29-year-old Gainesville cave diver dies in Weeki Wachee dive

Diver entering Weeki Wachee

A certified cave diver accidentally drowned Saturday afternoon while diving as part of a research team at Weeki Wachee State Park, despite a last-ditch rescue attempt by his fellow divers.

Marson Ashly Kay, 29, of Gainesville became disoriented during a dive and got wedged in an underwater cavern, authorities said.

The Hernando County Sheriff's Office gave the following account of what happened:

Kay was conducting a research dive with Karst Underwater Research, in Weeki Wachee's main spring area.

He along with five other divers entered the water shortly after 4:30 p.m. and descended into the springs to an open cavern area about 175 feet down. The open cavern contains several tight rock formations at a depth of about 100 feet.

During an ascent back the surface, it appears that Kay became disoriented and took a different path to the surface. He then became wedged in a cavern where the opening of the rock formation was too small for him to swim through, said Hernando sheriff's Lt. Cinda Moore.

The flow of the spring may have also been a contributing factor to Kay's inability to free himself from the cavern. Kay's fellow divers found him and tried to free him but were unsuccessful.

The other divers ascended to the surface and notified Kurst Research Director Brett Hemphill of the emergency. A rescue team immediately went into the water and reached Kay in two to three minutes.

When they arrived, Kay was lifeless, with his mask on his forehead and his regulator out of his mouth. The rescue divers were able to free Kay from the cave and surfaced just after 4:45 p.m.

No foul play is suspected in the death, investigators said.

Although Weeki Wachee State Park is most famous for the mermaid-costumed divers who perform in its main spring, Saturday's accident was not related to a performance at the park, authorities said.

Source: Tampa Bay Times

Additionam Resources: Weeki Wachee Survey

Update 03/04/2012 From Karst Underwater research:

On 3/31/2012 at Weeki Wachee Springs, Florida, KARST Underwater Research (KUR) team members were performing a series of dives which included entering and exiting the cave system. Marson Kay, a two-year veteran of KUR's all volunteer team, drowned while exiting the cave system. The following information, based on eye witness and forensic evidence, provides some insight into this tragic accident.

Following a successful dive into the cave at 180 feet, Marson Kay signaled he was exiting. From that point, a 1/2" braided white rope leads upwards to 142 feet, where the crevasse area of the cavern begins. Although the cave narrows at this point, the rope, now colored orange with a diameter of 7/16", is placed in the largest easement leading to a depth of 68 feet, where daylight clearly can be seen at all times. Instead of following the ropes as he had done multiple times in the past, Marson rapidly moved into a highly restrictive area of the crevasse. It is believed that this behavior was not a calculated decision but a reaction caused by the affects of an embolism he incurred while rapidly ascending from depth. According to the coroner's evaluation, Marson developed a cerebral arterial gas embolism prior to his death. Typically, this condition causes profound changes in mental functioning including disorientation, blindness, paralysis, seizures and loss of consciousness within minutes or even seconds of onset. If it occurs after surfacing, it is often fatal or profoundly disabling even with prompt recompression therapy; when it occurs underwater, the incapacity or unconsciousness it causes almost always results in drowning.

Although safety divers were in visual contact and additional safety gas cylinders were in place, he rapidly pushed himself upward into an area where even side-mount divers could not easily access. Several attempts were made to communicate, by means of light signals as well as touch contact. Although Marson was still moving at this time, he did not directly respond to these communication attempts. After approximately 5 minutes, divers reported Marson was no longer utilizing his regulator. A subsequent review of his equipment indicated that Marson had approximately half of his gas supply remaining in both of his tanks and his regulators appeared to be working properly. 

Cave diving is an inherently dangerous activity, just as rock-climbing, mountain biking and even horseback riding. All cave divers understand the risks of diving in underwater caves and accept them as an inescapable part of the activity they are so passionate about. Marson's accidental death is great personal loss to all that knew and loved him as well as to our team. We will do the best we can to honor his memory.

Jumbo rescued from crevice

A female elephant fell into a pit at Chinna Thadagam
in Coimbatore and was rescued by forest department staff.

The forest officials rescued a 15-year-old female elephant, which fell into a crevice in the reserve forest area of Periyanayakanpalayam forest range in Nanjundapuram village near Thadagam on Thursday.

Anti-poaching watchers heard an elephant’s trumpet in the reserve forest on Wednesday. Later in the evening, they found an elephant trapped between two rocks near Manpari area.

According to forest ranger M. Nazeer, the female elephant must have entered the cave to drink water. She got trapped in the gap, as it was slippery and deep. We performed the rescue operation on Thursday, Mr Nazeer said.

