General Vortex Incident Discussion

[Hetland]

Sorry Heltand I am not following you: are you asking if he was not solo on the dive where he went missing?

Yes. I know. It's a stretch. The family friends keep talking about unpublished details that may come out, and we can see from the video that on at least one other occasion he had partners in his endeavors... Just thinking out loud.

There are other factors involved that may come out later...I do not want to jeopardize anything by discussing it on here at this time.

exactly.

people will see in due time.

 

[Crush]

This?

YouTube - Ben McDaniel @ Vortex Springs

Is that the sound of his tank banging the bottom?

Before watching that video I used to think that I sucked as a diver.

After watching the video I still think that I suck, but those guys suck even more.

 

[ROMO DIVER]

I have been wondering the same thing the whole time. I can not see a helmeted head nor 8 inch tanks with boots and hard weights attached fitting through a restriction as described by the recovery team. Also, someone of his stature would need to be in total control of his body and equipment to execute a manuever like that. I have FULL faith in Edd and the others word but just have a hard time understanding it.

 

[Kevin Carlisle]

I have tried to watch the video a couple of times. I can't seem to make myself watch all of it. The sound you hear is the regs. The tunnell is tall there and the diver isn't close enough to hit the ceiling. There was questions abut them pulling on the line, well that line is actually a thick cable anchored in the ground. Without some heavy bolt cutters it isn't gonna break. I have even used it as a method to conserve gas. Hetland the info you post about his supposed 232 minute dive is interesting. A dive to 140 ft there is only about an hour dive, maybe an hour and half if you play around some. Not enough to poke in at that depth to justify that kind of run time. I kinda think that dive log entry is highly padded or bogus. There is no gear, trim or techniques in this video that show anything but reckless diving. As it was pointed out by Cave Diver, conservation is any true cave divers number one concern.

 

[J Easy]

That video seems ridiculous to me, almost like a joke. The lack of competence and respect for their surroundings is amazing. Also, it seems that they are well beyond the reaper sign. At minimum what the heck is the guy in the shortie doing that far in?!?! My mind is boggled...

A question I have to you certified cave divers is, how would you react to coming across these guys (or anyone else) in the cave as they were seen in this video?

 

[Cave Diver]

Hetland the info you post about his supposed 232 minute dive is interesting. A dive to 140 ft there is only about an hour dive, maybe an hour and half if you play around some. Not enough to poke in at that depth to justify that kind of run time. I kinda think that dive log entry is highly padded or bogus. There is no gear, trim or techniques in this video that show anything but reckless diving.

Yeah, I'm not seeing the skills there to even be able to get that many bottles into a cave.

"Mondays 8 tank deep penetration solo dive. I will post something on it later. To sum it up... 4 stage, 2 bottom, and 2 deco bottles for a 232 minute 148 ft deep cave dive with a total penetration to the end of system at aprox. 810 ft!!!!"

 

[Hetland]

Hetland the info you post about his supposed 232 minute dive is interesting. A dive to 140 ft there is only about an hour dive, maybe an hour and half if you play around some. Not enough to poke in at that depth to justify that kind of run time. I kinda think that dive log entry is highly padded or bogus. There is no gear, trim or techniques in this video that show anything but reckless diving. As it was pointed out by Cave Diver, conservation is any true cave divers number one concern.

Kevin, that quote is supposedly from his FaceBook page, and seemed lopsided to me as well. That's almost four hours.

What is the depth at the stop sign, and where is it in relation to the gate?

 

[Kevin Carlisle]

Kevin, that quote is supposedly from his FaceBook page, and seemed lopsided to me as well. That's almost four hours.

What is the depth at the stop sign, and where is it in relation to the gate?

It fluctuates between 95 to 100 there. Really depends on the level in the basin and if we have had a lot of rain. Its just a 10 to 15 feet in front of the gate which varies from 100 to 110.

 

[ROMO DIVER]

The stop sign is at the gate with a depth around 110 feet if memory serves.

 

[ROMO DIVER]

Kevin,

As always you are way ahead of me.