Solari’s Last Dive - What Went Wrong?

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[@mirandahotspring4019]

As a dive instructor I used to tell my students if they forget all else remember these six words. "Plan your dive, dive your plan!" They broke this rule when they had used one third of their air and decided to keep going!

[@wioi]

They sure did!

[@jeffreyhemphill3831]

As an instructor I tell the kids "Heros get remembered, but legends never die", then I shove them off the boat.

[@alias177]

as a commercial diver in the gulf of mexico, scuba nerds need more training. most are incompetent to begin with and think they are cool just because they can scuba...bhahahaa

[@mirandahotspring4019]

@@alias177 As a commercial diver you have a dive plan checked by a dive supervisor, have a safety diver on standby, a ROV watching you work, medical facilities, and a recompression chamber on site. As a recreational scuba instructor I have no one to check my dive plan, no safety diver on standby, no ROV watching me, no medical facilities, and nearest recompression chamber probably several hours away. In addition I am also responsible for up to eight absolute idiots who have only had a couple of hours pool training.

[@giggiddy]

​@@mirandahotspring4019Idiots is a perfect description. They all have that stupid smirk on their face hoping to get some really edgy pictures to put on Facebook. Safety and listening to you is way down the list. Which is why when one ends up doing something stupid and doesn't return to the boat. Its simply just thinning the herd.

[@daveclarke6481]

Deciding to break the rule of thirds is a conscious act of insanity.

[@maximumeffort78]

Absolutely agree!

[@EM.1]

Not insanity but $tüp!d!ty!

[@cyberleaderandy1]

Stupidity and getting carried away with a hunt for glory

[@EM.1]

@@cyberleaderandy1 amazing I got notification of your comment even if YT has language police algorithms!

[@gmonkman]

They had a reserve tank. I don't know how difficult/risky it is to swap underwater though? I presume it can be reliably done, otherwise i'm not understanding why they even took it with them and ran down to 50% at all.

[@billcallahan9303]

In my opinion, this presenter is the best on KZbin & elsewhere. Incredibly able to make sense of & simplify complicated scenarios to the general public. Very well done sir!

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks, I really appreciate that

[@twalicek]

@@waterlinestories i agree! hope to see more cave diving stories from you too!

[@Transberrylemonaid]

@@waterlinestoriesAgreed! Thank you for your hard work in bringing us these stories. That the people are not forgot, and the lessons shared.

[@neilbeesley8758]

atlest he is not ai

[@keananpaul8494]

Edmund fitzegerald enjoyers got all up in arms on one of his videos lol

[@ramblingriver]

I just can't understand why someone continues after 50% of the air is gone, or even 33%! Even if you find an air pocket, it's not like you can pump air back into the tanks. Another great episode.

[@bluebelle8823]

I understand it. He was a man who wanted to leave a mark on the world and a discoverer. It is a whole other mindset, it it meant pushing limits and taking risks. He just lost sight of self preservation.

[@Jackeryyrekcaj]

@@bluebelle8823so an idiot?

[@Corinne-v9c]

I think somewhere in their head/mind is a secret death wish of some kind. There's no other way to explain why they would take some of the risks they did. It is not logical nor intelligent. I know it takes different types to make the world go round, but for the life of me I don't get taking those risks for underwater caves. I mean, like for explorers looking for new lands/continents in the past...somehow I "understand" that. Like Shackleton going to Antarctica..yes..& he came so close to death, too. But for a cave that no one else would really even have the opportunity to see & know what risks were taken for such a closed-off place? Nah.

[@suzyrottencrotch5132]

@@bluebelle8823lol….

[@foo219]

@@bluebelle8823 A discovery is only worthwhile if you come back to report on it. Otherwise you end up as just a statistic.

[@skullsaintdead]

Damn Farr got really lucky, going past 1/3rd, even beyond 1/2 tank supply is insane & then even wanting to search in the 4th pocket after hours of waiting... If his mate hadn't of cut the line, they'd surely both have died. Its incredible how fallible humans are to confirmation bias & our desire to 'complete' the job, forgoing our own safety requirements.

[@foo219]

Don't you mean the sunk cost fallacy? "I've gone so far, I can't turn back now."

