For informational purposes as there have been questions concerning the Vortex "system". I am one of the few divers that dive this passage a good bit. Just had Lasik so I am out of the water for another few weeks. Bugman (Mat) is another, that dives it with me, or me with him and he is assisting in this. Please keep him, and the other recovery divers, in your thoughts as this is an awful thing to have to do.
Vortex cave is not very long. 300'p to the gate at 120 ffw. Off to the left of, and before, the gate, is a section of very silty s/m cave that has been permanently gated. A person could squeeze past if they wanted. Before that (toward the entrance) is another little section that doesn't go far but a person could get stuck there too. Beyond the gate it goes maybe another 500 or 600' tops (estimation). There is a duck under that can be done in b/m, and then a section about 250' long that is best done in s/m. Belly to back in b/m digging throught he sand if you go through in b/m. Before that section there is a fissure crack, and before that a passage that is low and silty and maybe not diveable. At least one other, and myself tried to push it and it is too nasty. After the low section it opens up and dead ends. This is all around 120ffw. Just before the dead end it goes right and down to about 150 ffw. It goes left at this point and is only backmountable for a few feet. Sidemount goes a few hundred feet at most, last time I was there. It is not an extensive cave like JB or the likes, but it is not a novice dive either. Vortex Cave has claimed more than a few lives and only a few were over medical reasons.
As far as the key, there has only been 2 for some time. Eduardo had one and the desk had the other. The other has always been hard to keep up with. I have used Eduardo's on many occasions. We always lock the chain and lock, with the gate open. Not really a big deal. Wrap the chain around the grate and lock it. Pull the gate closed to keep ow divers from wandering in, or push it open and leave it. It takes work to move it either way. Whether or not a key was given out, I won't speculate. After reading everything on the web, victim may or may not be beyond the gate. My intro / cavern instructor recovered a diver who was on the exit side of the gate that others missed, and in one of the, above, mentioned areas.
As far as the comments about solo, Smith is talking out of turn, if he actually said that. News outlets are notorious for writing what they think you said. I took a police diving class with Mark Smith in 2002 or 2003. He is a reserve Dty with one of the Baton Rouge Parish SO's (east or west). Either way, it is such an uneccesary loss and my thoughts are with his family. Mark Michaud