Trapped in Devil’s Eye Spring: The Last Dive of Robert Jurich

Trapped in Devil’s Eye Spring: The Last Dive of Robert Jurich
Incident Location (Country, Region, Cave Name)Diver Full Name (Deceased)
USA, Florida, Devil’s Eye SpringRobert Jurich

26 April 2015 it was supposed to be a smooth dive.
On a clear Florida morning, Robert Jurich (68) and Evelyn Dudas, both experienced divers from Pennsylvania, prepared their diving gear at Devil’s Eye Spring.

Their goal was ambitious: use their diver propulsion vehicles (DPVs) to reach an area known as Mainland, about 3,000 feet from the cave entrance. The DPVs would carry them quickly through the winding passages, saving air in their diving tanks and reducing exertion.

The plan was to:

  • Push through a low, silty section in Mainland
  • Continue into an area called Sweet Surprise
  • Rejoin the main passage
  • Exit the cave together

Both divers had done complex dives before. The cave was familiar — but caves have a way of changing the moment you lose visibility.

Devil Spring

Into the Silt

At the start of Mainland, things went wrong.

The narrow, low passage forced them close to the floor. Every movement of their fins stirred up clouds of silt. Visibility dropped fast. Their dive lights could barely cut through the haze.

In the thick cloud, the two became separated. Evelyn managed to feel her way back toward the larger passage. She waited, shining her light into the darkness, expecting to see Robert’s beam appear at any moment.

It didn’t.

The Exit for Help

Minutes stretched into what felt like hours. Evelyn had a choice — keep waiting in the hope Robert would emerge, or get out before her own diving computer warned of low air.

She made the call to exit. Breaking the surface, she quickly informed others at the site that Robert had not come out. Rescue divers were called immediately.

The Recovery Effort

A recovery team, led by Lamar Hires, entered the cave several hours later.

The searchers moved through the passages methodically, lights scanning the silt-filled water. About 400 feet from the entrance, they found him.

Robert Jurich was still, his diving mask in place, his wetsuit and cave harness intact. His DPV sat nearby, partially embedded in the silt, the cause of his trouble now clear.

The Disabled DPV

Hires explained what they found:

“The DPV was stuck deep in silt. You couldn’t operate it without freeing it first. Once we pulled it out, it worked fine.”

It meant that at the very moment Robert needed his DPV most — to speed back to the main line or the exit — it was useless. The effort of trying to free it in zero visibility, while maintaining breathing and orientation, would have been overwhelming.

A Cave’s Warning

Cave diving is never forgiving. The best equipment — diving mask, tanks, dive computer, DPV — means nothing if visibility drops and orientation is lost.

Robert’s last moments were spent just hundreds of feet from daylight, but in a cave, distance can be meaningless. The silt erased his way home.

Evelyn’s decision to leave for help likely saved her life, but for Robert, the Devil’s Eye Spring lived up to its name.

Tanks and Gas Supply

Jurich and Dudas were diving with only side-mounted 85 cubic feet tanks, carrying no additional breathing gas.

Under normal conditions, this setup would have been enough to complete the dive safely, especially with the help of their diver propulsion vehicles (DPVs) to speed their way out.

A Risky Move

But pushing a DPV into a low, silty area like Mainland is a risky choice. The narrow passage and disturbed silt can quickly trap or slow down the DPV, making it almost impossible to operate.

It’s believed that Jurich abandoned his DPV behind because it was making it difficult to follow the guideline in the thick murk.

What Could Have Changed the Outcome?

Looking back, several factors might have saved his life:

  • Avoiding stirring up the silt
  • Keeping the DPV with him at all times
  • Making it back to the larger tunnel before Dudas exited to get help
  • Carrying a stage tank with extra breathing gas

Each of these might have given Jurich the edge he needed to survive that deadly moment deep inside the cave.

Author:
Rebecca Penrose
Rebecca, an experienced blogger, delves into the world of diving accidents, sharing insights, stories, and valuable lessons learned. Dive in and explore the depths of underwater safety.
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