Tragedy Strikes: The Short Gill Cave Incident – Remembering Diver Mark Fisher

Incident Location	Diver Names
United Kingdom, England, Short Gill Cave	Mark Fisher

Short Gill Cave is a unique and fascinating cave system located in Barbondale, a valley at the western edge of the Yorkshire Dales. The cave system is situated in a remote and rugged area of limestone hills and valleys and offers visitors a glimpse into the natural history and geology of this remarkable region.

The cave’s elevation of 830 ft (253 m) above sea level makes it one of the highest cave systems in the area, and its length of 1,801 ft (549 m) and depth of 69 ft (21 m) makes it one of the most accessible cave systems in the region. The cave is formed from Great Scar Limestone, a type of rock that is common in the Yorkshire Dales and Cumbria. The limestone was formed over 340 million years ago during the Carboniferous period when the area was covered by a shallow sea.

In addition to its natural beauty, Short Gill Cave is also home to a variety of wildlife, including several species of bats, insects, and spiders. The cave provides an important habitat for these creatures, many of which are endangered or rare. Exploring Short Gill Cave requires a certain level of skill and experience, as there are several tight squeezes and vertical drops that can be challenging to navigate.

Visitors are advised to only enter the cave with a qualified guide and appropriate equipment, as the cave can be dangerous and unpredictable.

Mark Fisher and his Passion for Diving

Mark Fisher is a 24-year-old American who is passionate about cave diving. He has loved diving ever since he was a kid and has won several swimming competitions for his high school. Mark’s love for diving grew as he got older, and he became a certified open-water diver. This allowed him to explore the ocean to a certain depth, which he found to be exhilarating. Being a passionate explorer, Mark has been to many places to dive and explore the underwater world.

Mark’s best friend, Dave Lucas, also shares his interest in diving. They often go on diving expeditions together, mostly to take photographs. However, being an open-water diver, Mark is aware of the dangers of cave diving and is not certified to dive into the depths of caves without a guide. Cave diving requires specialized training and certification as it involves navigating through underwater caves and tight spaces with low visibility. It is a risky activity that can be fatal if not done correctly. All who embark on this venture understand the risks involved and always make sure to follow the proper safety protocols.

The Ill-Fated Dive into Short Gill Cave

Mark Fisher and his best friend Dave Lucas decided to go cave diving at Short Gill Cave. Passion can be an exciting feature in humans, but when used for the wrong cause, it can be dangerous. Open-water diving and cave diving are two distinct types of scuba diving, and they differ significantly in terms of the environment and skills required. Open-water diving is the most common type of scuba diving and involves diving in open bodies of water such as oceans, lakes, and rivers.

On the other hand, cave diving is a more specialized form of diving that requires additional skills and training. Cave divers explore underwater cave systems, which can be dark, narrow, and filled with obstacles. Cave divers are required to have advanced skills in buoyancy control, propulsion techniques, and underwater communication. They also need specialized equipment, such as reels and lights, to navigate through the cave system and to handle emergencies in the event of equipment failure or loss of visibility.

Generally, cave diving is considered one of the most challenging types of diving due to the risks involved, such as getting lost, running out of air, or getting entangled in equipment or cave features. Despite their knowledge of the distinct features of both open-water diving and cave diving, Mark and Dave decided to embark on this dive without informing any experts because they wanted to explore the beautiful Short Gill Cave and wanted no restrictions on their journey. A dangerous decision that they might later regret.

Tragedy Strikes in the Depths

They got to the dive site in the early morning and kitted up in their scuba gear. This includes a mask, fins, and a regulator that allows a diver to breathe compressed air from a tank. They also had dive lights attached to their helmets, a dive computer, a line and reel to mark their path as they moved through the underwater passages, dive knives, and a buoyancy compensator to adjust their buoyancy. They also decided to follow the rule of thirds. This suggests that divers should plan their dives so that they use one-third of their breathing gas supply to reach a particular point in the cave, one-third to return to the entrance, and one-third as a reserve in case of an emergency. They went over their dive plan and map of the cave.

Their dive plan was to dive to a certain depth, go their separate ways to take photographs, and meet at a rendezvous point exactly 25 minutes after taking the pictures. They began their dive at 8:35 a.m., following the guideline that had been laid by previous divers. Things were going as planned. Dave went east, and Mark dove west. However, when it was almost time to go back and meet at the rendezvous point, Mark sighted a sump. He thought he could explore it a bit before going to meet Dave. Unfortunately, he lost track of time or was carried away by his enthusiastic spirit.

At that time, Dave got to the rendezvous point but never saw Mark. He was worried but decided to wait for a few minutes. He checked his remaining air and saw that they had a few minutes left before they should start returning to the surface. However, Mark had become physically wedged while trying to push the tight, unexplored sump. He started panicking and started frantically trying to free himself. “What had he done?” he thought. He could have just let his friend know of his discovery and had him there with him to assist.

After a while, he noticed that he was way over his one-third of air reserve and should get back. In that moment of trying to free himself, he began kicking up silt, and panic set in. Soon enough, he was losing visibility. He had to let go of the guideline to free himself, and this was dangerous because he could easily get lost and go in the wrong direction. Being stuck in a low-visibility condition with low air pressure is one of the worst situations any diver could ever find himself in. At this moment, Mark was running on one-third of his air reserve. But he never gave up. He continued trying and got weaker in the process.

Meanwhile, when Dave saw that he had started using the air reserve, he panicked. Where could his friend be? Then he decided to check up on him. As he swam in Mark’s direction, he noticed that the area’s visibility had drastically reduced. He could go no further than leaving his friend and getting help before he ran out of air. He followed the guidelines and left with a fear-filled heart.

When he got to the surface, he alerted Short Gill Cave’s authorities. Immediately, calls were made, and a rescue team was assembled. However, as they dove in Mark’s direction, they noticed that the area had zero visibility. They couldn’t go any further, but they waited until the silty situation had subsided. They waited for six hours and were eventually able to get to the sump where Mark got stuck. He was lifeless and still stuck. He had run out of air. They tried, but they couldn’t pull him out. So, they eventually had to pump the sump out, and the body was recovered with much effort.

After the body had been retrieved and an analysis conducted, it was determined that Mark had gotten stuck and, in the process of trying to free himself, kicked up silt. He lost his orientation, and his air reserves ran out until he drowned. Judging from what had happened, one could see that several things went wrong. First, they never should have gone on that dive because they were open-water divers. They lacked the knowledge and skills for such a dive.

Secondly, they should have dived together because diving alone for less experienced divers can be fatal. If they had been together, there would have been a higher chance of survival. Perhaps Dave would have advised against exploring the sump because of their lack of experience. Lastly, they should have stuck to the dive plan. Mark saw that it was almost time to meet at the rendezvous point, but he chose to go against the rules, and unfortunately, he paid the price with his life.

Remembering Mark Fisher

It was a sad experience, and the extremely daring nature of two young divers caused the world to lose a young diver who was full of life. Mark Fisher was survived by his mother, father, and little sister. His friend Dave missed him greatly. He blamed himself for what happened and vowed never to return to diving.

Before your next dive, consider insurance – it’s like having a dive buddy for unexpected challenges. Dive safe, dive covered. Explore options here

FAQ