Cenote Kalimba: The Team Diving Incident and Recovery Efforts
| Incident Location | Diver Names |
|---|---|
| Mexico, Cenote Kalimba | Unknown |
On November 14, 2018, at about 10:30 a.m., a team of two German divers, reported as Team One, entered Cenote Kalimba, where they met three other teams, reported as Teams Two, Three, and Four, who wanted to dive into the same site.
Cenote Kalimba is part of the Sistema Sac Actun cave system in Mexico, which was ranked as the longest underground river and the second largest cave in the world. It’s a very popular cave system in Mexico, with a length of about 229 miles and a maximum depth of about 394 feet. The cave system flows into the Caribbean Sea.
Cave Details
Sistema Sac Actun has hundreds of cenotes that make up the whole cave system. Among the several cenotes that make up the Sistema Sac Actun is Cenote Kalimba. It’s located on the way to Coba and about 8 km away from Tulum. The cave is not too deep, with an average depth of about 33 feet. According to Mexican standards, Cenote Kalimba has a moderate flow, flowing towards the southeastern region into Grand Cenote.
Both the German divers of Team One were quite experienced cave divers. One of them received his full cave diving certificate in 2012 and had been to Mexico several times to dive, accumulating about 150 to 200 dives of cave experience. The second diver in Team One received a full cave diving certificate in 2015, and although this was his second trip to Mexico, he had some cave diving experience.
Teams Two and Three planned their dive towards Box Chen, which meant that when they got to the T-junction, they would take the left turn, and their first jump would be to the left side. Team Four, on the other hand, planned to do the bypass towards Cenote Pabalani. They would jump to the right when they go beyond the BOA restriction and also turn right when they get to the T-junction. The dive plan and the cause of the incident of Team One will be discussed later in full detail.
The Dive
They started their dive with each team following their dive plan. Team One entered the cave system and clipped their stage tank on a line at the left side. At about 15 minutes into the dive, Team One left their stage for use during their exit. After about an hour, Team One went deeper into the cave system.
While Team Two was diving, they saw the stage tanks that Team One had clipped on the line. They also saw the cookies that marked the exit to Kalimba at the first T-junction. They left the spot and continued their journey towards Box Chen but noticed that there were no other markers or any jumps installed.
Team Two finished their dive and surfaced but discovered that Team One had not surfaced at Kalimba as planned. One member of Team Two went to check for them at Grand Cenote, thinking that perhaps they had changed their dive plan to exit at an entrance other than Kalimba. When he got to Grand Cenote, he couldn’t find the Team One divers, so he returned to Kalimba.
At around 2:30 PM, four hours after team one had started their dive, it became clear that something had gone wrong. One diver, Jeff Clark, rushed to a local dive shop to inform them that two divers were missing in the cave system.
Confirmation and Mobilization
Jeff Clark was the first to arrive at Cenote Kalimba and confirm the news. He quickly informed other divers and managed to gather a team consisting of Kim Davidson, Johann Isaacson, and others from Mayan Blue, another Cenote in Tulum. They understood that the search would likely be a body recovery operation.
Searching for the Missing Divers
Robbie Schmidtner went to four different cenotes, including Pabalani, Box Chen, O’Toole, and Grand Cenote, to check if the missing divers had surfaced there. However, they were not found in any of these locations. Meanwhile, two search teams were formed: Team A (Johann and Kim) and Team B (Jeff and Pal).
Challenging Search without Dive Plan
The search teams faced a challenge as they did not know the dive plan of the missing divers. Fortunately, the other three teams present in the morning had some knowledge. They knew that the lithium Sunset section of the cave was part of the missing divers’ plan. Additionally, Team 4 encountered the first t-junction during their dive, providing some markers for guidance.
Searching the Cave
Search Team A was assigned to search the main line towards Grand Cenote, looking for any signs or jumps indicating the presence of the missing divers. If they found no evidence, they would continue searching through Grand Cenote and Hotel. Search Team B went right at the t-junction towards the lithium Sunset section, assuming it was part of the missing divers’ planned route.
Discoveries Along the Dive
Around 5:30 PM, both search teams entered the cave. Just 15 minutes into the dive, they found the missing diver’s stage tanks clipped to the main line. Continuing their dive plan, they reached the t-junction and discovered one of the missing diver’s cookies marking the exit side towards Kalimba.
Progressing Through the Cave
Search Team A followed the main line towards Grand Cenote but found no further markers. They came across one of the missing diver’s portable lights on the cave floor, indicating they might have been seen in that area. At the jump at Paso de Lagarto, they found the body of one missing diver. Search Team A connected the jump to continue diving towards Cenote O’Toole.
Confirmation and Recovery
Between the Grand Cenote Mainline and the Kuzan section, Search Team A found the body of the second missing diver. With both bodies discovered, Search Team A exited the cave through Cenote Kalimba. The recovery operation was planned for the following morning, and authorities were present to coordinate the process.
Recovery Operation
The next morning, a team of three divers completed the recovery operation through Cenote O’Toole. They successfully brought the bodies to the surface within an hour, without any complications. Proper documentation was made by the recovery team.
Dive Plan and Activities
The missing divers had taken a camera with them into the cave to record their dive. From the video footage, their dive plan and activities were discovered. They entered through Kalimba and planned a single-stage video dive, alternating between being the cameraman and subject. They filmed passages they passed through and dropped their stage tanks on the main line at the first t-junction.
Possible Causes of the Accident
The video footage revealed that the divers spent more time than usual reaching the point where they clipped their stage tanks. Videography during dives can affect dive pace, possibly leading to delays. It is also possible that their attention was consumed by the video, causing them to overlook their air supply. When they realized they were low on air, it was too late for them to return to their planned exit, leading to their drowning.
Conclusion
The tragic incident at Cenote Kalimba highlights the importance of proper gas planning, maintaining awareness of air supply, and avoiding distractions during dives.
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FAQ
Cenote Kalimba is a cenote located in the Sistema Sac Actun cave system in Mexico. It is situated on the way to Coba and approximately 8 km away from Tulum. The cave system is known for being the longest underground river and the second largest cave in the world.
Cenote Kalimba has an average depth of about 33 feet and is considered to have a moderate flow according to Mexican standards. The water flows towards the southeastern region into Grand Cenote.
Two experienced German divers, known as Team One, went missing during their dive in Cenote Kalimba. Despite a search operation, their bodies were eventually discovered in different parts of the cave system. The cause of the incident was believed to be a combination of spending more time than usual on videography, which may have caused delays and distractions, leading to them running out of air and drowning.
Search teams were formed to locate the missing divers. They followed the available information from other teams and markers found along the dive route. The search teams discovered the missing diver’s stage tanks clipped to the main line and found one of their cookies marking the exit side towards Kalimba. Eventually, the bodies of both missing divers were found in different sections of the cave.
The incident highlights the importance of proper gas planning, maintaining awareness of air supply, and avoiding distractions during dives. It is crucial to prioritize safety and not let activities such as videography affect dive pace or compromise attention to critical factors like air supply. Divers should also ensure they have a clear dive plan and communicate it to their team to mitigate risks and respond effectively in case of emergencies.
