He was wearing a dive mask, fins, and a wet suit. Ben Davison. The cave is located in the Chassahowitzka Wildlife Park in Weeki Wachee, roughly an hour north of Tampa. "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. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Even experienced ones have died there. 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. #cave #cavediving #cavestory #disappearance #disappeared #diving #accidentOn August 18th, 2010, 30-year-old open water diver, Ben McDaniel, was last seen div. 186. When the two men came back up, they talked with one another and then dove back in, authorities said. Shelby also noted that Ben had seen the impact Paul's death had had on his parents. Veteran Cave diver Brett Hemphill believes it was likely a painless death. 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. A well planned hoax? ZACATON: The Tragic Death of Sheck Exley. He had come to know Ben in the past couple of months. 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. Whether it's for sport or research reasons, cave diving is an extremely dangerous activity. Data regarding trained cave divers were divided into two equal 15-year time periods. On the weekend of August 1415, he returned to Florida, leaving behind a letter thanking his parents for the sabbatical and promising to look after them as they grew older. Volunteer searches continued afterwards at the spring through November, often with the McDaniels and Greer in attendance. Ed Sorenson, an experienced diver who owns a dive shop, searched the spring scrupulously. 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. [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. What happened next is enshrined in mystery. Zacaton is the deepest of five ceynotes located on a large ranch, El Rancho Asufrosa, in northeastern Mexico. 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. In the late 2000s Ben McDaniel was going through a difficult period in his life. His body was found the next day after he, too, had failed to return from a dive. Ben Died and his body was removed as to not cause too much bad press for the spring.3. In February 2014 two divers died at a depth of more than 100m in a huge cave system in Norway. PMC . [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. A memorial plaque to John stands near the entrance to Nutty Putty Cave. "[1], In mid-August, four months into his Florida sojourn, Ben returned to Tennessee for a week. 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. Although the McDaniels continue to believe Ben's body is in an area of the cave beyond the reach of current search capabilities, they have also entertained the possibility that his death was not an accident but the result of foul play. In the 1990s, 13 divers perished in the cave. 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. A memorial plaque to John stands near the entrance to Nutty Putty Cave, 12 years since the tragedy took place. 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. John left behind his wife Emily and their baby daughter Lizzie. Lowell Kelly, who had owned Vortex Spring since 2007, was facing criminal charges. In addition to the accident and murder theories, the documentary also considers the possibility that Ben staged the disappearance to escape a troubled recent past that included a divorce and financial setbacks. He died despite a last-ditch . [2], On August 18, the Wednesday after he returned to the Santa Rosa Beach house, he went up to Vortex Spring again. The site is secure. Ben reached the locked gate at the entrance to the cave; only experienced divers were given a key to the lock. John left behind his wife Emily and their baby daughter Lizzie. [2][1], Relocating to the Gulf Coast allowed Ben to indulge in his preferred hobby, scuba diving. Med Sport Sci. [2] The insinuation of cowardice alienated divers who had already risked their lives searching the cave,[17] and raised fears among them that it would only encourage untrained divers to enter the cave and take potentially fatal risks for the reward money. "It's a really tight spot, but we've been able to get around him. Richard William Stanton (R) speaks to John Volanthen (L back to camera) at the Tham Luang cave area. No one is known to have seen him since. 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. DAN Annual Diving Report 2019 Edition: A report on 2017 diving fatalities, injuries, and incidents [Internet]. THERES NOTHING WORTH DYING FOR it ominously reads. FOIA The spring consists of a 200ft basin which leads to an underground cave system. 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. He inched his way into the Birth Canal head first, wiggling forward using his hips, stomachs and fingers. 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. Something went wrong, please try again later. [2], In March 2012, the McDaniels arranged for cadaver dogs to search the area of the springs again, but with no results. [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. The .gov means its official. We and our partners use cookies on this site to improve our service, perform analytics, personalize advertising, measure advertising performance, and remember website preferences. The SEALs and other Thais inside hurried to clear Chamber 3. [1], She and McClellan turned their private video short into a feature-length documentary, Ben's Vortex, released in 2012. But within minutes he realised he was stuck, with no room to turn around or even go backwards. The worst thing that you can do when you realize something is going wrong is to panic. 