RIP Brett B Hemphill

[gschaut]

Becky Kagan Schott is reporting that Brett B Hemphill passed away today.

No details at this time.

[AlexL]

No details at this time.

Suspected medical event during a dive. Ongoing recovery and investigation at this time.

I was not close to Mr Hemphill, but many in the cave country cohort were. He will be sorely missed.

[cavedivingwoman]

Very sorry to see this. RIP, Brett, and wishing peace and condolences to his family and friends.

[Terry D]

A very, very sad event. RIP

[CamG]

Thoughts and prayers to family and friends.
Journey on.

[Six Feet Under]

RIP, Brett. I'm glad I was able to go to the presentation he and the other KUR guys put on at Weeki Wachee this summer... the world will be a dimmer place without him in it, that's for sure.

[Arctic Mike]

Very sad to hear. Condolences to his friends and family

[MORGAN]

Very sad news. Our condolences to hios family and friends.


Mike & Tracy

[aa3jy]

#FLICON #OUTOFSTATE #TX
��FL CAVE DIVER PRESUMED DEAD IN TX CAVE��

Acclaimed cave diver and explorer Brett Hemphill is assumed dead while exploring the Phantom Springs cave system in Texas yesterday. Not much information has been released. In 2013, his team explored more than 465 feet deep and almost 8,000 feet back in the cave of Phantom Springs. It was estimated he may have been further than 570 feet down this dive then never resurfaced.

Brett Hemphill has been diving since 12. At the age of 14, he attended a youth dry cave excursion. While the others slept, Brett and two trip counselors managed to find a yet undiscovered section of the cave. This discovery, small as it may have been, stayed with Brett for many years.

During the early nineties, many cave divers throughout Florida believed undiscovered caves were all but a thing of the past. Using redundant no-mount and side-mount techniques Brett began to probe and explore every small spring and tidal vent within a fifty-mile radius of his home in central Florida. After the discovery of several significant underwater caves, Brett formed HYDRO GEO Environmental Research in 1994 with Michael Garman, Sheri Garman, and Rudy Strum. This group studied explored and documented several coastal underwater caves in central Florida throughout the nineties bringing a new appreciation and awareness for central Florida underwater caves.

One of his favorite spots to dive was Weeki Wachee Springs in Hernando County.

He will be missed by the diving community. He will be remembered.

#FloridaScanner

[Six Feet Under]

Per KUR, he has been recovered as of last night. They said they will release a statement once they have all of the information and analyze it. Glad his recovery operation went safely for all those involved.