Statement from the Chairman regarding the Eagles Nest incident.

[Jim Wyatt]

Actually, I have had a couple of great experiences in this area. One time really stands out. I overheard a couple of guys talking about doing the Catfish to Manatee run one day and could tell at least was not certified for it. I struck up a conversation. It ended with them doing a fun OW dive and signing up for a cavern class. And yes, they did say "Thanks!" Actually, they've said it several times since then. It can happen.

I am sure many of us have had this experience. I recall a couple of times at Ginnie and once at Peacock where divers were getting ready to dive and clearly were not prepared. Approaching divers on the surface getting ready to dive is a LOT easier than intervening when they are already in the water headed for glory...

Good stuff!!

[JohnAd]

Sometimes it is obvious, and sometimes it isn't. I remember one of my training dives at Ginnie Springs, when I was emerging from the depths on my way out the eye. When I entered the room where we had stashed our deco bottles, there was a guy standing in the middle of the room with a single tank and split fins. I was pretty sure he as not a certified cave diver. On the other hand, if I had seen the father and son preparing to enter Eagles Nest on Christmas day, would I have noticed anything that would have made me think of intervening? I doubt it.

In a situation like that, the time and place to act is between the dives, and that is tough. If I had information that the two were doing those dives, what would I do? I suspect that if I talked to them, they would blow me off. It has been suggested that the people to talk to are the family. Well, by all reports the father's fiancée thought they were great divers who put safety first. I suppose I could sit down with her and disabuse her of that notion, but what truly are the odds of success there?

It is all well and good to do the right thing and act, but in trying to do the right thing, we sometimes don't have a lot of options.

[MichaelAngelo]

I had two insidents but the same. Both times I was exiting Devils Ear as ow water divers were entering. I just blocked thier way not touching them, they went right I went right, they went left I went left all time my light directly in thier eyes. The remains of my four tanks lasted longer then thier single 80 then they left. They bitched to security and was told to leave.

[Jax]

Goobermint has a saying, "See something, say something."

So say something. But don't play scuba police.

[Kelly Jessop]

Goobermint has a saying, "See something, say something."

So say something. But don't play scuba police.

I agree,scuba police with physical effort is forbidden.

Ginnie is great because there is security on site.

What about Peacock? I was coming out of OG once,and encountered 2 OW divers with lights approx. 300ft back in the system. I met them on the surface and told them that is against park rules,and dangerous. I got told many things,least of which was mind my own business. I ceased my verbal comments,and took pictures of them and their license plates with my phone. I have never seen people pack up gear so fast,and leave.

[Jax]

Good job, but be careful! Some will get pushy and violent.

I have also hear, "Ask them for the name and phone number of their next of kin."

You could lie (if it is one) and tell them you are part of the body recovery team . . .

[Kelly Jessop]

You could lie (if it is one) and tell them you are part of the body recovery team . . .

Always felt one thing that could have been added to "Deceptively Easy Way to Die",was the recovery divers taking dive gear of the deceased and stashing it in their trunk before law enforcement shows up. Amazing,people would be more outraged their gear would be stolen from them when dead and act as deterrent,versus just the stupidity of entering and overhead environment.

[spelodiver]

I was getting in the devils system many years ago and ran head to head with three guys with snorkels and lift bags. One of the three had a light. My buddies and I showed them the way out. We were at peacock 1 the next day and met them In the peanut tunnel with 1 light and this time we escorted them to the exit. We took a lot of #### but Shellie backed up my buddy when they talked to her. She ask them to leave and took the plate #.


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[FW]

I have talked several divers out of going in a cave in shabby OW gear. One was "teaching" his buddies how to cave dive. I suggested if he wanted to be an instructor that he should go to an institute. He actually did, and later became president of the NACD

Sadly there was one hard head teaching his son to dive in the headpool at Peacock. The poor kid was only about 11, with no exposure protection, and the tank was way to big for him. Later that day, I recovered the father from the Well tunnel.

If you see someone going into Devil's or Peacock that is obviously not trained, simply report them. GSO is really quick to enforce their rules, and also the Rangers at the parks.

[Kelly Jessop]

the Rangers at the parks.

Good comments Forrest.
State parks have been forced to release much of their part time help,so in the off season there is less visibility,and budget cuts will assure that during the year too. This makes it very tempting to break the rules because the park management isn't in constant supervision.But,rangers can ask people to stop,but have no enforcement capacity (no guns,cuffs etc),so they have to call DEP law enforcement,which could be 50+ miles away,and not able to respond quickly. The good news is most people don't know that,so saying I am going to call the Ranger can elicit the response you want.