Cow Crime

[wingman]

Just ran into two very nice cave divers from the UK at ginnie (i had loaned them a primary to get to the white room a couple of days ago). They told me that their vehicle was broken into yesterday while they were diving cow. The window was smashed and a digital camera plus other stuff was stolen while they dove. Welcome to cave country...precautions when diving remote sites advised. Bill Huth

[Rich]

Just ran into two very cave divers from the UK at ginnie (i had loaned them a primary to get to the white room a couple of days ago). They told me that their vehicle was broken into yesterday while they were diving cow. The window was smashed and a digital camera plus other stuff was stolen while they dove. Welcome to cave country...precautions when diving remote sites advised. Bill Huth

Man, that sucks, I hope it doesn't become a regular thing!!

However, speakin' of cow crimes, how about this.....

http://www.cowabduction.com

Safe diving,

Rich

[Signal 20]

thats really wierd. i never knew cow to be much of a locals hang out. whoever did it must have followed them there or something.

[Serota]

I was there a couple of weeks ago and while we were packing up some guys on atvs made several slow passes by the gate looking us over. I remember thinking then, that I was glad we were leaving rather than just getting in the water.

[Cindy]

When I used to dive there prior to the fence and posting I nearly always ran into local people swimming at Cow. Not just kids drinking beer but families. I felt kind of bad when it was fenced and they went away. I met some very nice people there. I do tend to be a bit of a polyanna though. I never have had problems at any dive site but most of the locals know me and I always stop and chat. Sometimes we fence these places and keep out the "good" locals and only the lawbreakers end up going to them. I think Cow is quite a nice place to visit because it's so isolated. Guess I'll take more care now. Frankly at Alachua we have taken a different approach. By cutting a path for the locals to walk and encouraging people to go there and see the sink has cut way down on garbage and damage. A few nice eduational signs at both places might be another good idea. We are going to be sharing our spings with the public very soon. We either need to involve the local people in helping us protect and enjoy them or end up fighting a losing battle with them. Just my 2 cents for the day. I'm cleaning house and bored. Cindy

[bmwcaves]

Very Good point Cindy.

We sometimes want to close and gate these sites because we beleive we are we are the only ones that care about them and can protect it, when in fact, we do need to make it accesible to the locals. While discouraging unsafe practices like cave diving whitout the proper training, etc. but still encouraging other non-destructive uses, we all benefit. This scenario at Cow seems to prove just that.
I too used to dive Cow back when more locals hung out there as a picnic spot and never had a problem.

We gate dry caves to keep out vandals but sometimes it just makes the vandals more determined to screw up the resource.
However, with the growing population and their affect on these fragile environs, it's a difficult balance to acheive.

A work in progress

Brian

[curtschu]

Cindy's post reminds me of the Madison situation when it was purchased by the folks that owned Devils Den. Lots of conflicts with the locals that had been swimming out there for years without paying. Oh well times change I just hope this is not a look at thing to come.

[Angie Reim]

Good point. A remote location does not equal secure. The best time to dive Telford is when the local families are hooting and hollering it up there. Expecially if some are sitting around a campfire with the mama's and the babies at the top of the hill. I make a point of parking right where they can all see my truck. I chat with them and so far (finger's crossed) I've had no trouble. It's worth the annoyance and seeing things you'd rather not to avoid losing gear - cause losing gear really hurts on the inside.

It's on the quiet Sunday morning when one or two of the young punks are sitting around having a 'hair from the dog' that I think you at most risk of losing your stuff.

Just my 0.02

Angie

[JE]

Just ran into two very nice cave divers from the UK at ginnie (i had loaned them a primary to get to the white room a couple of days ago). They told me that their vehicle was broken into yesterday while they were diving cow. The window was smashed and a digital camera plus other stuff was stolen while they dove. Welcome to cave country...precautions when diving remote sites advised. Bill Huth

***Time_Line: Winter of 1981.....>The Green Sink {Layfayette Blue} System/Luraville Florida

This was my third cave dive & we had parked our GMC Van as close to the main sink as we could get to un-load our gear. My younger brother was the last to get into the water after checking the doors on his van. There were three of us on this dive. We completed our bubble & light cks, & were performing our 'S' drills when two 'local's showed up on the bank of the spring basin. They asked if we were diving-! I thought that a strange question to be asking as we all had dive gear on-! I looked hard at the two locals & then asked why do they want to know-? They said they were going fishing & didn't wish to disturb us-? I took personal note of their profiles & can still remember them to this day-! We made our 40 minute dive, & then egressed from the main tunnel to the basin, where we did a 15 minute safety deco & then surfaced. My brother was the first out of the water & he immediately went to his van: Two minutes later he yelled out: "We've been robbed"-! The van had been loaded with camera & dive gear along with our wallets. The side door had been broken into & our two local fishing experts had helped themselves to the cash in our wallets........>though they didn't bother with the gear or credit cards-! To say the least, we were pissed off-! I have not forgotten what these thieves look like, & still hope to have them cross my path someday in cave country. I wonder if it is the same locals that are breaking into our other members vehicles-? I won't say what I may do if I recognize them, but 'Gator_Bait' may be too kind of a pay off for them-!
Today, when I go diving, I drive an older van, & leave nothing in it to be 'eyed' for profit by the local thieves. Everything goes with me in the water, & if they want to steal my 'old' empty van, that is their ticket to Hell-! Beware, thieves......YOU are Noted-! & will ultimately pay the price for your grand larceny-! Guareenteed-!

signed: The cave diver your mother warned you about-!

[Kelly Jessop]

, when in fact, we do need to make it accesible to the locals.

I'll never forget the locals who I found just short of the downstream sign who were only geared in mask,fins,and snorkle. The had placed cylume sticks in all the air pockets to illuminate where they were,and were sticking the snorkles in these pockets for air.