Manatee Springs SP cave fatality

[Manatee Diver]

Well it seems I was under the wrong impression about the NSS-CDS accident committee's release schedule. Sometime recently they released a report on this accident. I completely forgot about this one.

https://nsscds.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Manatee-2022.5.14.pdf

My summary of the summary.
Two teams of intro level divers tried to traverse from Friedman Sink to Catfish Hotel. Got to the end of the line, and didn't recognize the exit at Catfish Hotel as they had never dove there before. Decided to swim back up to Sue sink. First team got to Sue Sink, and exited the cave. Second team missed the T to Sue Sink, and continued to Friedman Sink. One of the divers ran out of gas, and died just short of Friedman, second diver made it out with just barely enough gas.

When asked why they did such a risky dive, they said they saw it on Youtube, like in videos like this one.

ETA: I am pretty sure that this is the exact video that the teams saw. This was posted a few months before the accident. And the accident report quotes several parts of the video, per a search of the closed captioning transcript.

 

[boulderjohn]

Wow!

It is shocking that this video exists, enticing unqualified divers to perform dives that violate the rules followed by more qualified divers.

There is a reference in the report to an earlier fatality. In that case, the divers also violated safe diving protocols and were surprised by conditions they had not checked before the dive.

 

[boulderjohn]

I just went to the YouTube site of the video and left a comment.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

Traversing at intro to cave? Not verifying both exits?

 

[boulderjohn]

Traversing at intro to cave? Not verifying both exits?

Oh, it's all OK. The video says it's just fine. No need to follow silly rules.

 

[Jaaron82]

I’m glad a report was made. Condolences to all involved.

 

[wgw04024]

A few things after watching the video. As a diver, and especially a cave diver, you should know our own limits. That being said, this has a similar feeling to what watching a cigarette commercial made for kids would feel like...I think I recognize the dude with the pony tail.

 

[Manatee Diver]

I think I recognize the dude with the pony tail.

They are based in the Northeast so you probably tread the same dirt.

 

[Manatee Diver]

A few things after watching the video. As a diver, and especially a cave diver, you should know our own limits.

I wouldn't blame them directly, but they could've made it clearer that you need to actually do the exit first (setting up the traverse), and that this is an advanced cave dive suitable only for experienced cave divers.

Those are things taught as part of the full cave course. In fact those are the new things in full cave, the rest is mostly just demonstrating that you have the skills and procedures down to a higher level than would be expected of Intro level cave divers.

 

[KevinNM]

Well it seems I was under the wrong impression about the NSS-CDS accident committee's release schedule. Sometime recently they released a report on this accident. I completely forgot about this one.

https://nsscds.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Manatee-2022.5.14.pdf

My summary of the summary.
Two teams of intro level divers tried to traverse from Friedman Sink to Catfish Hotel. Got to the end of the line, and didn't recognize the exit at Catfish Hotel as they had never dove there before. Decided to swim back up to Sue sink. First team got to Sue Sink, and exited the cave. Second team missed the T to Sue Sink, and continued to Friedman Sink. One of the divers ran out of gas, and died just short of Friedman, second diver made it out with just barely enough gas.

When asked why they did such a risky dive, they said they saw it on Youtube, like in videos like this one.

ETA: I am pretty sure that this is the exact video that the teams saw. This was posted a few months before the accident. And the accident report quotes several parts of the video, per a search of the closed captioning transcript.

I’ve been in Catfish Hotel but never in the cave. Is it that hard to spot the exit from the cave?