Deaths at Eagles Nest - Homosassa FL

[Dive-aholic]

The depth of where they found one of the bodies, suggest they never left the Ballroom, which technically is a cavern dive and not a cave dive as reported.

Most agencies limit cavern diving to 100' depth. Their dive computers indicate they were at a maximum depth of 233', more than twice the cavern depth limitation and well into the cave zone.

---------- Post added December 26th, 2013 at 09:49 PM ----------

A cavern dive has a total penetration (depth plus distance from entrance) limitation of 130 feet in every agency with which I am familiar. But maybe you can tell me about some different standards from some agency other than PADI, TDI, NSS-CDS, NACD? Or it's possible I've been mis-informed and you can set me straight?

Many agencies, NACD, NSS-CDS, TDI, allow 200 feet total penetration in cavern diving.

---------- Post added December 26th, 2013 at 09:51 PM ----------

Vortex Springs has a locked gate...you can’t wander off…

The locked gate is well into the cave zone. The cavern zone ends around 60' depth or so. the gate is still over 200' beyond the cavern zone and also over 100' deep.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I don't wish to hijack the thread in any way, or divert energy from the understandable gnashing of teeth and rending of garments, which is the common response to deaths of non-caves trained divers in caves. But, I am curious. We hear about the tragic outcomes (as in this case). Yet, I wonder how often divers 'get away with it'. How often do non-cave trained divers go into caves, and come out without incident? The hindsight assessment, that what was done was foolish / stupid / moronic, is not something with which a reasonable person would predictably disagree. Nonetheless, I am curious - is this tempting of fate more common than we might perceive it to be, and we only hear about the deaths, and the occasional rescue?

In this case perhaps a more relevant question might be how often do self-taught divers go into a cave, to a depth of 233 feet, on air, and make it back out alive?

I suspect the answer might be "not very often" ... there's only so many risk factors you can ignore before the price becomes due.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[azhar]

Another tragic loss of lives as father and son die Christmas day while cave diving at eagle's nest. Both of them not being cave trained + son trying out his new gear!
It's an another reminder that cave is a place no to go unless properly trained!

Yahoo!

 

[PeterNBiddle]

Well at least for today that tidbit got pulled down. Wonder how long it will be before it is up again.

Here's the cache: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.ezscuba.com/eagle's_nest.htm

And a screen cap of the page:

 

[John_B]

When I ask how that meets the standard of a hard bottom of no more than 100 feet, they say they don't take them to the deepest part. I have also heard of AOW dives on the Spiegel Grove, which, IIRC, is around 130 fsw.

I did my AOW deep dive on the Grove. I think you have your facts wrong.

I took out the directions on how to get there, but here is what they had posted:

To what purpose? The information is out there (i.e. the Wayback Machine at archive.org):

Eagle's Nest

Eagle's Nest Pics

 

[RJP]

Unfortunately it sucked in an innocent victim, the son.

I hate to say it, but the more I read about the father the more it becomes obvious that this was not "a cave diving accident." I don't know how to describe it other than to say its really just another tragic story of a criminally irresponsible parent killing their child. They just happened to be wearing scuba gear at the time.

A convicted sex-offender who most recently spent two years in prison after being found guilty in a fatal hit-and-run accident? An article about his arrest on that charge said "Spivey, a registered sex offender, has had several run-ins with the law. He has been arrested on a number of charges dating back to February 1995, including burglary, grand theft, DUI and lewd and lascivious molestation."

Spivey should not have been trusted to take his 15yr old son to the movies, much less diving, in a cave no less!

 

[gianaameri]

I hate to say it, but the more I read about the father the more it becomes obvious that this was not "a cave diving accident." I don't know how to describe it other than to say its really just another tragic story of a criminally irresponsible parent killing their child. They just happened to be wearing scuba gear at the time.

A convicted sex-offender who most recently spent two years in prison after being found guilty in a fatal hit-and-run accident? An article about his arrest on that charge said "Spivey, a registered sex offender, has had several run-ins with the law. He has been arrested on a number of charges dating back to February 1995, including burglary, grand theft, DUI and lewd and lascivious molestation."

