USA accident archives

Trapped in Jackson Blue Spring: How Edd Sorenson Helped Save a Lost Cave Diver

Categories: Cave diving, North America diving accidents

Incident Location (country, town/city/region, cave name) Diver Full Names (deceased only) Florida, Jackson Blue Spring None It was meant to be a smooth, well-planned dive.On November the 4th 2014 two experienced cave divers prepared their diving gear with care—checking diving tanks, securing sidemount configuration, and packing two extra stage bottles for extended breathing gas. Their […]

Death in the Devil’s System: Mike Schultz’s Final Dive at Ginnie Springs

Categories: Cave diving, North America diving accidents

Incident location (country, town/city/region, cave name) Diver full name (deceased) United States, Ginnie Springs near High Springs (Florida), Devil’s System Mike Schultz It was April 3, 2016.The water at Ginnie Springs, Florida, was calm and clear, its surface hiding one of the most famous — and dangerous — underwater cave systems in the world: The […]

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

Categories: Cave diving, North America diving accidents

Incident Location (Country, Region, Cave Name) Diver Full Name (Deceased) USA, Florida, Devil’s Eye Spring Robert 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: […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

The Mysterious Vanishing of Ben McDaniel

Categories: Cave diving, North America diving accidents

Incident Location Diver Names USA, Florida, Vortex Spring Ben McDaniel On August 18th, 2010, Ben McDaniel was diving in Vortex Spring Cave when something went horrifyingly wrong, and this event would go on to be the greatest mystery in diving history. This is his story. The Disappearance On Wednesday, August 18th, Ben McDaniel returned to […]