Vortex 3-18-2012

[K_girl]

As I am not a cave diver, I do not know how everything is set up, but I am rescue certified and I was taught to never take a missing diver situation lightly. Dont they have an emergency kit set up for just this type of scenerio? I realize that there may not have been a chance to get divers in the water immediatly, but to tell someone that the missing is diver is fine and not do ANYTHING until the same person comes back one hour later with the same missing diver story does not make sense to me. I also do not understand some of the comments saying that given how deep he was and how far in he was, that it would not have made a difference that they waited an additional hour to even start to organize the search. He may have been already gone by then, but waiting the additional hour definatly added an additional nail to the box.

There was miscommunication somewhere, maybe between the gf and Eduardo, but most likely the reporter got it wrong. I wouldn't take this as an absolute at this point.

 

[Tao of the Dive]

Back when I was a police Investigator, I found that I could give the media a type written synopsis at a news conference, and they would invariably get some facts wrong. Often it is due to varying sources. One would think the media would take an investigators statement with some weight to it. However you get the typical redneck in a trailer park, "I saw everything!!!!" person making a statement, and it gives them the chance to sensationalize the story.

 

[tddfleming]

I had read another forum about this accident and it was mentioned that Ben's family receneded the money offer due to this accident being tied to the money??? Has anyone heard this???

 

[SC_Hoaty]

I had read another forum about this accident and it was mentioned that Ben's family receneded the money offer due to this accident being tied to the money??? Has anyone heard this???

Check out this thread:

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/cave-diving/414818-vortex-reward.html

The last post confirms what you are asking, and cites a public source. No more reward.

 

[DandyDon]

I had read another forum about this accident and it was mentioned that Ben's family receneded the money offer due to this accident being tied to the money??? Has anyone heard this???

See Reward Dropped for Missing Vortex Spring Diver

 

[tddfleming]

Very sad if these two are really related. When I first read this story, that was the first thing that went through my mind. The order of these happenings speak volumes.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

From the article cited above ...

Though some people believe Higginbotham was searching for McDaniel when he died, the Holmes County Sheriff's Investigators said there is no evidence supporting that claim.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[JamesK]

From the article cited above ...

Though some people believe Higginbotham was searching for McDaniel when he died, the Holmes County Sheriff's Investigators said there is no evidence supporting that claim.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

The problem is with that reward out, anyone who went to Vortex would fall in the "He/She must be searching for Ben" category.

 

[Dive-aholic]

From the article cited above ...

Though some people believe Higginbotham was searching for McDaniel when he died, the Holmes County Sheriff's Investigators said there is no evidence supporting that claim.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Interesting. From what I understand there was quite a bit of evidence supporting that claim.

 

[billgraham]

I would like to know this too.

Can narcosis really be so severe that an experienced diver falls asleep and/or becomes so unhinged that he drowns? And this happened at 100ft? From my limited knowledge this seems very unlikely, no?

More like 150 feet. Narcosis is funny, you can feel great one minute and then lose it the moment the **** hits the fan.