Cave Diving Accidents

Lost in Sistema Camilo: The Final Dive of Keith Price

Categories: Cave diving, North America diving accidents

Incident location (country, town/region, cave name) Diver full names Mexico, Quintana Roo, Sistema Camilo (Cenote Muchachos) Keith Price It was a calm Wednesday afternoon, 25 February 2015, in Quintana Roo when three experienced divers began their first dive of the trip. Team members: At approximately 1400 hours, the group entered Cenote Muchachos, one of the […]

Beneath the Surface: The Tragic Dive of Lance Crawford and the Perils of Alachua Sink

Categories: Cave diving, North America diving accidents

Incident Location Diver Names USA, Florida, Alachua Sink Lance Crawford, John Picture it: the sun beating down on white sandy beaches, palm trees swaying in the warm breeze, and tourists flocking to Florida for some fun in the sun. But beneath the surface of the crystal clear water lies a whole other world – one […]

Tragic Dive at Cenote Manatí: Mystery Surrounds Fatal Accident of Unnamed Diver

Categories: Cave diving, North America diving accidents

Incident Location Diver Full Name Mexico, Tulum, Yucatan Peninsula, Cenote Manatí Unknown On June 16, 2018, what was meant to be a safe, beginner-friendly scuba diving experience near Tulum, Mexico, ended in disaster. A young diver participating in a Discover Scuba program drowned after becoming trapped inside an underwater cave at Cenote Manatí. The incident […]

Underwater Cave Expedition Turns Deadly: The Mysterious Tragedy of Tytoona’s Sump 2

Categories: Cave diving, North America diving accidents

Incident Location Diver Names USA, Pennsylvania’s Blair County, Tytoona Cave John Schwein, Roberta Schweisgood Two NSS certified cave divers went on an exploratory dive at the Tytoona Cave to carry out a series of survey dives. They took turns solo diving due to the silty condition of the cave. However, an entanglement occurred in the […]

Tragedy at Eagles Nest: Charles Odom’s Final Dive in Florida’s Most Dangerous Cave

Categories: Cave diving, North America diving accidents

Incident Location Diver Full Name USA, Weeki Wachee, Florida, Eagles Nest Cave Charles Odom On January 8, 2017, Charles Odom, 55, joined three other divers at Eagles Nest Cave, located in Weeki Wachee, Florida. Known in the diving community as the “Mount Everest of cave diving,” Eagles Nest is a complex system with deep vertical […]

The Underwater Cave Accident: Donald Cerrone’s Harrowing Ordeal

Categories: Cave diving, North America diving accidents

Incident Location Diver Names Mexico, Cozumel, Aerolito Cave Donald Cerrone, Alex Donald’s Background and Adventures Donald Cerrone was diving through Aerolito Cave in Cozumel, Mexico when something went horrifyingly wrong. Donald Cerrone was born in Denver, Colorado on March 29th, 1983. Growing up, Donald was considered a bit of a troubled child. As a teenager, […]

Trapped in Mill Pond Cave: Josh Bratchley’s 24-Hour Ordeal

Categories: Cave diving, North America diving accidents

Incident Location Diver Full Name USA, Jackson County, Tennessee, Mill Pond Cave Josh Bratchley An Elite Diver in a Treacherous System On April 16, 2019, a team of British cave divers descended into the murky depths of Mill Pond Cave in Jackson County, Tennessee. The cave system, known for its narrow, twisting passages and extremely […]

Jill Heinerth’s Antarctic Iceberg Cave Incident: A Harrowing Exploration

Categories: Cave diving

Incident Location Diver Full Name Antarctica, Cave underneath the B-15 iceberg Wes Skiles, Jill Heinerth Born in 1965 in Toronto, Canada, Jill Heinerth’s childhood was filled with an innate desire to explore and the perfect storm of inspiration. Because she grew in the ’60s, she was a live spectator of the incredible Apollo missions that […]

Clyde Rorex’s Fatal Air Loss at Hole in the Wall Cave Uncovered

Categories: Cave diving, North America diving accidents

Incident Location Diver Full Name USA, Marianna, Florida, Hole in the Wall Cave Clyde Douglas (Doug) Rorex A Routine Dive in a Familiar Cave On June 9, 2020, Clyde Douglas “Doug” Rorex, a 68-year-old highly experienced cave diver, undertook what many would consider a routine solo dive in Hole in the Wall Cave, located at […]

Fatal Dive in Roaring River Cave: The Final Moments of Eric Hahn

Categories: Cave diving, North America diving accidents

Incident Location Diver Full Name United States, Missouri, Roaring River Cave Eric Hahn On October 14, 2022, 27‑year‑old Eric Hahn prepared for what should have been a controlled, planned dive in Roaring River Cave, Missouri. The goal was simple: support an ongoing cave survey by placing stage bottles at specific depths and act as a […]