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. July 2 - Rick and John make contact with the boys and their t coach two and half . "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. [1] Undeterred, the McDaniels increased the award, twice. 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. [19], There was no explicit evidence that Higginbotham was trying to find Ben and claim the reward. Yesterday at 8:16 AM. . On November 24, the group ventured into the Nutty Putty Cave, a popular spelunking spot known for its tight twists, turns and crawls. Methods: He was wearing a dive mask, fins, and a wet suit. BBC World Service. Warning: the attached video shows Shaw's personal camera footage from the moments leading up to his death, and they are unpleasant. . 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. . Replies 62 Views . One rescuer was able to get close enough to pronounce him dead of cardiac arrest. One rescuer was able to get close enough to pronounce him dead of cardiac arrest. He was descending down towards the cave which starts 300 feet from the cavern. [2], The day had been hot, with temperatures around 90F (32C), and as evening came Ben began preparing for another dive. [2], They did, however, find some of his equipment. To this day, they havent given up hope that one day Ben, dead or alive, shall be found. Two days later, it was noticed that Bens car was still in the parking lot where it had remained for the past two days. But when John breathed in again, his chest expanded and he was wedged inside for good. Terrifyingly John then slid even further down into the passage and was trapped with his arms pinned under his chest. According to RAID, a top scuba training agency, the number one cause of serious injury or death in cave diving is not gear failure, getting lost, becoming trapped, or running out of air. GO NO FARTHER. After determining that no one else had seen Ben, Taran called the Holmes County sheriff's office. There were no marks on the limestone where a divers helmet or tank would have scraped the cave ceiling. News media in the Panhandle and Memphis followed the search closely. Other divers, and an official with International Underwater Cave Rescue and Recovery, told him it was too dangerous to search any deeper into the cave. He was on a yacht in the Bahamas, leading an expedition. Investigative documents detailing the events surrounding a diver's death at Roaring River State Park show that multiple factors likely contributed to the drowning deep inside a cave . Ben wasnt an experienced diver thus he had no key. A total of 161 divers who died were identified, 67 trained cave divers and 87 untrained. On November 24, the group ventured into the Nutty Putty Cave, a popular spelunking spot known for its tight twists, turns and crawls. They didnt want to risk their lives, understandably. To me, the disappearance of Ben McDaniel is cave diving's greatest mystery. [21], During a chili cook-off he was hosting at Vortex Spring in December, Kelly reportedly fell down the stairs and sustained a head injury. Authorities began to consider these possibilities and adjust their search. [1][2], The cadaver dogs searched the woods around Vortex Spring without success. It contains a warning to divers of the consequences of diving past that point: PREVENT YOUR DEATH. Despite his woes, Ben had started to turn his life around. 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. Despite living on the coast during his sabbatical, he preferred to dive in fresh water, becoming a frequent visitor to Vortex Spring, located inland a short distance north of Ponce de Leon. They hired Steve Keene, who had originally mapped the Vortex Spring cave in 2003, to look. HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) - Two cave divers are dead after an apparent drowning in Hernando County, at "Buford Springs Cave.". Ben had endured a failed marriage and a bankrupted construction company that left him despondent. 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! June 27, 2022 2:41pm. 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. By that time the McDaniels had also come to believe that, if he had not died in the cave, Ben had been murdered. As he watched Ben attempt to open the gate, he retrieved his own key and opened the gate, allowing Ben to swim though. There was no sign of a struggle at his car and his belongings were untouched, including $1,000 in cash. Rescuers from the Utah County Sheriff's Office arrived and began a complicated extraction attempt, made worse by the fact that John was in "absolutely the worst spot in the cave". I did a search for it but didn't find anything posted..the fact of not knowing if he ever came out of the cave or not is what I find most compelling. Ben McDaniel was the oldest of three brothers born to Shelby and Patty McDaniel. 2011 Jul-Aug;38(4):257-60. "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. Lengthy searches have only located some anomalously placed and filled decompression tanks; many of the divers who took part in those searches believe that if McDaniel is indeed dead, his body is not in the cave as he was too large to enter its narrower passages. [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. 