Caves closed due to deaths

I looked and could not find amplifying data to show how many caves have actually been closed because someone died in it.

I know as cave divers it is on us to stress the dangers and attempt to educate OW divers and prevent incidents. It seems at least a portion of this motivation stems from the fear of the cave system being closed due to a death.

So my question is how many and what cave systems have ever been closed strictly due to deaths?

Or dynamited...

Do you want to count the ones where they used explosives to "close" the entrance to prevent further deaths? Quite a few of just those...

Ok like I said excuse my lack of knowledge. I knew Morrison was demoed to prevent deaths. But I did not know someone actually died there.

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Originally Posted by adam0321

Ok like I said excuse my lack of knowledge. I knew Morrison was demoed to prevent deaths. But I did not know someone actually died there.

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In one of Sheck Exley's books he writes about a sign that was at Morrison in 1967 with a replaceable number "8" to mark the amount of divers who died in the cave. A year later, after death number 9 and an extremely dangerours recovery, the Sheriff had the entrance to the cave dynamited.

There are many examples of caves closed by the owners after someone died diving in them and if I remember correctly, at some point in time a total ban of cave diving in the state of Florida was discussed.

Which caves other than Morrison were dynamited?

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Originally Posted by nakatomi

...at some point in time a total ban of cave diving in the state of Florida was discussed.

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While they never banned cave diving in the whole state, they did ban it at least two counties. The bans lasted for about 20 years. Both Gilchrist and Lafayette counties were closed to cave diving until around 10 years ago. The only reason Ginnie wasn't closed is because it was on private property.

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Originally Posted by nakatomi

In one of Sheck Exley's books he writes about a sign that was at Morrison in 1967 with a replaceable number "8" to mark the amount of divers who died in the cave. A year later, after death number 9 and an extremely dangerours recovery, the Sheriff had the entrance to the cave dynamited.

There are many examples of caves closed by the owners after someone died diving in them and if I remember correctly, at some point in time a total ban of cave diving in the state of Florida was discussed.

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I think that sign had a number in the upper twenties when i first dove there ~1978-9 ... definitely double digits

Cocodrilo was and had remained closed since Brendon Nappier died of CO poisoning in 2011.

I think Emerald was closed after a fatality before it was eventually reopened.

Perhaps Eagle's Nest, too? Not sure.

Mill Creek (Alachua Sink) was closed to diving after a fatality there. This was before the NSS owned the property and before a guide system worked with the NSS to negotiate with the city to re-open the cave to diving. It is still managed by a guide commitee that is under oversight of the NSS-CDS on behalf of the NSS (the property owners) quite successfully, I might add.