The forest team said they first fed banana, sugarcane to give energy to the jumbo for the climb. “Then we filled stones, sand and other stuffed rocky materials inside the gap and formed a platform for the elephant to step on and come outside the rock. The rescue operation lasted more than four hours,” the forest team said.

Source: Deccan Chronicle

Terrier Taz gets a little too adventurous

A rabbit-chasing puppy was returned unharmed to her owners after spending two days trapped underground.

Adventurous six-month-old cross-breed terrier Taz was returned to the Seldon family in Porth after joint effort to save her was mounted by the RSPCA and a team from the South and Mid Wales Cave Rescue.

The animal welfare charity were called to a site near the Waun Wen Community Centre on Saturday, March 18, where they could hear the distressed pooch’s cries from above the ground.

After attempts to rescue Taz from the deep rabbit hole failed, RSPCA officers contacted the cave rescue workers, who sent a team of seven to help.

The little dog was eventually rescued at 11pm and was returned to her overjoyed owners soon after, unharmed except for a few grazes.

The dog’s delighted owners said: “Thanks so much to the RSPCA and South and Mid Wales Cave Rescue for saving Taz.

“She’s an adventurous little dog but is staying out of trouble for the moment at least and enjoying her home surroundings.”

Brian Jopling, of South and Mid Wales Cave Rescue team, said: “We are pleased to be able to use our knowledge and skills to assist the RSPCA in incidents like this and are glad there was a happy ending.”

RSPCA inspector Christine McNeil added: “Thanks to the sterling work of the South and Mid Wales Cave Rescue team, this story had a happy ending.

“This successful outcome once again highlights the importance of cross agency collaboration in the cause of animal welfare.”

Source: Wales Online

4 rappellers trapped in northern cave, Israel

Four rappellers have been trapped in a cave near the village of Beit Jann in the Western Galilee. Three have been rescued so far. Emergency services crews are attempting to extract the fourth from the cave, which is 30 meters deep.

Two of the climbers were lightly injured and were taken to a nearby hospital

Source: YNetNews

Body of hiker found in 215m-deep cave

Li Xiong, 23, was one of a five-member expedition team on their way to Hoh Xil, anisolated region in the northwestern part of the Tibetan plateau in China, when theystopped by the cave in Zhuomu village, Zhenxiong county, in foggy conditions around3:50 pm on Monday.

His teammates recall how, despite their warnings, he was so captivated by the sceneryhe was determined to get closer.

"Had he not insisted on feeling his way to it, he could have avoided the tragedy," said He, one of his travel pals. "There were slippery stones everywhere. It was sodangerous."

Li slipped on one step, and then fell into the cave in a split second, recalled Xu,another teammate on the trip.

Two rescue teams raced to the scene, working throughout the night trying to reach Li,but they could not reach him due to their inadequate rescue equipment.

It was only on the third day that neighboring Guizhou province sent a team to the sitethat Li's body was finally found 215 meters down.

It was Li's first hiking trip, according to his mother. "I did not want him to go in the firstplace," she said. "But he had made up his mind."

Source: Peoples Daily

Body of Tennessee diver found in Ginnie Springs

Sign inside the Devil's Eye warning unexperienced divers

A Tennessee man’s body was found Sunday in a cave in Ginnie Springs after he apparently drowned while diving there two days earlier, police said.

Steve Bennett, 59, of Hendersonville, Tenn., arrived at the springs, situated west of High Springs in Gilchrist County, on Friday and rented diving gear from the privately owned Ginnie Springs Outdoors park and campground, Gilchrist County Sheriff’s Office Lt. David Aderholt said Monday.

Aderholt said an investigator found a certificate in Bennett’s car allowing Bennett to do open-water diving, though it wasn’t clear whether he was certified to dive in caves.

“Whether or not he had any experience in terms of cave diving, we do not know,” Aderholt said.

Bennett’s body was found by a group of divers in the cave system at the Devil’s Eye portion of the springs.

There didn’t appear to be anyone else diving with him.

“It appears he arrived alone and was diving alone,” Aderholt said.

The body was taken to the Medical Examiner’s Office in Gainesville for an autopsy.

Source: The Gainesville Sun

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About the cave: 

The system has two entrances, Devil's Eye and Devil's Ear, located in close proximity to one another. The Devil's Eye cave system is among the most popular and frequently dived caves in the world. With over 30,000 feet of mapped passageway, divers can spend a lifetime of active cave diving and still not see all of it.

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Additional Resources:

• Devils Eye Survey
• More information on the Ginnie Springs

Mississippi diver dies at Vortex Spring

Larry Higginbotham

A Mississippi man died in Vortex Spring on Saturday, almost a year-and-half after a Tennessee diver disappeared in the same underwater caves.