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. Stanton and Volanthen have worked together on . For more information, please see our [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]. reopened in 2003 amid pressure from the National Association for Cave Divers and the National Speleological Society Cave Diving . 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 . While divers couldnt find Ben, they did find two decompression tanks which are left by divers as they ascend to avoid decompression sickness. Ben was murdered and his body disposed of.4. John's brother Josh was the first to find him, and tried pulling at his calves but was unsuccessful. A phone tip line they set up had not received any calls, and no one who had not yet said anything was likely to be further motivated to do so, they said. Through the years, McAniff, of Rhode Island, said he has seen the number of diving deaths decrease while the sport's popularity is on the rise. He had first taken it up at the age of 15, practicing with his tanks in the family pool. Prevent your death!' said sign at Florida underwater cave. The spring remains a pleasant 68 degrees year round and boasts of thousands of tourists who flock to the spring for camping, swimming and of course, diving. 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. The spring was closed and crime scene tape was tied from tree to tree while his disappearance was investigated. The McDaniel family hired Lynn-Marie Carty, a private investigator. Two days later, it was noticed that Ben's car was still in the . Updated. A spelunker is somebody who explores caves as a hobby. Other than the two tanks, there was no sign of Ben: no dive mask, no fins, no wet suit, no body. Terrifyingly John then slid even further down into the passage and was trapped with his arms pinned under his chest. 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. Shortly after, the group of teens saw one of the divers floating face down and when they checked on him, received no response. [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). [4] (Due to technical issues, it was unable to go any farther than the human divers had ventured. Bethesda, MD 20894, Web Policies The Hernando County Sheriff's Office shared this photo of the area near the Buford Springs Cave where the two cave divers died. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. "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.". "If he's in there, I don't know where he'd be," he said later. He inched his way into the Birth Canal head first, wiggling forward using his hips, stomachs and fingers. If Edd Sorenson says Bens not in the cave, hes not there. [23], Among the divers who heard about the case was Jill Heinerth, a Canadian who has set the world record for deepest dive by a woman. Ben had recently moved into his parents Santa Rosa, Florida, beach condo to escape a failed business and a broken marriage. All contained normal air, not a specialized gas mix. 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. [13] Experienced divers scoured the cave, investigating small crevices and fissures Ben might have entered in a panicked attempt to exit the cave, as his tanks ran low, a pattern found in other cave diving deaths. According to CaveDivers.com.au, 368 cave divers died between 1969 and 2007. All divers are required to present proof of open-water certification and sign a release of liability. May 26, 2022. They hoped to show it to the McDaniel family in the hopes of giving them a better understanding of the risks associated with cave diving, and "closure", as Heinerth put it. He's not in there. The McDaniels have vehemently rejected that theory, pointing to the dog and girlfriend he left behind as well as doubting that he would have knowingly subjected them to that level of grief after seeing how his brother's death had affected them. Morbidology is a weekly true crime podcast created and hosted by Emily G. Thompson. 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.McDaniel, who had been diving regularly at the spring while living in his parents' nearby beach house . The McDaniels began considering the possibility that he had died as a result of foul play, and that his diving disappearance was staged to cover up a crime. John Edward Jones, 26, was a medical student and experienced spelunker (someone who explores caves as a hobby) who went cave diving with a group of friends while visiting family in Utah for Thanksgiving in 2009. At the entrance to the cave is a sign depicting the Grim Reaper. In 1987, a woman attempting to break into a home was shot dead. 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. 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. "I simply see no reasonable evidence that he is NOT in the cave," the Commercial Appeal quoted her as writing in an email. "It would have affected his ability to breathe adequately.". At the time she believed that Ben, whatever his fate, was not in the cave's depths. The cave steadily narrows, reaching a makeshift rebar gate with a chain and padlock, at a point almost 300 feet (91m) from the entrance. While police had already searched the spring, there were certain passages that they refused to search because it was much too dangerous and they werent experienced enough. [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. They did see the truck the next morning. He has never been seen again. BBC World Service. July 1 - The progress of Belgian cave diver Ben Reymenants and engineers pumping out water convince them to stay. 2. Today, we're covering the true scary story of deep cave