Body of missing Florida free diver found in cave

[moab]

Here is the original story. Which should have be linked to in the original post.

I have also sent a note to the mods requesting the thread title be changed to

"Free diver dies inside a cave"

I used the title from BayNews 9. I did realize that it wasn't a cave dive, but I didn't want to mis-label something I was "linking". As far as not having a link, I am unable to create links until I have 5 posts. I think this post should put me at 4 so I'm REAL close... Maybe I need to talk more instead of lurk!

 

[Hank49]

+1. I am sorry for the families loss, and don;t mean to sound insensitive, but freediving is not how cave diving is done, and freedving into a cave is not a smart thing to do, but those are not distinctions that the general public will make. This type of news coverage just creates more pressure to close caves to protect people from themselves.

I really don't get these responses, of which there were about three. Should it have read, "Free diver descends but doesn't surface and is found under water, dead"? Just to protect the cave rights of cave divers? What am I missing here?

So if a cave diver drowned free diving to retrieve his mask or whatever, free divers should be concerned that we can't free dive anymore because of this bad press?

RIP free diver.

 

[Cave Diver]

I really don't get these responses, of which there were about three.

The original title sounded as if a diver died doing a cave dive. It was changed to be a more accurate reflection of the incident.

 

[H2O 70]

The original title sounded as if a diver died doing a cave dive. It was changed to be a more accurate reflection of the incident.

How about a 'swimmer dies'...

 

[The Chairman]

There are those free divers who venture into caverns and caves. Free diving into a cavern/cave at night sounds like there was a bit of competition going on. Makes me wonder if there was alcohol involved as well. I remember a bunch of us free diving at night in Alexander Springs back in the mid-seventies and trying to get into the little tunnel there. If it weren't for the gator invading our space, one of us kids would probably have succeeded in killing themselves doing it. I have learned a lot since then.

Did he have a light, much less two more? Was there a light on the surface giving him a beacon back to safety?

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I really don't get these responses, of which there were about three. Should it have read, "Free diver descends but doesn't surface and is found under water, dead"? Just to protect the cave rights of cave divers? What am I missing here?

So if a cave diver drowned free diving to retrieve his mask or whatever, free divers should be concerned that we can't free dive anymore because if this bad press?

RIP free diver.

You make the point pretty well...

It's pretty hard to limit access to freediving as it can be done just about anywhere wet enough to swim, so you and I both know freedivers would have nothing to fear if a cave diver died while freediving.

Cave access on the other hand is very different and there is a constant risk that cave access will be limited as a means to prevent accidents. In the past it was not uncommon for cave entrances or restrictions to be dynamited to prevent access. An accident just like this could well result in a loss of access.

 

[bsee65]

Limiting cave access would reduce accidents. I don't do caves, but my logic tells me that the intelligent restriction of cave diving access to those with the training to do it safely wouldn't be a bad thing. Implementing that is another story, but the basic concept of limited access doesn't bother me any more than requiring a card to get an air fill.

 

[JahJahwarrior]

Free divers tend to break a lot of cave diving rules.

One of the rules isn't about accident analysis, but I believe full cave divers are required to have a minimum of 71.2 cubic feet of gas to start a cave dive. Lungs cannot hold that much.

Cave divers are required to turn after using 1/3 of their gas source. If you have no gas source, you cannot use 1/3 of it, so you don't enter the cave.

Cave divers carry one primary and two backup lights. Most swimmer's don't have two backup lights in their pockets.

Cave divers run a guideline from a safe exit point. Did this free diver run a guideline?


A member of the media contacted me via Facebook, likely because he found connections between myself, UCF, the scuba club at UCF, and cave diving, via a search. I let him know some of the rules of cave diving, and what rules this man likely broke.

Never met the student. My thoughts and prayers go out to those involved, but my sentiments remain unchanged: only trained, equipped divers belong in a cave. If you don't have training or you don't have gear, or you don't have either, stay out! If you violate the most basic of rules and you die, you have only yourself to blame, and this death is most tragic because it was completely, utterly and perfectly avoidable. Those are the worst kinds. Preparedness is no accident! I hope people will learn from this death so we don't have a repeat. Stuff like this is what keeps me up at night, I've seen too many people die in caves for absolutely no reason, and I hate it!

 

[Dr Wu]

how is this "cave diving"????

CITRUS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- The Citrus County Sheriff's Office dive team recovered the body of a missing college student in a cave overnight.

Sheriff's officials say 21-year-old Joseph Kelly disappeared in the water while free diving with friends Saturday night around 9 p.m.

A few hours later, the dive team found Kelly's body in about eight feet of water near the Chassahowitzka River Campground.

Kelly, a University of Central Florida student, was originally from Vero Beach.

According to authorities, his body will be taken to the medical examiner's office in Leesburg for an autopsy.


It's right there in the article. He was diving inside a cave.

Cave diving.

 

[Tricia]

Did any of you get a good look at the photo in the article? What a nasty place! I wouldn't go swimming in there in broad daylight, let alone "free diving" or whatever this poor kid was doing at 9 pm on a Saturday night!

I agree with NetDoc. I wouldn't be surprised if the autopsy report revealed alcohol was involved.

Tricia