To give an idea of the composition of the cave floor at those upper levels....
The last afternoon we worked before the fatal dive, I had the job of going in solo and clearing out the opening as much as I could because the teams going in were always creating falling debris as they entered. I would be solo because I was expected to make one darn huge silt cloud. I had a specific amount of time to come out before they sent people in after me.
I started by moving rocks from the area around the line over to the far sides to get them out of the way. When it came time for me to exit, I went to a point about 15 feet below the entrance, stuck my arms into the rocks and silt about up to my elbows, and I pulled backwards, throwing as much as I could up behind me, The idea was that the silt cloud I was making would be blown out into the main area by the flow coming up from below. I repeated that process over and over as I made my way toward the entrance, my eyes focused on the halo of light in the surrounding silt cloud. Eventually when I reached for more silt, there was nothing but air. I was out of the cave, but there was no way I could tell visually.
On another occasion when I was working in that area, the silt suddenly became very thick, and I couldn't see a thing. I just held still, knowing it would clear out before too long. I could see a Shearwater computer near my face, but it wasn't mine. I knew it had to be on somebody's arm, but I couldn't see the arm. It turned out to be Shane doing a deco stop. Mike had passed me on the other side without my knowing it.
The last afternoon we worked before the fatal dive, I had the job of going in solo and clearing out the opening as much as I could because the teams going in were always creating falling debris as they entered. I would be solo because I was expected to make one darn huge silt cloud. I had a specific amount of time to come out before they sent people in after me.
I started by moving rocks from the area around the line over to the far sides to get them out of the way. When it came time for me to exit, I went to a point about 15 feet below the entrance, stuck my arms into the rocks and silt about up to my elbows, and I pulled backwards, throwing as much as I could up behind me, The idea was that the silt cloud I was making would be blown out into the main area by the flow coming up from below. I repeated that process over and over as I made my way toward the entrance, my eyes focused on the halo of light in the surrounding silt cloud. Eventually when I reached for more silt, there was nothing but air. I was out of the cave, but there was no way I could tell visually.
On another occasion when I was working in that area, the silt suddenly became very thick, and I couldn't see a thing. I just held still, knowing it would clear out before too long. I could see a Shearwater computer near my face, but it wasn't mine. I knew it had to be on somebody's arm, but I couldn't see the arm. It turned out to be Shane doing a deco stop. Mike had passed me on the other side without my knowing it.
