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I was fortunate to witness something during my recent cave training in Tulum. I say fortunate because the mistake was an example of a huge error that cavers are never supposed to make... one that kills. We were lucky to see someone do it during our "class'... someone not part of our training. He was fortunate... because his "mistake' was caught by one of his teammates and corrected.... and he didn't die.
Basically, this was a mistake marking a T... and when not immediately corrected is a mistake that has a high probability of causing death.
It went something like this...
... my team had previously negotiated this T and had left markers for each team member on our exit side. As we returned back to this T another team approached it from a different side. We held and waited for them to mark this T. The lead diver in their group passed over the T and dropped his cookie... but on OUR exit side! Next to OUR markers! My instructor watched and later told us in his Mexico City accent... "I thought to myself... how beautifully done... I've never seen someone drop a cookie so quickly... with such flare and style. But... then I said to myself.... he's gonna DIE!"
Lucky for their team, their number two diver noticed this mistake and despite his flutter kicking up a huge cloud of silt, called back the lead diver and pointed out how they nearly died. He then reset his marker on THEIR exit side and proceeded to cross the T.
Make a mistake inside a cave... it doesn't ruin a dive... it very likely will end a life.
I find it interesting.. and a bit scary... that anyone would make this mistake. Will I do the same?
Basically, this was a mistake marking a T... and when not immediately corrected is a mistake that has a high probability of causing death.
It went something like this...
... my team had previously negotiated this T and had left markers for each team member on our exit side. As we returned back to this T another team approached it from a different side. We held and waited for them to mark this T. The lead diver in their group passed over the T and dropped his cookie... but on OUR exit side! Next to OUR markers! My instructor watched and later told us in his Mexico City accent... "I thought to myself... how beautifully done... I've never seen someone drop a cookie so quickly... with such flare and style. But... then I said to myself.... he's gonna DIE!"
Lucky for their team, their number two diver noticed this mistake and despite his flutter kicking up a huge cloud of silt, called back the lead diver and pointed out how they nearly died. He then reset his marker on THEIR exit side and proceeded to cross the T.
Make a mistake inside a cave... it doesn't ruin a dive... it very likely will end a life.
I find it interesting.. and a bit scary... that anyone would make this mistake. Will I do the same?
