Cave rescue incident information please

[scubautah]

I am trying to find out if there is any information, here or elsewhere on the internet, that pertains to a cave rescue that occured 5 or 6 years ago (if I am remembering correctly) in Florida. This incident was featured on Most Amazing Rescues (or some similar reality TV show). This was someone I knew from the LDS in Ohio.

I am trying to impress upon another diver the importance of following protocol. I am hoping to lend more credibility to my point by having information from a source other than my mouth.

Thanks,

Tom

 

[Tavi]

I remember reading about that rescue.
That is probably the only rescue that I've read about........most times it's a recovery

There is a thread on here somewhere about it.

 

[kenoo]

Look below. You may find the information on this site.

http://www.iucrr.org/index.htm

 

[Doc Intrepid]

You may also wish to inquire over on www.thedecostop.com

A few cavers hang out over there...

 

[mike_s]

I am trying to find out if there is any information, here or elsewhere on the internet, that pertains to a cave rescue that occured 5 or 6 years ago (if I am remembering correctly) in Florida. This incident was featured on Most Amazing Rescues (or some similar reality TV show). This was someone I knew from the LDS in Ohio.

I am trying to impress upon another diver the importance of following protocol. I am hoping to lend more credibility to my point by having information from a source other than my mouth.

Thanks,

Tom

Is this the rescue where 5 divers were diving in a spring FL and one of them,
their instructor, pointed to the cave and gave no-no-no sign (shaking finger no)
for them not to go in there, but the 4 of them did anyway?

They did a documentary of the rescue (and recovery). It was on the TV
show "911" where they talked about emergency rescues. My TIVO taped
it last year. Prob because i've got the "keyword" Scuba set in it's preferences.
I've still got it on tape somewhere.

here's a summary of the show/documentary.

Of the 4 divers who went in, they really silted up the cave passageway.
the "rear" diver got a little lost in the silt and turned around and in some
miracle, made it out of the silt and out of the cave.

The rescue only happened because a well trained cave rescue (recovery)
diver just happened to be there at his company picnic (I think some Florida
power company he worked for) and he had he had his gear in the truck.

He said in the interview that most cave accidents result in a recovery, not
a rescue. He said it was usually pretty ease to find the bodies. you just
look for discarded gear and turn over and the bodys are usually floating on
the ceiling of the cave system near there.

Well when he went into the cave, he found the first two divers had made it
up into an air pocket in the top of the cave, but had apparantly used up all
the oxygen in the pocket and passed out. He purged he regulator trying to
get their attention (or to wake up) but it didn't work. he pulled one down
by the fin and carried him out of the cave where they did CPR on him.
Luckily they were able to revive him.

He went back for the next diver and apparantly the purged air from the
octo was enough for him to become concious again. He left with that
diver breathing from his octo.

He found the last diver a little further back in the cave and already dead.

Of the three survivors, one gave up diving completly. (he was the one
that they did CPR on). One of the others I think still dives. They interviewed
him and apparantly he worked at one of the Divers Supply locations because
they showed him at work and you could see their name/logo behind the
counter system. I can't remember about the other diver if he quit diving.


Anyway... I think I've still got the tape if this is the rescue you're talking about.


There was another rescue in the Marinani FL area in a spring a few years ago.
The victum diver apparntly was saved by a large underwater room that
was not completely filled with water. he was able to get out of the water
and was in the room when the rescue team came looking for him. I remember
it being in the news because when the team surfaced in the room the
victum asked them "you looking for a dead guy?" Of course this surprised
the rescue team because they were not expecting to find him alive.


With all that said, I'm not a cave diver and wasn't there for either of these.
If any details need to be corrected, etc. by others who have better information,
then by all means please do so. -Mike

 

[TSandM]

I bleieve this incident is also written up in detail in the book, Cave Divers.

 

[H2Andy]

you guys are talking about the incident at Otter Spring, when Woody Jasper
managed to get two out of three lost divers out alive... i'm pretty sure

mike_s's description is exactly right

 

[hunterb4]

Woody Jasper was the caver who made the remarkable rescue. You will find it detailed in Chapter 20 of The Cave Divers. It is titled "No Picnic at Otter." Another incredible rescue occurred in Central America where the American divers flew in days after one cave diver failed to return and they found him shivering on a mud island. The most incredible of all, however, are the divers searching for a way into a dry cave from a spring. Several were involved. They finally found it by moving their bottles side-saddle, got in and explored, then two making an exit got in trouble and broke the only line in and out. Those caught in the cave realized no one knew where they were or how to get to them and there was only that water exit. Talk about trouble. It's in the 1999 Edition.

 

[Divesherpa]

The incident in Marianna was Bat cave (IIRC). Scott Hunsucker was the diver doing the recover/rescue.
John Orlowski also did a recovery in South America like 2 or 3 days after the call was made to come and recover the body. Ask him about it if you are ever at Rennaker's. Pretty cool story.

 

[cerich]

Decorations for Bravery
« New SearchMajor Keith David Sawatzky, S.C., C.D., M.D.
North York, Ontario

Star of Courage
Date of Instrument: September 20, 1996
Date of Presentation: December 6, 1996

On August 6, 1995, Maj. Sawatzky rescued his cave diving partner at Tobermory, Ontario. The two men had become separated and, after trying desperately to locate him, Maj. Sawatzky went for help. When another diver's rescue efforts were unsuccessful, Maj. Sawatzky dove again into the underwater passages in an attempt to recover the victim from the chilled waters of the spring-fed cave system. The darkness, loose gravel and hazardous narrow passages made progress very difficult. He nonetheless succeeded in finding the victim alive in an air pocket. The man was brought to safety approximately nine hours after he had begun his dive.