Ben Died and his body was removed as to not cause too much bad press for the spring.3. 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. Prevent your death!' said sign at Florida underwater cave. 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. When authorities arrived, the diver was deceased, according to the sheriffs office. 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. July 1 - The progress of Belgian cave diver Ben Reymenants and engineers pumping out water convince them to stay. 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. Kennedy's assassin Sirhan Sirhan, 78, Humans could have wings or tentacles 'in the next few decades', Elon Musk reveals Tesla's $10 trillion 'Master Plan 3', Wings and extra limbs in development after Third Thumb success, Sacked OnlyFans teacher left red-faced with gym blunder when bloke tried to help, Mouldy homes may be causing erectile dysfunction and shrinking testicles in men, Elle Brooke mocks OnlyFans rival Astrid Wett as moving like a Wii character, Shapps orders energy firms to hand Britons bills lifeline, Common flu may have originated from a fish 600 million years ago. [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. Teacher with prosthetic Z-cup breast FINALLY put on leave. Emily was also expecting their second child at the time, a boy who was born the following year and named after his dad. Tank one, an "aluminum 80" (80 cubic ft capacity), full tank with a regulator, was found 200 feet (61m) inside the cave. Keywords: He had come to know Ben in the past couple of months. Conclusion: The body of a cave diver still remains trapped upside-down after his ghastly death. 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. The cave is located in the Chassahowitzka Wildlife Park in Weeki Wachee, roughly an hour north of Tampa. A memorial plaque to John stands near the entrance to Nutty Putty Cave. HHS Vulnerability Disclosure, Help Normally you had to have a buddy system before you was allowed to get the group I never knew them to allow a single diver go on their own. 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. June 27, 2022 2:41pm. On the evening Ben disappeared, an inebriated Lowell showed up at the spring and asked if it was too late to go diving. "If he's in there, I don't know where he'd be," he said later. [1] He died before the first year was completed. New posts Search forums. 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. [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. He's not in there. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. 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 . Warning: the attached video shows Shaw's personal camera footage from the moments leading up to his death, and they are unpleasant. [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). Cookie Notice Ben had recently moved into his parents Santa Rosa, Florida, beach condo to escape a failed business and a broken marriage. 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 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. 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. In fact, he owed the IRS $48, 861. 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. 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. This is the dark truth about cave diving. Two men died while diving at Eagle's Nest sinkhole in Florida, Oct. 16, 2016. [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. Home. October 23, 2022 7:16 pm. Two friends plunge 900 ft deep into the water of the Komali Springs in South Africa, to raise the body of a diver who had perished there a decade before. 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. But when John breathed in again, his chest expanded and he was wedged inside for good. A well planned hoax? 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. "[1], In mid-August, four months into his Florida sojourn, Ben returned to Tennessee for a week. 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. When their football practice ended on Saturday 23 June, 2018, the 12 members of Wild Boars decided to go cave exploring with assistant coach Ekkaphon . Dave Shaw was determined to bring this missing person's remains back to his family and set out on his final mission in 2005. Yesterday at 8:16 AM. 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. government site. [22], By 2011, it seemed unlikely that Ben's body would be found in the cave. . Other divers saw him looking closely at the area around the cave entrance, as if, it was later reported, he was planning something. 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! )[11] His parents later defended him from those criticisms by seeing them as positive traits. Hmmmm! Others theorise he faked his own death. The cave steadily narrows, reaching a makeshift rebar gate with a chain and padlock, at a point almost 300 feet (91m) from the entrance. "It's a really tight spot, but we've been able to get around him. 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". Her identity Would love your thoughts, please comment. He followed his passions. Nevertheless, police refused to treat it as a homicide, much to the dismay of Lynn-Marie Carty. Eduardo later passed a lie detector test. A Warner Bros. Unsworth said the water was too murky to see and on June 25, Thai Navy SEALs tried the same . He said the muddy current . Yes, Thai Cave Rescue is based on the true story of the rescue of 12 Thai boys from youth soccer team the Wild Boars and their coach from the Tham Luang Cave, between June 23 and July 10, 2018. At the entrance to the cave is a sign depicting the Grim Reaper. This forum is for the discussion of diving Accidents and Incidents and has. He had left his dog in Santa Rosa Beach and had not given Greer any indication of such plans. Lie detector test are easily beatable if you know how. 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. 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. 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. "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. What happened in between those two events has completely turned their life upside down. 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. [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. Two other tanks, lacking regulators, were attached to the "talk box" in the outer cavern area, (Piano Room) where the talk box was located at the time. 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. [1] Undeterred, the McDaniels increased the award, twice. [2][1], Relocating to the Gulf Coast allowed Ben to indulge in his preferred hobby, scuba diving. Ben's death is the first kill in 47 Meters Down: Uncaged, and while it is an effective jump scare, the scene loses points among horror movie aficionados for its murky lighting. [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. He had a new girlfriend in Florida and had been talking about starting his own business. Updated 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. RAID continues to explain that the most common . 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. The entrance to Nutty Putty Cave was boarded up and declared a public health hazard. He had first taken it up at the age of 15, practicing with his tanks in the family pool. Despite his woes, Ben had started to turn his life around. . Or something more sinister. They hired a Florida private investigator, Lynn-Marie Carty, who found that other people associated with Vortex Spring besides Kelly had criminal records. Larsa Pippen Is 'In Love' With Marcus Jordan And Swears Dad Michael Is Cool With Their Relationship! 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. Epub 2013 Jan 31. 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. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Here is another one from "Disappeared". 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. "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. you'd be dead a long time ago," diver Ben Reymenants, who was part of the rescue mission, says. 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. 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. At the time she believed that Ben, whatever his fate, was not in the cave's depths. 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. It was risky work, and one diver said they had nearly died during the search. Equipment failure and training are rarely an issue for experienced divers, while insufficient training is the most . Careers. An official website of the United States government. Undersea Hyperb Med. They are adamant that he wouldnt do something so cruel to them. The spring was closed and crime scene tape was tied from tree to tree while his disappearance was investigated. 1 This location was perfect for Ben, who was an avid diver. Cave diving is perilous at the best of times but Tham Luang presents its own extreme challenges. The grim mystery of where Ben is haunts the McDaniels family. There are millions of possible ways to die, some less pleasant than others. Last modified on Fri 14 Jul 2017 15.42 EDT. [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. 2015 Sep;45(3):147-53. 2 days of his truck being in the dive shop parking lot before anyone became alarmed. [5], The following month, amid increasing criticism, the McDaniels rescinded the reward offer. Stanton and Volanthen have worked together on . 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. advertisement. He inched his way into the Birth Canal head first, wiggling forward using his hips, stomachs and fingers. Perhaps his body had been secretly removed from the cave before searching began and disposed of on land or it had washed out through the spring's outlet. Police assigned divers searched for Ben for days. By Johnny Diaz. In 2004, Dave Shaw completed a record-breaking dive at Bushman's Hole. On November 24, the group ventured into the Nutty Putty Cave, a popular spelunking spot known for its tight twists, turns and crawls. Something went wrong, please try again later. [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. Around 7:30p.m., as the sun began to set, he went in again. 2023 Cable News Network. 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. BlueTrin; Jan 18, 2020; 2 3 4. 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. 1) Karen Thurston "Cave diver feared dead in accident" Tallahassee Democrat May 16, 1988. [1][2], The cadaver dogs searched the woods around Vortex Spring without success. Was it an accident? In February 2014 two divers died at a depth of more than 100m in a huge cave system in Norway. and transmitted securely. 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