Vortex revisited

[mike_s]

an interview with Edd Sorenson about Ben and Vortex


Expert: family searching for body that doesn't exist | JCFLORIDAN


Expert: family searching for body that doesn't exist


By Morgan Carlson
Published: February 27, 2011

Ben McDaniel has been missing since August last year, after he made preparations for a cave dive at Vortex Springs in Holmes County.

The Holmes County Sheriff’s Office announced this week that McDaniel’s family is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the recovery of Ben McDaniel’s body. He was last seen entering the cave the night of Aug. 18.

But Jackson County recovery diver Edd Sorenson, who has searched Vortex Springs for McDaniel, said the family’s offer is dangerous, irresponsible and is might even get someone killed.

Sorenson is a recovery diver and the owner of Cave Adventurers, a Marianna dive shop. He is also a National Speleological Society Cave Diving Section safety director.

Law enforcement calls Sorenson when someone needs to be rescued or recovered from an underwater cave. Sorenson was out of the country on an expedition when McDaniel went missing in August.

Six recovery divers attempted to find McDaniel in the cave. When Sorenson got back into the country a few days later, he made two recovery dives in an attempt to find McDaniel.

Sorenson doesn’t think McDaniel is in the cave at all, and has repeatedly said this to the family.

“I understand the family wants closure, and I sympathize with them and that’s why I do what I do,” Sorenson said.

But he said the cave is extremely dangerous and someone could get killed searching for McDaniel. In that cave “you don’t get hurt. You get out, or you get dead,” Sorenson said.

Sorenson has been further in the cave than anyone else, and he said there is no indication McDaniel made it to the end of the cave. Sorenson said he looked in every nook, cranny and crevice – twice – for McDaniel.

After the second dive, six days after McDaniel went missing, Sorenson told the sheriff’s office to look at other possibilities. Nothing about McDaniel’s story was adding up, he said.

McDaniel drew a map of the cave, but Sorenson said it doesn’t match what is actually there, showing McDaniel was never back there.

Sorenson also pointed to McDaniel’s lack of experience cave diving as a clue. McDaniel was not certified in cave diving and had little experience. Sorenson is a trained diver with thousands of dives. He has gone to the point in the cave where it’s not physically safe to go any further.

McDaniel had little experience and definitely wouldn’t have been able to get that far, especially without making any tracks. The clay floor of these caves would make it obvious if someone had been there, Sorenson said.

It would also be obvious for other reasons if there was a body in the cave, Sorenson said.

After a few days, carnivorous fish and other aquatic life would smell the body and flood the cave. Even buzzards would be able to smell the dissolving body and circle the area, Sorenson said.

This is the only body recovery Sorenson has been on that he hasn’t brought a body out.

“If there was a 1 in 50 chance that (McDaniel) was in there, I would go back,” Sorenson said. “It’s not worth dying looking for something that doesn’t exist.”

Sorenson said in his opinion, McDaniel isn’t in the cave. But despite explaining the evidence to the McDaniel family, it appears they aren’t giving up.

McDaniel’s father said he is “prepared to do whatever it takes to locate Ben’s body and bring him home to be buried with Paul.”

Paul is Ben McDaniel’s brother, who died on Sept. 14, 2008 from a stroke at the age of 22, according to a Holmes County Sheriff’s Office press release.

Anyone with information concerning the whereabouts of Ben McDaniel is asked to call the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office at 850-547-3681.

 

[The Chairman]

I can only say, that I trust Kevin and Edd's assessment of the situation more than the family's. Hopefully the owner of Vortex Spring will prohibit any such searches.

 

[Mark Michaud SELAUSAR]

You know, while I agree with that my only concern now is making sure any glory seeker out there gets the truth and maybe changes their mind from trying something dumb. Someone on here might know somebody foolish enough to attempt this and maybe they can intervene and have them talk to someone who knows. If there was any sign that someone went past where Edd stopped then he would still be trying. He doesn't know how to stop and wouldn't. There is just nothing there to find, only life to be lost.

I would almost bet money that most divers who would try, would turn in, or at, the low area past the gate. Most cave diver's that are not sidemount turn there because of it being too tight to be comfortable. Gas consumption should also curtail most diver's from being able to go past that point, as they would have to bring a stage or two and managing all of that, through the long restriction, will probably save their lives and remind them of what good judgement really is. That point can be a bit un-nerving, when the flow is high, even if you are full cave and sidemount. Getting to the point where Edd was, isn't happening with even average cave divers.

To be frank, Eduardo would have smelled and tasted a dead body and he hasn't. He is in that cave more than anyone. That may sound harsh, but it is a reality of recovering bodies. The decomposition filters into your sinuses from your ears and then into your throat. These are the hard facts and it can't be avoided unless you are wearing a commercial dive hat that isolates your ears. Anyone who reads this and contemplates attemmpting this, needs to do their homework and see if this is really what they had in mind. The idea is a noble cause but in reality.........not a good idea.

