North America diving accidents archive

Tragedy in Roubidoux Spring Cave: The Fatal Dive of Steven Wyra

Categories: Cave diving, North America diving accidents

Incident Location Diver (Deceased) United States, Missouri, Roubidoux Spring Cave Steven Wyra Three experienced divers—Steven Wyra (age 50), Ron Shirley, and John Davis—stood at the entrance to Roubidoux Spring Cave in Missouri, preparing for a challenging and carefully planned expedition. Steven, a seasoned diving enthusiast, conducted one last inspection of his diving gear alongside his […]

Cenote Calavera Tragedy: The Tale of Abram Major’s Dive into Darkness

Categories: North America diving accidents

Incident Location Diver’s Full Name Cenote Calavera, Tulum, Mexico Abram Major Two friends went on an exploratory dive at Cenote Calavera, the Temple of Doom. They planned to stay within the daylight reflection of the cave until one of the friends got the urge to explore a dark and tight passageway and got stuck. Would […]

Tragedy at Radium Springs: The Murray Anderson Cave Diving Incident

Categories: North America diving accidents

Incident Location Diver Full Names USA, Georgia, Radium Springs cave Lieutenant Murray Anderson There are a few hobbies in the world that invoke the emotions of cave diving. For the small community that loves to dive, it is an escape and a sense of peace while under the water, traveling through a piece of time […]

Tragic Incident at Jackson Blue Springs: The Untold Story of Diver Benjamin Strelnick Deadly Mistake

Categories: Cave diving, North America diving accidents

Incident Location Diver Full Name USA, Florida, Jackson Blue Springs Benjamin Strelnick There is no other feeling than being surrounded by walls underwater with one source of light, feeling the weight of your equipment and oxygen coursing through your body. Cave diving, the sport has been around for years, but even in 2023, there are […]

Tragic Incident at Beware Cave: The Story of Jesus Manriquez’s Dive

Categories: Cave diving, North America diving accidents

Incident Location Diver’s Full Name USA, Utah Jesus Manriquez Everyone knows that cave diving’s dangerous, but most people think the danger is reserved for certified divers who venture into caves no ordinary person ever would, right? Well, not always. Today’s story is an alarming example of how ordinary people with no cave diving experience can […]

Tragic Incident at Goss Canyon: The Fate of Master Sergeant Paul Hayden

Categories: Cave diving, North America diving accidents

Incident Location Diver Full Names USA, California, Goss Canyon, La Crescenta, Angeles National Forest Air Force Master Sergeant Paul Hayden On the morning of September 17th, 2000, Air Force Master Sergeant Paul Hayden and his brother started walking into the old horizontal water well, a long mile up remote, little-known Goss Canyon in La Crescenta, […]

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 […]

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, […]