Diver deceased at Manatee Springs, 2/19?

[DeepBound]

Edit: This thread has gotten way off the topic of the fatality that it' supposed to be about, and I completely forgot it was in an accident thread. Sorry for posting this here. but its been off topic so long that I forgot what it was!

that spring at Manatee (and the traverse from catfish) is what got me interested in taking cave diving courses. After getting my cave cert I went back there and came out at Manatee spring like I had been dreaming about for a year.. I stopped before the exit to take a picture, and i was knocked over by the flow and the camera fell out of my hands, just grabbedit in time before the flow took it, then the flow was dragging me closer to the exit, my fin got caught between two rocks, the flow grabbed me even stronger, almost ripped my fin off, scraped me against the rock wall of the exit, un-doing the buckle on my harness, then as i got blown out the hole, i grabbed onto the log , and teh flow almost blew my doubles off over my head!

It was fun though.

Is the flow into manatee fairly constant? I knew people have made the trip before, but I was curious how anyone could stay in control of positioning going out the "out " into manatee? I've been about 8 feet or so up into the "out" in manatee before and it was all I could do to keep from being BLOWN back out like a canonball! I actualy was a little worried for a minute. Not that I couldn't get back out (the current could do that for me) but that I couldn't get back out without being bounced off the walls like a basketball!
Just curious.
I have NO desire to go back.

 

[Water Bug]

Just became a new SB member and find this quite surreal to here about a death at "Catfish Hotel"
I dove this in September and found it to certainly not be intimidating. From within the cavern I could see natural light and at that time felt very little flow.

My heart goes out to his loved ones.

 

[H2Andy]

overhead environment can turn on you very quickly, no matter how harmless it may look

if you're not trained, it can easily be fatal

 

[PerroneFord]

Just became a new SB member and find this quite surreal to here about a death at "Catfish Hotel"
I dove this in September and found it to certainly not be intimidating. From within the cavern I could see natural light and at that time felt very little flow.

I nearly met the reaper on an OPEN WATER low vis dive. My cave training (and gear) were likely the only reasons I am alive today. Don't let the non-intimidating look of the cavern fool you. Natural light can disappear in a HURRY.

I used to have a tagline that read, "You never see the eyes of the demon until he comes callin." Pay heed to that my friend.

 

[Rick Murchison]

I guess it's time for this article again...
Rick

 

[Missdirected]

This thread is nearly a year old, no wonder it looked familiar :11doh:

 

[DandyDon]

Just became a new SB member and find this quite surreal to here about a death at "Catfish Hotel"
I dove this in September and found it to certainly not be intimidating. From within the cavern I could see natural light and at that time felt very little flow.

My heart goes out to his loved ones.

I've survived some dives I really was not at all qualified for, tried my best to learn from the lessons. Welcome to SB, but you don't list your qualification?

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

Something else to consider: Everyone talks about being the one to have problems or the one to run out of air, the one to panic, the one to drown... But what if you had been one of those two other divers who left your buddy behind and now you had to live with his death on your conscience? Attend his funeral... "It was an accident," everyone says. "It was an accident," you tell everyone. "It was an accident," you tell yourself, hoping that if you say it enough times, you will come to believe it and that it will salve your conscience.

Yeah... What if you are the one to die? "If I Should Die While Diving," and hooah... It's very easy to die, really. Once it's over with, it's over. What if you were the one that your buddy needed, and you let him d(r)own?

 

[BKP]

I guess it's time for this article again...
Rick

Read your article... and ordered a new reel...

 

[Belmont]

I'm deep diver certified but this coming spring I plan to dive the caverns in the cenotes in Tulum.
I have all necessary equipment but most importantly I'll be doing it with a full cave certified instructor and even then I won't be going farther than the reaper sign.

I think that if someone is not trained and qualified that person should not venture alone (alone being with other unqualified buddies) in any overhead environment.

I made this a personnal rule and it was in good part because of what I read on SB, advice given by those who have experience in that field and who have been generous enough to share it, thank you.