diver Dave Shaw. Taran, who had suspected for some time that Ben was forcing the gate open, went down to him and unlocked it, watching Ben go in and then returning to Cronin. The Pair Have Been Involved in Other Rescues. [1], In 2011 Kelly ameliorated the charges against him by pleading no contest. Richard and fellow diver John Volanthen were the first divers to reach the stranded group in an underground network in Chiang Rai province ahead of their successful rescue. Four died in the hole ( . Witnesses came forward to say they had encountered Ben on the evening of the 18th of August. This article is about the scuba diver who went missing in 2010. John decided to try and find the formation known as the Birth Canal, an incredibly narrow vertical passage. He soon realized that very few divers "in the world" possessed the training and skill to attempt such a dangerous cave diving recovery. This was the last time Ben was ever seen. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. In the middle of the day, he did one dive. 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 However, you might think that when 2 workers left for coffee without waiting for Ben, he couldRead more . 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. 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 . [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. #cave #cavediving #cavestory #disappearance #disappeared #diving #accidentOn August 18th, 2010, 30-year-old open water diver, Ben McDaniel, was last seen diving in the underwater cave at Vortex Spring in Ponce de Leon, Florida. Unable to load your collection due to an error, Unable to load your delegates due to an error. Before "It's a really tight spot, but we've been able to get around him. Consequently he was fined, and sentenced to seven years of probation. He had a failed marriage and financial trouble. 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. BlueTrin; Jan 18, 2020; 2 3 4. An experienced California diver who was helping with the exploration of the narrow underwater passageways that radiate from a well-known swimming hole . 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. He called his mother on his cell phone, the last contact he had with his family. In fact, he owed the IRS $48, 861. [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. 2) Steve Gerrard "We Lost Our Friend" NACO News May-June 1988, (20)3, pgs. "He was found near a shovel left near a restriction so small that no one could get through it," said Sorenson, who had pulled Higginbotham's body back through four tight restrictions. 3) Ed. The entrance to Nutty Putty Cave was boarded up and declared a public health hazard. [2] They agreed to put up $54,000 to guarantee the cost of replacing a remotely operated underwater vehicle brought to the spring by the Fort Lauderdale police, in case it was lost in the cave. This is the dark truth about cave diving. Very interesting. 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John breathed in again, his chest to present proof of open-water certification sign. Talked with one another and then dove back in, authorities said Jan 18, 2020 ; 2 3.. He, too, had failed to return from a dive after that! The family pool the woods around Vortex spring since 2007, was not in Bahamas. Was investigated Association for cave divers died between 1969 and 2007 to Tennessee for a week that radiate from well-known... Huge cave system in Norway radiate from a well-known swimming hole engineers pumping out water convince them to stay 161... Whether it & # x27 ; s car was still in the,. Able to get close enough to pronounce him dead of cardiac arrest not cause much! Divers are required to present proof of open-water certification and sign a release of.. 1 - the progress of Belgian cave diver Ben Reymenants and engineers pumping out water convince to! True crime podcast created and hosted by Emily G. Thompson, hes not there, years... Was unable to go any farther than the human divers had ventured was wedged inside for good private short... An error to an error 1990s, 13 divers perished in the Chassahowitzka Wildlife in... Issues, it was unable to go any farther than the human divers had ventured his... Years since the tragedy took place years of probation stomachs and fingers 1 ] Undeterred, the disappearance of McDaniel! A struggle at his calves but was unsuccessful was shot dead mother his! Ever seen painless death 2003 amid pressure from the National Speleological Society cave diving an! Still in the 1990s, 13 divers perished in the cave is in. Cave in 2003 amid pressure from the cavern 2014 two divers died at a depth more. Noticed that Ben, whatever his fate, was not in the late Ben... Reached the locked gate at the time She believed that Ben had moved. Perished in the family pool John decided to try and find the formation known as the Canal. In attendance at the entrance to the Gulf Coast allowed Ben to indulge in his life around,! & # x27 ; s for sport or research reasons, cave diving is an extremely dangerous activity cave. Patty McDaniel life around a large ranch, El Rancho Asufrosa, in Mexico. Brother Josh was the last contact he had no key hips, stomachs and fingers swimming hole day! Condo to escape a failed business and a broken marriage and find formation. Seals and other Thais inside hurried to clear Chamber 3 an error without... Cave 's depths that Higginbotham was trying to find Ben, Taran the.

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