Larry Higginbotham, 43, of Biloxi, Miss., had gone to the spring to dive Saturday at 10:45 a.m., said Chief Deputy Harry Hamilton and Sgt. Michael Raley with the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office.

“When he didn’t return, his girlfriend contacted the Vortex Spring management, who in turn contacted the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton said Higginbotham’s body was recovered Sunday evening with the aide of volunteer cave divers.

The death comes as an Investigation Discovery documentary was set to air on the disappearance of Ben McDaniel, 30, of Collierville, Tenn., who was reported missing at Vortex Spring in August 2010. His body was never recovered.

Vortex Spring produces 28 million gallons of crystal-clear water daily at year-round temperature of 68 degrees. Vortex waters flow out of the 225-foot-diameter spring that flows into Blue Creek, which empties into the Choctawhatchee River, according to the website.

Hamilton, when coordinating the search for McDaniel in 2010, said the cave at Vortex Spring is very challenging and extremely dangerous. The bottom of the spring bowl is sandy, with limestone near the vent. So far, divers have penetrated the cave 1,500 feet at a depth of 150 feet.

Dive training is offered at the park and the underwater cave is accessible to 310 feet, at which point further entry is blocked by a steel gate; only certified divers are allowed beyond that point.

Source: News Herald

Trapped tourist rescued from small Grotto cave; 2 other tourists injured

Firefighters and Boating Safety officers rescued a female tourist who was trapped in a small cave and stuck underneath a rock at the Grotto dive spot Friday morning.

It took two hours for the rescuers to free the victim, a 29-year-old Chinese, who sustained bruises, abrasions, and lacerations.

The victim's husband and another male friend, who also helped in the rescue, sustained similar injuries and were treated at the Commonwealth Health Center.

Police officer Jason Tarkong said yesterday that the three victims were discharged at 5:30pm Friday after a doctor determined that their injuries were not serious.

Tarkong said the Department of Public Safety dispatched Boating Safety officers to a reported possible drowning incident at the Grotto dive spot on Friday at 11:45am.

Upon arrival, the officers learned from tourists and bystanders that a tourist was stuck underneath a rock and was still alive. The victim was trapped in a small cave with her hand sticking out of a hole.

Friends group will help rescue funds

High Sheriff Alexandra Holford with Paul
Letherbee and Peter Maxwell, right

The Cave Rescue Organisation has always made friends by helping those in need throughout the Yorkshire Dales - but a new scheme has been set up so people really can become “Friends of CRO”.

The scheme was launched at the group’s Clapham headquarters and Zoe and Jon Ketteridge had the honour of being named the first friends.

Zoe was helped by Cave Rescue after falling on Whernside in 2009. She fell 100 metres after slipping on ice, as husband Jon looked on. After rescuers saved her life, the couple have raised money for the group.

The Friends scheme allows people to make a contribution to the volunteers, who are on call all year round to help walkers, climbers and cavers. They also respond to a variety of other incidents.

The launch of the Friends coincided with a visit by the High Sheriff of North Yorkshire, Alexandra Holford, who presented certificates to Zoe and Jon, as well as to a group of local school children who had also been raising money.

She was given a tour of the depot and, after chairman Jack Pickup gave a talk on the history and duties of the CRO, the High Sheriff got first-hand knowledge of the techniques and equipment used in a rescue.
This ranged from learning how to tie ropes and pulleys that allow the rescue team to help casualties from even the trickiest situations, to taking advantage of the depot’s practice facility to abseil. She also acted as a rescue casualty.

Girl rescued from Peak district cave

A teenage girl had to be rescued from a Peak District cave after slipping and injuring her back.

The 14-year-old was part of a larger group exploring Bagshawe Cavern in Bradwell when she slipped on wet rock and fell.

Derbyshire Police took a 999 call about the incident at around 4.45pm on Sunday, February 26, and called for assistance from the Cave Rescue organisation to help get the girl out.

Cave Rescue arrived at the cave and found the girl inside with another child and two adults, with the rest of the group waiting outside. The teenager was rescued by around 7pm and an ambulance was called to take her to hospital.

Source: Derbyshire Times

Clapham cave rescuer receives his MBE

Rae Lonsdale with his MBE

A retired national park stalwart and long-time rescue team member has received his MBE from the Queen.

Rae Lonsdale of Settle in North Yorkshire said he has had to put up with good-humoured ribbing but also received compliments from friends and colleagues after his appointment.

