Cave diver dies in South-East (Australia)

[Dive-aholic]

What was not clear is whether those Ts were already permanently marked with arrows already.

There are many systems where there are permanent markers at intersections. I am sure she is not the first to simply "verify" the markers are correct and continue down the line without laying yet another marker which states what is already clear to any diver.

Either way, as has been stated before, this issue does not look like it was a contributing factor in this death and is adding clutter to the real contributing factors, such as gas management choices. (dropping the only redundant gas supply she had and as such reducing her gas supply in half to continue an exploratory dive)

True. Because it's been stated a couple times that she failed to mark intersections, it appears they may not have been marked, but who knows. I've been in passages with Ts that had no markers (very few, though). More often are Ts with markers pointing in the opposite direction from where I came. Looking at the map of Tank, that could have been the case and Ag could have been relying on her memory to make it back out. Just speculation at this point, really.

Alright, I've been waiting for someone to answer this for me before I asked it but I'll go ahead.... Being that Ag ran out of air at a restriction she couldnt get back through, would the tank that she dropped have made a difference one way or the other in her making it back out alive? Did it look like a situation she could have worked out had she had more time, or was the restriction just too tight for her to make it back through? Any thoughts by the cavers would be appreciated.

Jordan.

They got the body out so had she had more time, she would have been able to get out. It would be easier to get yourself out than have to drag a lifeless body out through a restriction.

 

[Potapko]

More time is always better. She got through going in, so it was POSSIBLE to get through going out, but if she was, as I suspect, in zero viz, she had no visual information to help her orient herself or position her body or her equipment best to pass the tight spot. If she'd had all the gas in the world, would she have managed it? None of knows or will ever know (since they had to chip her out, thus changing the cave) the answer.

It is also possible that this particular restriction was cone shaped. similar to a lobster trap. Possible to force oneself through in one direction but "nearly" impossible to return through due to the sharp rocks pointing in the other direction.

Have any of you loked at the videos from this particular cave? Too small for my liking.

 

[Jax]

None of knows or will ever know (since they had to chip her out, thus changing the cave) the answer.

Had not heard this . . .

 

[Cave Diver]

None of knows or will ever know (since they had to chip her out, thus changing the cave) the answer.

Had not heard this . . .

My understanding was they widened sections of the cave to get to her easier and make the removal of the body easier. I can't recall seeing anything indicating she was stuck to a degree that she had to be chipped free.

 

[moneysavr]

Not sure if all of you have seen Ag's site or some of her work, yes she is gone and yes it is a tragedy and only Ag knows what really went wrong that fateful day.One thing she died doing what she loved doing at the end, and never let that energetic smile be lost! a great video clip about a year back of her doing what she loved to do.Shot by Wes RIP too. such great losses to the community
YouTube - Sidemount diving in Rock Bluff

 

[Ayisha]

My understanding was they widened sections of the cave to get to her easier and make the removal of the body easier. I can't recall seeing anything indicating she was stuck to a degree that she had to be chipped free.

One of the last articles that I read stated that the passages were widened by moving rocks. Ag's friend, the doctor who saw her body before it was recovered, stated that she was not "stuck". I haven't read anything about chipping her out. Where is that, Lynn?

 

[DiverLaura]

Cave Diver's Forum - Cave Diving Resource

 

[denisegg]

Ag's, as a child, I dreamt of swimming in the oceans, in the waters, long before I even knew what scuba meant. May God now grant you that dream, that forever more you swim in the presence of God.

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D0xwzItqYmII&h=f8445

 

[Ayisha]

Thanks Laura. It seems the chipping away comment comes from:

From what I have read and heard, the passage was very small, and the recovery divers had to dig their way to get to her.

However, there is also this comment in regard to that post:

From what I understood, they recovery divers had to chip away parts of the cave to remove the body, not to get back to the body.

The latter is what I have read as well, and some of the articles say that it was because they needed more space to get another diver plus her body through, and also because the recovery divers were larger than her. There's no question that the cave has been changed by the widening, but there doesn't seem to be any evidence that Ag had to be cut out of the restriction. Perhaps I've missed something.

 

[Scott L]

Watching that wonderful smile makes the loss truly a terrible tragedy. Continually accomplishing dives while squeezing through incredibly tight spaces is a risk few other explorers would even consider. Ego? Psychological abnormalities?