Cave Diving Fatality

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Diver drowns in Peacock Springs

Author: Yvette Hannon, Democrat Reporter
Publication Date: 2005-01-06

David Benjamin Jones, 34, of Newberry, went to Peacock Springs Jan. 4 to enjoy cave diving with his instructor and a friend but something went terribly wrong. Jones never made it out of the cave alive and left behind in his own handwriting his epitaph. When his body was recovered, he had written on a slate he carried the words, "I made a mistake."

Jones' instructor, Alan Heck, of Gainesville, and fellow student diver Gene Page of Micanopy were at the springs for Page to complete some training when the tragedy occurred.

According to a report filed by Suwannee County Sheriff’s Cpl. David Manning, Heck said he, Page and Jones had gone to Peacock Springs III to do some diving and complete a 'deep dive' Page needed. According to Heck, the plan was for the three divers to descend 185 feet to a cave system called 'Hendley's Castle.' Heck told Manning there are permanent ropes to guide divers in and out of the cave. Heck said all three divers carried 'buddy bottles' of compressed air, and Jones and Page dropped their bottles off at a decompression stop area approximately 400 - 500 feet from the entrance of the cave.

Heck told Manning that Jones was the only one using a single air tank system so Heck kept his 'buddy bottle' in case Jones needed it. Heck stated during the exit of the cave Jones was in front because he had a bright light. Page was in the middle because he did not have a bright light, and Heck was in the rear with his bright light.

The divers descended to Hendley's Castle, Heck said, but added he was surprised Jones descended with them. Heck told the deputy that Jones gave no indication of any problem and the three descended 185 feet. Heck said after completing the dive, the divers began their ascent and that was when Jones signaled he was running out of air. Heck said he then gave Jones his 'buddy bottle,' Jones signaled he was okay, and Jones headed toward the cave's exit, following the ropes on his own.

Heck stated Jones was 50 - 60 feet away when he and Page lost sight of Jones and assumed he was going to the surface. When Heck got to the decompression stop, he told the deputy he noticed Jones' 'buddy bottle' was in the same location where Jones left it. Heck said he assumed Jones had excited the water and went to the surface to check on Jones.

But, Jones was still inside the cave, and Heck went back in to look for him, first finding his buddy bottle, then his student inside a side tunnel. Meanwhile, Page had gone to call for help.

In spite of efforts to revive Jones when Heck located him, Heck said Jones was not breathing and eventually gave up and secured Jones' body to the guide rope inside the cave and returned to the surface to await help to retrieve the body.

The call came in to 911 dispatch at 2:04 p.m. from a fellow diver and Jacksonville fire fighter requesting help for an apparent drowning of a cave diver. The Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office, Fire/Rescue, Florida Park Service and Fire/Rescue supervisor Murel McDonald responded to the scene.

Rescue divers John Orlowski of Live Oak and Daniel Bouillon of Quebec, Canada brought Jones’ body to the surface at 3:35 p.m. Orlowski, Bill Williams and Reggie Ross of Gainesville were part of the team that conducted the recovery and paperwork afterward. Bill Williams and wife Dawn are instructor divers who were visiting the park from Pennsylvania.

Orlowski told Manning he found Jones inside the jump tunnel lying face down on the ground floor of the cave approximately 65 feet from the entrance of the jump tunnel and 1,000 feet from the entrance/exit of the cave. Other divers reported to Manning that Hendley's Castle is located approximately 700 - 800 feet from the entrance of the cave and depth starts at 55 feet and ends at 190 feet. Orlowski said Jones was wearing what divers call a slate and written on the second page of the slate were the words, "I made a mistake.

Heck stated that, "David never 'called the dive' which is an indicator to cease the dive and ascend immediately."

Jones' body was taken to the medical examiner's office in Jacksonville where cause of death will be determined.

The North Florida Cave and Technical Divers website posts safety warnings for potential cave divers to help prevent loss of life, which is rare among certified cave divers and more apt to happen to those not following the rules or not fully trained. Among the five warnings are 1) Be trained for cave diving and remain within the limits of your training, 2) Maintain a continuous guideline to the cave exit, 3) Keep two thirds of your starting gas volume in reserve to exit the cave, 4) Remain within the safest possible operating limits for your breathing media, and 5) Use three sources of light.

Why is proper training essential to safe cave diving? Because without proper training, you are sure to have a cave diving accident and become a statistic, says cavediving.org, a cave diving website site.

An investigation into the death is continuing.