The 64-year-old is a member of the Cave Rescue Organisation, which goes to the aid of both potholers and fellwalkers in the Yorkshire Dales, and retired last year from the national park authority.

He received his medal for voluntary service in North Yorkshire in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

He said: “The past few weeks have been a bit unreal.

“There has been the good-natured leg-pulling and curtseying from some of my more comical acquaintances, but also the congratulations from many people, to say nothing of the anticipation and reality of the visit to Buckingham Palace.

“When Her Majesty said ‘You seem to have done a lot’, I just said that I hadn’t done anything I hadn’t enjoyed.

2012 Cave Rescue Operations and Management Seminar

Camp Skyline, 

Mentone, Alabama 

May 19-26, 2012

Download Seminar Brochure & Registration Form

More information and online registration can be found on the dedicated NSS page

Woman found dead in cave as freeze grips Italy

A woman was found frozen to death in a cave near Rome and a man was reported attacked by scavenging stray dogs near Rimini as a cold snap gripped Italy on Friday, leaving thousands without electricity.

The 42-year-old Romanian was believed to be sleeping rough and had sought shelter in the cave in the Magliana suburb southwest of Rome's city centre.

Her death brings the toll from freezing temperatures across Italy over the past 10 days to more than 45, including people who suffered heart attacks after shovelling heaps of snow and truck drivers found dead in their cabins.

Several flights between Rome and Milan were also cancelled and rail traffic disrupted amid heavy snowfalls in central and southern Italy including on the Tuscan island of Giglio -- the scene of last month's cruise ship tragedy.

A blizzard also hit Rome, a city unaccustomed to wintry weather where snow last week sparked scenes of chaos. Residents raided shops for salt and bread and the city ground to a halt with the closure of schools and public offices.

Cave explorer died of self-inflicted gunshot wound

The coroner's office says cave explorer Kevin Eve died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

A group of college students exploring the cave found the remains Sunday afternoon, said Crawford Co. Sheriff Tim Wilkerson. Kevin Eve was an Iraq war vet and avid cave explorer, and had been missing for four months.

The 25-year-old Georgetown, Indiana native had last been seen October 1. He was reported missing after his car was found on a gravel road near the cave.

Emergency crews and volunteers searched for Eve in area caves for weeks.

But it wasn't until Sunday afternoon, when a group of college students exploring the "Breathing Hole" cave in Harrison-Crawford State Forest, found human remains and called police.

Crews had a tough time bringing the body from the cave to the surface -- a half-mile walk through the brush, then a 150-foot drop and a half-mile of crawling through the cave, just to get to the body.

Once inside, rescue workers and volunteers needed to move the body across a half-mile of one tight cave passage and another 154 feet up a vertical passage.

The students who found the body weren't supposed to be there since the state closed that cave and hundreds of others in the area to prevent the spread of "white-nose syndrome," a fungal disease that's deadly to bats.

There's no word on whether those students will face charges.

Snowboarder digs snow cave to survive night at Mount Baker

A snowboarder survived a night in the backcountry of Mount Baker Ski Area Saturday by digging a snow cave to stay warm.

Jakub Cink, 23, was in good health and uninjured when he trekked back into the ski area Sunday morning and flagged down a member of the ski patrol.

Cink told rescuers he snowboarded out of bounds Saturday afternoon thinking it would lead to the parking lot, but got lost. Cink is from the Czech Republic and visiting friends in Vancouver, B.C.

Despite climbing to the top of a ridge, Cink realized he was lost and dug a snow cave to shield him from the weather for the night.

During that time, Bellingham Mountain Rescue volunteers scoured the area of Lake Ann and the Shuksan Arm, where Cink's tracks were seen. By 2:00 a.m., avalanche hazards became too much for rescuers, who had to stop for the night.

The next morning, volunteers set out again, and Cink made his way back to the ski area where he was rescued.

Cink is is an experienced snowboarder but this was his first time to Mount Baker Ski Area.

Source: King5

French cave diver dies in Switzerland

Chaudanne resurgence, Switzerland

A 30-year-old French cave diver died this Sunday afternoon in Rossinière, Switzerland.

His identity was not yeat released by the police.

The guy was diving in the Chaudanne resurgence using a rebreather.

At about 14h30 his mates noticed a huge amount of bubbles rising to the surface and immediatly they knew there was a problem.

One of his companions discovered his unconscious body and brought it back to the surface where they started first aid. Alas, the fire and rescue team that arrived couldn't stabilize him and he passed away.

The local police seized his equipment and started an investigation.

Additional resources:
Pictures of Chaudanne resurgence

Man rescued after becoming trapped in Maryland cave

A man trapped about 200 feet into a cave off Cresspond Road north of Clear Spring was rescued Tuesday night after an almost four-hour ordeal, emergency officials said.

