Patrick Broin, Author at Cave Diving Accident

The Pannikin Plains Expedition: Triumph and Tragedy in the Depths

Categories: Australia diving accidents, Cave diving

Incident Location Deceased Diver Western Australia, Pannikin Plains Cave Vicki Bonwick While a group of world-class divers, scientists, and technicians were exploring the Pannikin Plains Cave System, torrential rain and cyclonic wind swept in and caused the entrance to collapse. This team was trapped underground, awaiting rescue, or they would all perish in the flooded […]

Lost in the Depths of The Shaft: A Diver’s Tragic Tale

Categories: Australia diving accidents, Cave diving

Incident Location Diver Full Names South Australia, Mount Gambier, The Shaft Cave Douglas, Tony Three divers plan to explore The Shaft Cave. On their way out, they got themselves into one of the scariest scenarios cave divers can get into – kicking up silt and struggling to find a way out. Would they make it […]

Tragic Incident at Diepolder 3 Cave: Loss of Diver Keith Hendricks

Categories: Cave diving, North America diving accidents

Incident Location Diver Full Name Sandhill Scout Reservation, Hernando County, Florida, USA Keith Hendricks While diving again after a six-year break, a 51-year-old experienced diver realized that his dry suit was faulty at depth. His hope of survival relied on how fast his buddy could get him to the surface. Would he make it in […]

The Tragic Incident at Weeki Wachee Springs: The Ordeal of Marson Ashley K

Categories: Cave diving, North America diving accidents

Incident Location Diver Full Names USA, Burkeville, Florida, Weeki Wachee Springs Marson Ashley K Cave diving is an inherently dangerous activity. 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. An expensive hobby that comes at a steep […]

The Great Blue Hole Took Larry Smith

Categories: Diving, North America diving accidents

Incident Location Diver Full Name Belize, Lighthouse Reef, Great Blue Hole Larry Smith Belize, Lighthouse Reef, Great Blue Hole Unknown Diver (Body found by Cousteau team) Belize, Lighthouse Reef, Great Blue Hole Unknown Diver (Second body found by Cousteau team) The Descent Into Darkness Every guidebook warns of the dangers—an ominous “black spot” in the […]

Gary John McElliatt’s Ill-Fated Exploration of the Deep Ecton Mine

Categories: Europe diving accidents, Mine diving

Incident Location Diver Full Name Staffordshire, England Gary John McElliatt The world of cave diving poses an unusual and unique set of risks. But like any extreme sport, such risks can be managed with the right plan and experience. If there is a disunion of either one of those mentioned factors, your dive of bliss […]

Tragedy at Monk Seal Cave: The Dive of Hayley McCarthy and Stacy Liam

Categories: Cave diving, Europe diving accidents

Incident Location Diver’s Full Name Bisevo Island, Adriatic Sea Hayley McCarthy Two friends embarked on a celebratory dive in the Monk Seal Cave after being certified as professional cave divers. Enthralled by the beauty of the deep, they decided to dive further for 32 feet before ascending. When one of the divers ascended, she realized that […]

Tragedy in the Depths: The Wakulla-Leon Sinks Cave Incident and the Loss of Jim Miller

Categories: Cave diving, North America diving accidents

Incident Location Diver Full Name USA, Florida, Wakulla-Leon Sinks cave Jim Miller Cave divers are famous for traveling all over the world for their dives, but there is one place that seems to attract them more than anywhere else: Florida in the United States. Florida is like the mecca of cave diving. That also, unfortunately, […]

Devil’s Eye Tragedy: The Unfortunate Fate of Diver Carlos Fonseca

Categories: Cave diving, North America diving accidents

Incident Location Diver Full Name USA, Florida, Gilchrist County, Devil’s Eye Cave Carlos Fonseca The Devil’s Eye system is one of the most popular and frequently dived caves in the world, but only certified cavern or cave divers with dive lights are permitted to enter. If you are not careful enough, this cave can be […]

Tragic Incident at Apopka Lake: Remembering Kevin James Gokey and Daniel Eugene Smith

Categories: Cave diving, North America diving accidents

Incident Location Diver Full Names USA, Florida, Apopka Spring Kevin James Gokey, Daniel Eugene Smith Today’s story is about two friends who went for a dive at Lake Apopka. They went over their heads and faced the consequences of one of the most dangerous cave diving scenarios – kicking up silt. This is the story […]