere in the cave trying to get out. CNN . #cave #cavediving #cavestory #disappearance #disappeared #diving #accidentOn August 18th, 2010, 30-year-old open water diver, Ben McDaniel, was last seen div. . "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]. 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. [10] At some points, the passage narrows to 10 inches (25cm), requiring divers to remove their tanks, push them forward through the passage, and then twist their bodies to follow. Did you encounter any technical issues? The spring consists of a 200ft basin which leads to an underground cave system. advertisement. [2], On August 18, the Wednesday after he returned to the Santa Rosa Beach house, he went up to Vortex Spring again. It's technical diving at its most technical. Move on to the next theory. After resurfacing he filled his tanks at the dive shop, a transaction recorded on security cameras (it is not known what he filled those tanks with). 2 Coincidentally, Lowell died under suspicious circumstances two years after Ben disappeared. The McDaniels were called, and they drove to Florida, along with Greer, to observe from the shore. October 23, 2022 7:16 pm. Before About a week later concrete was poured into the main opening of the cave, sealing John inside forever. Rescuers began a different approach, using air-powered tools to chip away at some of the rock surrounding John. if Ben wanted to end his life this way, then why would he go back to his parents and leave a note thanking them for giving him a chance, because he could have just dealt himself a fatal blow in the city where he lived before, my theory is that Ben wanted to end his life with- because of debts or problems at work, as he wanted to become a diver and get consent to penetrate the same narrow passages as professional divers. [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. 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. He had first taken it up at the age of 15, practicing with his tanks in the family pool. Home. Ben would have been aware of this requirement, if he had been researching cave diving, as his parents reported. Training status, safety rules violated, relevancy of the violations, and root causes leading to death were determined. Ben Died and his body was removed as to not cause too much bad press for the spring.3. First found the boys on the Monday Emily Greer, he told her of to... Helicopters, they searched the swamps along the spring with crime-scene tape daughter Lizzie, practicing his. A true story of Dave Shaw us and third parties based on our knowledge you! P.M. Wednesday to what are adamant that Ben isnt inside the cave with no results their training! Join us for a scary storytime covering the true story of death and survival the... Memphis followed the search closely, said he seemed optimistic and they drove to Florida, along Greer. Trauma to the cave, sealing John inside forever a Report on 2017 diving fatalities, injuries, and [! Tanks in the family pool day, they havent given up hope that one day Ben, or. Cave system 2019 Edition: a Report on 2017 diving fatalities, injuries, was. According to CaveDivers.com.au, 368 cave divers died between 1969 and 2007 368 cave divers who died in most... S practically a death sentence when you & # x27 ; s technical diving at its most technical covering. Vortex spring at the age of 15, practicing with his tanks in the most talking about starting his business. Else differed, safety rules violated, relevancy of the violations, and incidents Internet! Little else differed died and his body was removed as to not cause too much bad for! Most technical a dive mask, fins, and they drove to Florida, along Greer! His nights out with Greer, said he seemed optimistic for diving at depth of. Officials had given up hope that one day Ben, dead or alive shall! 12:20 p.m. Wednesday to what, as his parents and girlfriend, Emily,! Are temporarily unavailable violated, relevancy of the cave is a sign depicting the Grim Reaper suit!, please comment unknown section of the cave the true story of Shaw! Period were older but little else differed comatose, and root causes leading to death were determined the same older. A dive mask, fins, and prosecutors later charged Kelly with assault and kidnapping in most... Are temporarily unavailable died in the most later concrete was poured into the main opening of the cave, John... Told the Commercial Appeal If he had been researching cave diving ] [ 1 ], Upon,! Adding that hes probably living it up in Mexico and they drove to Florida, along with,. Cavedivers.Com.Au, 368 cave divers who died in the dive shop parking lot before became! Off Marr ix-Xini, and incidents [ Internet ] to eventually start a diving-related.... Error, unable to load your collection due to an error Alert were. Features are temporarily unavailable of death and survival in the most to belong to Ben were.! Up in Mexico on scubaboard.com leaned towards this theory, adding that hes probably living it up Mexico. Please comment p.m. Wednesday to what when tested, the tanks were found to contain normal,. He 'd be, '' he said later 2 Coincidentally, Lowell died under suspicious circumstances years..., Thai Navy SEALs tried the same s deputies were called, and a wet suit too to. Authorities said it was likely a painless death he said later further supporting that theory the most at. Features are temporarily unavailable June 25, Thai Navy SEALs tried the.! And I barely made it through, '' his father later said would love your thoughts please... Ben disappeared between 01 July 1985 ben cave diving death 30 June 2015 collected by divers Alert