Spivey should not have been trusted to take his 15yr old son to the movies, much less diving, in a cave no less!

It is a cave diving accident and it appears the cause is divers entering a cave lacking prior cave training and cave risk awareness.

Really sad when it is father and son dying together, but a good lesson and/or reminder for all that prior training is key (and the minimum) when engaging in a new and potentially risky activity.

 

[The Chairman]

I went to Eagle's nest once with a group. I was the only cave diver. I was also the only diver to call the dive before we went into the chasm. Looks are deceiving, and what you don't know or see will kill you. I could see death written all over the entrance, the other divers could not. I physically prevented them from taking a chance that morning. It was truly an easily deceptive way to die. There might be a day I go back there, but only if/when I've been fully trained and all my buddies are trained. There's nothing down there worth dieing for. Nothing.

There's a siren singing at the entrance of every cave, calling the unwary and unskilled to their deaths. We live in an age where we are taught that we can always "beat the odds". Vegas is built on such delusions. Couple the delusion with the draw of the adventure of the unknown and we'll still be seeing Dads doing the unthinkable because they believe they are survivors and chance favors the bold. He was so deluded that he convinced his family that he was actually safe and conservative. Unfortunately, chance favors no one, and now they are nothing more than statistics and they are endangering access for those who play by the rules and should be allowed to explore. I feel pity, remorse and anger... white hot anger... at the hubris this dad displayed. Never heed the siren when your kids are involved. It's stupid. It's unsafe. It's just plain wrong.

There is a movement afoot to update the "A deceptive way to die" video. I think the whole approach needs to be rethought with the idea of breaking through the delusions. It needs to have pictures of a body recovery, of the dead diver in the cave and even the grave marker. Pictures of the claw marks of their struggle to stay alive... something to bring home the needless horror of it all. I think there needs to be multiple videos made and constantly published and republished. It's up to us, ScubaBoard!

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

It is a cave diving accident and it appears the cause is divers entering a cave lacking prior cave training and cave risk awareness.

Really sad when it is father and son dying together, but a good lesson and/or reminder for all that prior training is key (and the minimum) when engaging in a new and potentially risky activity.

I don't think there's any lessons to learn here. This father made so many bad decisions it's almost incomprehensible ... and given what's becoming known of his history, it was almost inevitable that a person with such poor decision-making ability was going to end up in a tragic way sooner or later. The only real tragedy is that he took his kid out with him.

Hey, let's go cave diving ... we don't need any training. My son here doesn't even need to take a basic scuba diving class ... I'll teach him everything he needs to know. In fact, let's go to one of the most technically demanding caves in the state, and notch ourselves a 233 foot dive. Gas management? Who needs it ... we'll just watch our gauge and turn around when it says we should ... whenever that might be. Narcosis? Overrated ... we can handle it. Hey y'all ... hold my beer ... watch this.

What can a normal person possibly learn from that?

Here's a lesson for ya ... unfortunately one of the participants in this thread has already shown that there's some people out there who won't listen to it ...

YOU CAN'T LEARN CAVE DIVING FROM READING A BOOK!

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[gianaameri]

I don't think there's any lessons to learn here. This father made so many bad decisions it's almost incomprehensible ... and given what's becoming known of his history, it was almost inevitable that a person with such poor decision-making ability was going to end up in a tragic way sooner or later. The only real tragedy is that he took his kid out with him.

Hey, let's go cave diving ... we don't need any training. My son here doesn't even need to take a basic scuba diving class ... I'll teach him everything he needs to know. In fact, let's go to one of the most technically demanding caves in the state, and notch ourselves a 233 foot dive. Gas management? Who needs it ... we'll just watch our gauge and turn around when it says we should ... whenever that might be. Narcosis? Overrated ... we can handle it. Hey y'all ... hold my beer ... watch this.

What can a normal person possibly learn from that?

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Lesson for the "normal" person: caves are unforgiving for the untrained and unwary.