Clip
Thanks for posting your clip, it was about twice the teaser as the first one. I wonder if they identified the skeleton, maybe it was the remains of the elusive Frank Martz?Originally Posted by Brian Kakuk
I was thinking that same thing.
Damn Brian, these guys are slipping. That time is opposite an episode of Lost. I mean, if the president can move his state of the union to avoid a conflict with Lost, why cant Nova?
Frank is not elusive. He has been in the same place for about 30 years.
"Have you ever noticed
When you're feeling really good
There's always a pigeon
That'll come shiat on your hood?" John Prine 4-7-2020
"Into the blue again; in the silent water
Under the rocks, and stones; there is water underground" Talking Heads
If you have an episode of something that's lost then what does it matter?
Regarding the Frank Martz comments...
Martz died while diving Blue Hole #4 with Jim Lockwood in Sept, 1971, after entering a deep (300-plus) vertical restriction and never returning.
IF the body found was Martz (Brian Kakuk is very familar with the Andros island blue holes, as he worked at AUTEC for several years as the DSO, they may have filmed there), would they recover the remains for burial? Frank was a bit of a "misanthrope", had no close family... I bet he would have preferred to be left where he was.
Brian, care to elaborate...did you guys film in that blue hole?
Correct me, but didn't Rob Parker die diving there as well?
Frank is in SB 4 (aka Benjamin's Blue Hole in south bight, Andros). Tom Mount has asked me to go and look for his friend several times, but when ever I go in there, I end up laying line instead....much more pleasant than doing a recovery.
Recovering Frank's bones would open up a huge can of worms, and as far as I know, no one other than Tom has formally asked that he be recovered.
As for Rob Palmer, he died on a deep air dive in the Red Sea durning a TDI conference in Egypt, a long way from Andros.
The remains of a diver that may end up on film is in a completely different area of Andros. This diver's family had specifically asked that he NOT be recovered as they believed he died doing something that he loved (diving and research). He was not a trained cave diver my any means. Unfortunately, someone recently found his remains and have disturbed them, which is a pitty. I wish Nat Geo/Nova had chosen more of the "up" aspects of our work instead of the danger and death aspect that can be part of our activity.
As for those who believe our activity is "perfectly safe as long as we are trained and stick by our protocols", I would disagree. I don't feel like what I do is as dangerous as many other activities, but the deaths and near misses that have accompanied our comunity througout the years proves otherwise. Please don't lul yourself into a false sense of security because you are still alive after many successful dives.
Sheck Exley once told me that when he was cave diving, he had what he called "controlled paranioa". He said that he would go into the dive thinking, "OK, the cave is going to try and get me, and I just have to try and figure out how and when, and be completely prepared for it when it does...and it will happen eventually".
My experience is not exactly the same, but similar. Once in a while I will be swimming down a passage and think of an off the wall scenario and then go through the motions of my response (i.e. HP Hose burst, freeflow reg, mis-programed computer(s), BC tear, etc.)
Don't get me wrong, I don't go swimming down the passage on every dive acting like Mort on Family guy (sorry for those of you who don't watch TBS), but I do give myself reality checks once in a while to keep an appropriate amount of attention to detail.
Nuff said.
Anyway, I hope that the cheezy title and the usual references to danger and death will not keep most of you from watching what I hope will be an visually amazing program showing some of the most highly decorated cave on earth.
Safe diving,
Brian
Bahamas Underground
www.bahamasunderground.com
Bahamas Caves Research Foundation
www.bahamascaves.com
Phone: (242) 359-6128
That is true.
But Rob Parker drowned in a Blue Hole on Andros. The cause was thought to be 'deep water blackout' a.k.a. exerting oneself while diving too deep on air.
Easy to get these damn Brits confused.
Andy
Ah, my bad, Parker not Palmer. Parker died in Four Sharks Blue Hole, which is at the extreme southern end of the Andros fracture cave system (miles from Benjamins). I recovered his body on 17 August 1997, two days after he died.
I'll read the posts a little more carefully from now on!
Safe diving,
B
Bahamas Underground
www.bahamasunderground.com
Bahamas Caves Research Foundation
www.bahamascaves.com
Phone: (242) 359-6128
Thanks for the clarifications, Brian...look forward to seeing the show!
I guided Rob Parker and Bill Stone in the early 80's at DiePolder 3 when they were just starting to dabble in mixed gas, (humerous, to this day, to have a guide (on air) watching over two guests, (on heliox), they were prepping for the Wakulla I Project) and was very saddened to hear of Rob's demise back in '97.
I can relate to the "controlled paranoia" aspect, it's a good mental attitude to have, IMHO.
I know that when I get the "go homes", it's time to call the dive, whether it's 500 ft. or 5000 ft. from daylight!
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks