Little River Thieves

[cavediver256]

I guess this is what I'm talking about and in that one instance, a cave diver could be at real risk where maybe a $20 sign could have prevented it. I know signs would never stop the thieves.

So when we gonna go diving? hahaha I'll be leaving soon and I haven't got to meet you yet.

Well while it would suck to come back from a cave dive and find your O2 missing, I don't know if you would be at a truly life or death moment. You would definitely spend more time there than you had planned, but you could deco out on backgas. You would leave the water a little more cold and wrinkled than you had planned but alive and well.

Stage bottles should never be missing, IMHO, because they are far enough in that anyone finding those should know better than to take them. Anyone that takes a stage bottle should be given a good old fashion blanket party with pillow cases full of canned drinks !!!!!

What have ya got planned for the weekend????

[murfef]

work, might be able to be off next sunday though. We graduate on July 2nd. Should be leaving soon after that to move to Hawaii though. What did you have in mind?

[TerryK]

FYI, We were diving Little River today (Memorial Day Weekend) and while we were in the cave, three men were heard by our surface support lady that they were going into the hole to get our "extra" tanks. They did not get the tanks but left after coming out. They were driving an old red pickup (the one selling boiled peanuts), another an old blue van and the other older white car. I will be discussing this with some of my friends in the Suwannee County Sheriff's office. Since I live here, I will figure out who these guys are. Once we found out, we thought it might be appropriate to take them on a cave "tour". If you have better information, let me or the others know.
Thanks,
Mickey

Mickey, did you leave your deco bottles at ~20ft or did you take them down to where the main line begins? I have been dropping mine at the main line at LR and Ginnie to avoid the casual free-diving thieves. However, if these hard times are creating motivated thieves perhaps I need to carry deco bottles farther into the caves.

[ssmdive]

I've already been told how ignorant I am (on a regular basis by my wife LOL) so don't remind me but, before I got into cavern, I didn't know people would leave stage tanks and in my younger days might would have thought they were left/forgoten. Now, I hope that even in my wild and crazy stupidity filled younger days that I would have turned them in somewhere. But in a remote area I probably would have just figured, "if I don't get them someone else will!" So saying that I was a border line thief as a teenager, I believe signs would at least make people think twice or at least inform the more ignorant (to cavern/cave diving) people that taking the tanks could possibly kill someone. Nothing will ever stop all criminals but I feel that a sign would help. My dad always said "a lock doesn't stop anyone from stealing your things, it keeps an honest man honest." Just a little input from a dumb grunt.

The easy answer is if you didn't put it there.... Don't take it anywhere.

More likely your sign would just alert criminals to be that we leave stuff and they would wait for us to go in and then swoop in and take it.

You thinking that a criminal would not do something for the fear that it might hurt someone..... Wishful thinking.

[Hoska]

concrete block + chain + pad lock = less theft.

[icestac]

concrete block + chain + pad lock = less theft.

On the gear or the theives?

[sskasser]

On the gear or the theives?

Yes

[Benthic]

concrete block + chain + pad lock = less theft.

Is that really what we've come to? I certainly hope not. Why not just carry your gas far enough into the cave that swimmers can't reach it?

Of course, if we're talking about thefts by other divers then that's an entirely different (and in my opinion infinitely more serious) problem. But it's my impression that the majority of these types of incidents are perpetrated by non-divers.

Brian

[Mickey J. Jones]

Mickey, did you leave your deco bottles at ~20ft or did you take them down to where the main line begins? I have been dropping mine at the main line at LR and Ginnie to avoid the casual free-diving thieves. However, if these hard times are creating motivated thieves perhaps I need to carry deco bottles farther into the caves.

We left them in the crevices to the right at 28' (current river level) so they would not be easily gotten them.

Update. I talked to one of the Chief Investigators for Suwannee County (my neighbor) and he said that they would start working to ID the people. I told that others have had problems down there so if you have more info, let me know.
Thanks,
Mickey

[KarsticGator]

Is that really what we've come to? I certainly hope not. Why not just carry your gas far enough into the cave that swimmers can't reach it?

Of course, if we're talking about thefts by other divers then that's an entirely different (and in my opinion infinitely more serious) problem. But it's my impression that the majority of these types of incidents are perpetrated by non-divers.

Brian

Perhaps a sign saying "please breathe me, strawberry flavored 02", and leave that at the sign. you may find your tank, and any potential thief, there when you come back.