Canadian dies in Cenote Kalimba Tulum

[Belmont]

I apologise if this is off-target. Is it normal in that cenote to have a guide line, either fixed or deployed by the diver? If not, and if the diver was unfamiliar with the cenote, it would seem unwise to go in without a guide.

It is one of the most important rule to follow not only in that cenote but in any overhead environment, familiar or not with it. A continuous solid line with no gaps that can guide you back to open water.

Do you have any information that this could have any relation with the event?

 

[Shipwreckscanada]

A Montreal man has reportedly drowned while scuba diving in Mexico.


A news website based in Guadalajara is reporting that 52-year old Bernard Reeves drowned while exploring caves off the Yucatan Penninsula.


The report says Reeves was diving by himself and when he did not return when expected a rescue effort was initiated.


Divers found his body and brought it to the surface.


His two air tanks were empty.
An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death.


Taken from this web site.


CJAD 800 ? News. Talk. Radio. :: Montreal man drowns while diving in Mexico - CJAD Local News :: CJAD Local News

 

[wedivebc]

I just want to make a comment about this whole solo cave thing. The concept that a diver is somehow "asking for it" by going into a cave solo is ridiculous. Lots of "real" cave diving involves exploring uncharted passageways and quite often finding a dead end that you now have to back out of. That is much easier and probably safer when done alone. The mere act of diving a cave sidemount used to suggest that the diver was going to be entering such an environment. In recent years a sidemout cave diver is usually more indicative of a tourist diver who follows the arrows around the gold line and if all the arrows are pointing the right way they make it out safely.
I didn't know Bernard but my gut feeling is his diving style resembled more the former than the latter type of cave diving.

 

[TSandM]

It is normal in all cave diving to have a line. If I remember correctly, it is not necessary to run one's own primary line into the cenote where he entered, because the permanent line comes out to open water. (This is not a tourist cenote; there is no cavern zone to speak of, and no open water to snorkel in.) There are many possible branch lines one can take, and it is customary to tie a spool into the line you are on, and run it to the line you are going to go off on, and mark the exit direction on your original line, so that when you come out, you can't get confused. Sometimes, when the distances are short, people don't run a line -- that's called doing a "visual jump".

Whether that played any role in this accident or not, we will almost certainly never know, because if the diver DID run lines, he would have collected them on his way out. But it is one way that you can get lost. You can also get lost by swimming onto a side line by accident, because you didn't see that your own line went a different way. You can get lost if you silt something out to where you can't see and have to search for the line, or because the line gets broken. There are a lot of ways to get lost, especially in very spiderweb-like cave like Calimba.

 

[Belmont]

This event brought attention to the Cenote owner.
The authorities have forbidden access to the place because
he did not have the proper permits to operate.

Probably SOP, how long will this be in force?

 

[peterbj7]

Till money changes hands.

 

[Scuba-dan]

before passing judgment you may want to educate yourself in solo cave diving as many articles including one from bill renicker postulate that solo diving in cave diving can potentially reduce risk. I know the recreational industry frowns upon this practice but many do not have the experience and training in cave diving.

Don't need to educate myself about this. I still think if you solo dive in a cave or cenote you simply increase the risk of something like this happening. I could see doing a solo dive on a reef still a risk but a lot less then caves. Its just me, but I wouldn't do it.

 

[Dive Bug Bit Me]

Don't need to educate myself about this. I still think if you solo dive in a cave or cenote you simply increase the risk of something like this happening. I could see doing a solo dive on a reef still a risk but a lot less then caves. Its just me, but I wouldn't do it.

I would hope not. According to your profile you are not cave trained.

As for solo, you should always plan and dive on the assumption you will be solo on the exit. You then exercise good buddy skills to avoid being solo. Many technical divers I know have moved towards solo. Many more have not. I guess it's a matter of preference. I would hesitate to say one group is at far greater risk than the other. Just the risks they face are subtly different.

 

[Scuba-dan]

I would hope not. According to your profile you are not cave trained.

Trust me I have no, no hell no intentions of doing cave or cenote diving. It just doesn't interest me and the other part I don't have any balls to do it. I know what my limits are and I don't push it. I have lots of respect for you people doing it, again I would not understand why you would want to do it solo.

 

[sock]

Don't need to educate myself about this. I still think if you solo dive in a cave or cenote you simply increase the risk of something like this happening. I could see doing a solo dive on a reef still a risk but a lot less then caves. Its just me, but I wouldn't do it.

I hope you would not attempt to do this as according to your profile you do not have the training and experience.

Did I read this correctly, he went in alone? Man to me this is almost asking for it. But again pretty sad...

In regards to you earlier comments please do not post comments like that if you do not familiar with type of diving as you mentioning that he is asking for it is just rude and uncalled for