The man, who has not yet been identified, became trapped when he slid down an area in the cave, causing one of his legs to become wedged in some rocks

Advanced technical rescue units from Frederick, Montgomery and Washington counties worked their way back to the man to rescue him after receiving the first call at 5:42 p.m.

Rescue crews were able to finally free the man, who was uninjured. He was brought out of the cave at about 10:15 p.m.

The man was taken to the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore as a precaution, according to Fire Chief Oley Griffith of The First Hose Co. of Boonsboro.

Cave & Mountains Rescue teams presented with cheques

Cave & Mountains Rescue teams presented with cheques at Wanted Inn

It was Ho Ho Ho in the Wanted Inn at Sparrowpit the week before Christmas when Santa popped in to deliver a few presents. The locals packed the pub and were treated to a festive night of carols accompanied by Sparrowpit Brass Band. The hosts, Steve and Sheila Philips, provided magnificent mince pies and led the party games in a fun night enjoyed by all.

However, the evening also had the serious aim of raising money for two volunteer local rescue teams. Derbyshire Cave Rescue Organisation, and Buxton Mountain Rescue Team each received a generous £125 at an informal presentation night in the pub last Tuesday night.

Roger Bennett, Chairman of Buxton MRT, said: “Local support like this is really appreciated by the rescue teams. It is good to know that our voluntary work is valued. Both rescue teams are always looking for cash to keep the services operational and together offer a huge thank you to Sheila, Steve and all the Sparrowpit community.”

Source: Buxton Mountain Rescue

A mission underground

he 82nd CST rescue team works to rescue an “injured” Staff
Sgt. Dustin Clement during a training exercise deep within
Jewel Cave National Monument

Staff Sgt. Dustin Clement has a compound fracture. He tripped, fell and broke his leg — nearly in two, or at least that’s what the training scenario dictated.

Staff Sgt. Clement and Sgt. Eric Haivala were searching for potential radioactive material in the cave when it happened. Tourists were getting ill down there and the symptoms sounded a lot like exposure to radiation. So Jewel Cave officials called in the South Dakota Air and Army National Guard's 82nd Civil Support Team. They specialize in dealing with chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. Clement and Haivala discovered some potentially radioactive material in a trashcan in a section of the cave affectionately referred to as the torture chamber.

But Clement's unbelievably broken leg has changed the mission from an investigation to a rescue.

“Ouch,” Clement said, prone on a corrugated steel staircase more than 300 feet underground in Jewel Cave. “It smells like almonds.”

That's a clever joke for a man this busted up — exposed broken bones reportedly smell a lot like almonds. The pain must not be that great for the man on the floor.

Italian cave divers race against time to find survivors on ship

Italian cave-rescue divers are racing against time to find survivors in the debris-filled carcass of the capsized Costa Concordia ship, once a floating city with a maze of halls, cabins, restaurants, casinos and theatres.

The rear restaurant alone occupies three different floors, and rescuers say they constantly have to dodge moving debris.

"This isn't an easy mission on such a big and complex ship," said Giuseppe Minciotti, director of the Italian school for cave divers and head of a rescue unit from Vicenza.

"There are lots of things moving around down there -- furniture, beds, cupboards. It is very dangerous and we have to be very careful," Minciotti told Reuters television in an interview on a ferry taking him back to the island of Giglio.

Speleologists, as they are known, are used to diving in dark and enclosed spaces. The ship's hallways, cabins and dining rooms are similar to caves -- but caves do not have floating furniture or doors that may be jammed shut.

After pulling out three survivors on Sunday, two-man teams of speleologists on Monday explored the wreck, half-submerged and resting on its starboard side.

The divers wear wetsuits reinforced with Kevlar -- the same material used to make bullet-proof vests -- and have a guide line to open water, just as they do when exploring caves.

Choppy seas caused the huge ship to slip on the rocky slope on Monday, forcing a two-hour suspension of rescue operations.

"The divers are inside and they're in very grave danger because if the ship were to shift while they were inside, it would be exceedingly dangerous," said Environment Minister Corrado Clini.

Most of the part of the ship that is still above water has already been searched, according to Luciano Roncalli, a firefighter in the squad coordinating the search and rescue efforts.

They divers hope to find survivors living in air pockets in the submerged areas. They will also carry out the grim task of locating corpses of those not rescued in time.

Officials on Monday decided not to allow night diving because of the bad weather, and the ships' teetering along the slope of undersea rock.

The weather is forecast to worsen, with a high-sea warning for Thursday.