Ben's Vortex

[RebreatherPro.com]

Clarification: Jill Heinerth did several solo dives at Vortex, searching for some evidence of Ben near the back, a month before the video dives with Paul Heinerth. On these dives she penetrated deeper into the cave than the dives with the video cameras and lights. For the dives that are in the film, Paul continued much further. So, for those of you keeping score: According to reports Edd went the furthest, then Paul and Jill.

[Diveski01]

Very plausible that this guy went in, drowned, and was removed and disposed of to avoid a lawsuit..... no body, no death, no lawsuit. It makes a lot more sense than him faking his own death and trying to disappear and reemerge back into society as a different person. That takes a lot of money, a lot of discipline, and at least a reasonable amount of intelligence, and from the story I get, those are qualities Ben McDaniel didn't possess.

It's not really that difficult if everyone believes the suicide attempt, even with no body. Our minister left his car, shoes, and glasses at the banks of the Ohio River. He was deathly afraid of water so everyone assumed he jumped in and drowned and the body was trapped under debris downstream. He left a wife and child high and dry. He surfaced a few years later to claim health insurance after leading another life in Miami. All it took was a lover with a home and a job to support him. No one looked for him, so he got away with it until he decided to return.

[Half-Fast]

Our minister left his car, shoes, and glasses at the banks of the Ohio River. He was deathly afraid of water so everyone assumed he jumped in and drowned ...

I'm guessing he wasn't a Baptist...

[Benderr]

I'm guessing he wasn't a Baptist...

All it took was a lover with a home and a job to support him.

Not so sure about that Half.....

[gianaameri]

This is apparently footage of Ben in Vortex springs, about 2 weeks prior to his disappearance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbyoBlQtjNU&feature=plcp

Look for the sidemount diver with the white helmet. In my opinion his equipment pretty much matches that of a photo of him in sidemount gear, which can be found here: http://www.commercialappeal.com/news...re-to-the-end/

He looks a happy chap and the part... although a bit all over the place (yet not silting up of the cave).

I'd say no sign of clinical depression at the time of the video (30 July 2010)... and he disappeared two weeks later!!!

I wonder if the "Doctor" in the DVD whom had never met Ben in person (and yet was so ready to issue a "diagnosis" in public) had at least seen the youtube video of Ben taken soon before his disappearance.

[Half-Fast]

I'd say no sign of clinical depression at the time of the video (30 July 2010)...

Help me out here. How do you spot clinical depression in a video of a diver underwater?

[gianaameri]

Help me out here. How do you spot clinical depression in a video of a diver underwater?

No attempts to self-harm and no withdrawal either.

A normal happy diver.

Now, if the "Doctor" had said he was "bipolar" - then there is a possibility he was on a "high."

BUT I think (cannot remember exactly) the "Doctor" was leaning towards the depressive state and made no mention of a bipolar state.

A bipolar state could justify a sudden shift into depression from the normal happy chap Ben appears on the youtube video.

Certainly, you cannot diagnose any abnormal mental condition without meeting the patient and there is no sign of abnormal psychological behaviour in the youtube video either.

I wonder if Jill can tell us exactly what he was taking (prescribed) and the dose, if anything at all, on or about the time of the youtube video and his disappearance soon thereafter (as this is a central aspect to Jill's DVD).

P.S. Whatever he was on (if anything) was working good!

[Half-Fast]

No attempts to self-harm and no withdrawal either.

A normal happy diver.

I don't know much about it, but many years ago I dated a lady who had clinical depression (some would say that dating me would make anyone depressed, but let's stay on topic). When she was skydiving, she was a normal happy skydiver. She had no inclination toward harming herself. It took an activity with the intensity of skydiving to break her out of her depressed state for a little while.

[SuPrBuGmAn]

This is apparently footage of Ben in Vortex springs, about 2 weeks prior to his disappearance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbyoBlQtjNU&feature=plcp

Look for the sidemount diver with the white helmet. In my opinion his equipment pretty much matches that of a photo of him in sidemount gear, which can be found here: http://www.commercialappeal.com/news...re-to-the-end/

The youtube video you posted has him in AL80s, the photo in the second pic has him in HP130 steels.

[Slüdge]

his equipment

For as long as I live I will never get over his use of a brass fill adaptor to mount his yoke first stage to his 300BAR valve. That is without a doubt the most retarded thing I have ever seen a "technical diver" do.