At this point, let's say for arguement's sake, he found a side tunnel that is out of the flow (there isn't one). How are "you" the recovery diver gonna get a decomposed body out? Again another fact of body recovery. The body would have been mostly liquified after a few weeks so that also adds to the complexities of current, overhead, limited visibility, depth, mandatory decompresion, the list goes on. It is worth doing something like this at any price when all of the signs show, McDaniel is not in the cave? He is not.......the end.

 

[Hetland]

McDaniel’s father said he is “prepared to do whatever it takes to locate Ben’s body and bring him home to be buried with Paul.”

Anything except risking his own skin to go in there........

 

[Kevin Carlisle]

I would almost bet money that most divers who would try, would turn in, or at, the low area past the gate. Most cave diver's that are not sidemount turn there because of it being too tight to be comfortable. Gas consumption should also curtail most diver's from being able to go past that point, as they would have to bring a stage or two and managing all of that, through the long restriction, will probably save their lives and remind them of what good judgement really is. That point can be a bit un-nerving, when the flow is high, even if you are full cave and sidemount. Getting to the point where Edd was, isn't happening with even average cave divers.

To be frank, Eduardo would have smelled and tasted a dead body and he hasn't. He is in that cave more than anyone. That may sound harsh, but it is a reality of recovering bodies. The decomposition filters into your sinuses from your ears and then into your throat. These are the hard facts and it can't be avoided unless you are wearing a commercial dive hat that isolates your ears. Anyone who reads this and contemplates attemmpting this, needs to do their homework and see if this is really what they had in mind. The idea is a noble cause but in reality.........not a good idea.

At this point, let's say for arguement's sake, he found a side tunnel that is out of the flow (there isn't one). How are "you" the recovery diver gonna get a decomposed body out? Again another fact of body recovery. The body would have been mostly liquified after a few weeks so that also adds to the complexities of current, overhead, limited visibility, depth, mandatory decompresion, the list goes on. It is worth doing something like this at any price when all of the signs show, McDaniel is not in the cave? He is not.......the end.

Thanks for the reminder about the decompisition taste Mark. I remember when Edd and I were briefed or warned about it, I wasn't happy. That whole 3hr dive I was thinking about it.

 

[Airleron]

All you have to do is read the Last Dive of David Shaw. One of the most experienced deep divers who found a missing diver's body and tried to do his family a favor by bringing him up from something like 800 ft. After weeks of meticulous planning and gathering support, David and his partner performed the dive, and David lost his life. His partner almost did also. That story will never leave my memory.

I understand the father's need for closure, but to ask the living to sacrifice themselves to recover some bones and a wetsuit is selfish. We do not need to add to the body count.
I also believe that if Edd didn't find him, he's not there. Period.

 

[Mark Michaud SELAUSAR]

Anything except risking his own skin to go in there........

When a child of any age is missing parents will do anything. If his father was certified, at all, he probably would try. As much as it is dangerous to ask for someone to find his son, I don't think there is any reason to feel that he is being naive or even stupid. He just wants to kn ow where his son is especially being a second loss of a child. I have been involved in a search for a missing man here. He was not the best of the best, and his death was probably a homicide. His parents know this but still want their baby home to rest. That is a terrible thing to deal with. I hope this thread does more to warn potential divers than to beat up parents that have suffered such losses. Whether Ben is alive and he faked his death, or if he went somewhere else and died.........his parents feel the awful unknown and have to live with it until they pass or until the story ends wherever it eventually ends. Ben may have found a local that showed him another nearby cave and he met his end there. He may be in Austrailia, or wherever, until he is found all we can do is rule out places and speculate. Again, his folks just want to close this nightmare. Let's not be too harsh on them.

 

[Kevin Carlisle]

Ii agree with Mark, we should not beat up the family. They are going off what the sheriffs dept told them. The sheriffs dept is steadfast that he is in the cave beyond where we have gone. They were in over their heads and as far as I saw no outside agency was called in. Well they were, but that was for a remote camera that they were told would not work. That also had to be proven to them by sending about 20 people down to wrestle a cable.

 

[Hetland]

Sorry guys, the family doesn't get any sympathy from me on this. Offering a reward to "fearless" divers shows me just how selfish these people are. They either don't appreciate or don't care for the risks that other people might take for their closure. They shouldn't be given any slack, and should be told to their faces that they are encouraging the ignorant to bite off far more than they can chew, likely placing other families through the same circumstances they suffer through now.

A pile of bones or even "closure" is not worth another person's life, and offering a reward to all takers is beyond irresponsible.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

I think there is a balance between "beating the family up" and respectfully advising them of the risks. It is unlikely an inexperienced diver would be able to give them closure by going missing in an unsuccessful attempt which by all accounts is a likely outcome!

Perhaps if they are reading here.. they will reconsider and put some stipulations on who may "qualify" for the reward. I imagine the Cave diving fellowship would be willing to give them information on what level of qualifications is needed for this venture some way to week out the unqualified and perhaps save lives?

There are other solutions.... I hope they find peace but not at the expense of other families!