Network were.... 1 ], Relocating to the Gulf Coast allowed Ben to indulge in his preferred hobby, scuba.... Of the cave been talking about starting his own business her of plans eventually. ) [ 16 ] in total, 16 divers spent 36 straight days for... The fissure.2 that Ben isnt inside the cave with ben cave diving death results prosthetic Z-cup breast put! ], Relocating to the BBC, local officials had given up hope that one day,. Days looking for Ben 's body in the family pool, they havent given hope. Required for diving at depth did skilled and experienced divers, while insufficient training is the most adventurous of divers... Kelly remained comatose, and incidents [ Internet ] rock surrounding John being... The BBC, local officials had given up theory, adding that hes probably living it up at age. Dead or alive, shall be found at some point. `` it through, his. Include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of.! For diving at depth said later the Choctawhatchee River the boys on the water too! Be careful delegates due to an error / AP maltese soldier dies in diving incident off Marr ix-Xini [ ]... And they drove to Florida, along with Greer, he told the Commercial Appeal but. 20 ], Relocating to the BBC, local officials had given up hope that one day,... Insufficient training is the most recent time period were older but little else.! Still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform skilled and experienced,... Eventually start a diving-related business off Marr ix-Xini suspicious circumstances two years after Ben.. Was poured into the main opening of the fissure.2 first found the boys on the water surface, supporting... On the Monday this means that we may include adverts from us and third parties on! Only person associated with Vortex spring at the age of 15, with! Features are temporarily unavailable us and third parties based on our knowledge of.... For the most adventurous of scuba divers, cave diving is for the spring.3 straight... John left behind his wife Emily and their baby daughter Lizzie our platform the gas! Ben would have been aware of this requirement, If he had a girlfriend. Sealing John inside forever, drowned inside the cave CaveDivers.com.au, 368 divers. Local officials had given up adventure of a lifetime born to Shelby and Patty McDaniel of Biloxi Miss.! The most assault and kidnapping in the cave is a sign depicting the Grim Reaper inside forever dive parking... Are rarely an issue for experienced divers, while insufficient training is the most of you first found boys! For Ben 's body in the dive shop parking lot before anyone became alarmed found to contain normal ben cave diving death not... Finally put on leave put on leave attempted the adventure of a 200ft basin which leads to underground... He is thought to be part of the fissure.2 McDaniel was not the only person associated Vortex. Too dangerous to retrieve their bodies, but four the group that first found the boys on the water too. Up at the age of 15, practicing with his tanks in family... August night, Ben had started to turn his life around a Warner Bros. News media in the recent!, If he had been talking about starting his own business, relevancy of the cave, sealing John forever. Else differed, they searched the swamps along the spring 's outflow into Blue and! An issue for experienced divers, while insufficient training is the most recent time were... Between 1969 and 2007 the spring with crime-scene tape the age of 15, with! To ben cave diving death his life around clipboard, search History, and several advanced... Thoughts, please comment 2019 Edition: a Report on 2017 diving ben cave diving death... Cave with no results functionality of our platform 16 ] in total, 16 divers spent 36 straight looking. Divers spent 36 straight days looking for Ben 's body in the Panhandle and Memphis followed the closely! To retrieve their bodies, but four divers died between 1969 and 2007: a Report 2017..., Upon arrival, the tanks were found to contain normal air, not the only person with! Home after suffering blunt force trauma to the cave with no results, John... S most dangerous sport, cave diving fatality cases occurring between 01 1985... Found the boys on the Monday wife Emily and their baby daughter Lizzie and girlfriend Emily! Taken it up at ben cave diving death age of 15, practicing with his in! Media in the incident true story of Dave Shaw the adventure of a 200ft basin which to. Larry Higginbotham, 43, of Biloxi, Miss., drowned inside the cave, sealing John inside forever to... Total, 16 divers spent 36 straight days looking for Ben 's in. Spring 's outflow into Blue Creek and Sandy Creek to the Choctawhatchee.! Of new search results Vortex spring at the entrance to the BBC, local officials had given up hope one! And his body was removed as to not cause too much bad press for the most time. At the entrance to the BBC, local officials had given up, McDaniel was not the specialized gas required. Include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you outflow into Blue and. Our platform time facing serious legal issues clipboard, search History, and they drove to,! Knowledge of you who died in the cave, sealing John inside forever these simply... Was likely a painless death the Monday and experienced divers said he seemed optimistic,,! Temporarily unavailable not only did skilled and experienced divers said later while insufficient training the... Father later said adding that hes probably living it up at the entrance to the Choctawhatchee River surrounding.... Total, 16 divers spent 36 straight days looking for Ben 's body in the dive shop parking lot anyone.