[@johnellisonarmadilloconstr7966]

Even if they would have made it to another section unexplored… who cares? You found another nothing woohoo.

[@skullsaintdead]

@@foo219 Its both (& thank you for reminding me of the other logical fallacy I couldn't remember at the time). Confirmation bias = I want my friend to be alive, so I'll wait for hours in a air pocket, even venture back into the water despite having _less than 1/2 gas left_ (!) & only when evidence surfaces that undoubtedly points to his demise & my inability to find him (rope cut), will I rethink my biases (e.g. now I know he's dead & I'm in peril). Logical fallacies often overlap.

[@foo219]

@@skullsaintdead You're making me wish I had studied more logic and debating. I know some countries have debating clubs and such, but it's not really a thing here sadly. Still, it's always a treat to have a rare civil discussion in the KZbin comments, and with someone clearly better educated.

[@skullsaintdead]

@@foo219 Bless, that's very kind. Thank you, too, for your thoughtful contribution to the discussion. Initially, I never much enjoyed public speaking at school or part-way into uni, but this was just because I have rosacea & my face would get red when I spoke up (you can actually feel your heartbeat in the redness of your face - its painful tbh, plus the awful look of it, hated my skin to the pont of body dysmorphia; I'm very pale which I like, just not the redness (& acne back then); blue eyes, blonde hair makes rosacea worse, somewhat rare look esp for an Aussie chick). But, then I got a medication called Deralin which stopped my face going red, part-way through uni. I remember the 1st time i look it for a presentation, I was actually enjoying my time on stage! Now I love giving talks, speaking in groups etc. Incredible what physiological responses can do to stifle creativity & self-confidence. There's this really good, short video on KZbin called 'Locical fallacies explained' something along those lines. It breaks down all the logical fallacies we encounter in our lives. Very interesting. Highly reccomend!

[@Melanie16040]

As a cave diver, you got an instant thumbs up when you pointed out that we are responsible for ourselves when we enter a cave. At no point should we have less than twice what is necessary to make it out of a cave from where we are by ourselves unless there has been a failure.

[@jackgoff4859]

Anyone doing this type of thing should sign a waiver so that taxpayers don't have to pay a 200 person crew to rescue their bad decisions.

[@ratulxy]

​@@jackgoff4859nonsense.

[@SlimSlashie]

Unless I'm reading it wrong, your comment makes you sound reckless. (Now if you're talking about solo cave diving... ignore this, because that's just foolish.) You said you're a cave diver so I figure you're trained, which means I figure you're smart enough to not go solo, which means you look out for your dive buddy, and they look out for you. I guess the part that's reckless is the "make it out by ourselves" part. That is a catastrophic event that we all hope never happens, but if we're together we can survive (some) catastrophic events. Unless, I mean, like, "dude's eaten by a shark, and I will be to unless..." (Which won't happen in a cave...) Now, like I said, if you're diving caves alone, go for it. To me, it's just not worth the risk, but you do you, and I wish you the best, and yeah, ignore everything I said and be safe. You dive rebreathers or straight tanks?

[@tonfleuren3536]

@@jackgoff4859 Most divers nowadays have special insurance to cover accidents, to cover both the rescue and emergency medical aid (such as a hyperbaric chamber). Are you sure you never do anything that could result in you having to be rescued?

[@nodidog]

​@@jackgoff4859 You'd agree that the same waivers should be signed before travelling in a car too, right?

[@loobielou6965]

Gadz, I found myself holding my breath multiple times during this. Honestly can not understand why people do this for "fun" 😨

[@Maxine1630]

Oh my goodness me too!!

[@uok5598]

Gadz is an awfully underrated term, how have I never heard it before? 😂

[@diapysik]

​@@uok5598never heard gadzooks?

[@NeuroDeviant421]

Yeah. You have to be very good AND very lucky.

[@Corinne-v9c]

I am beyond convinced that cave divers that go to such extremes & push the boundaries between life & death to razor-thin margins, have to have a secret death wish of some kind.

[@markbowles2382]

Really excellent professional work - no hype - just serious, respectful and informative while relating the circumstances as apparently truthful AND acknowledging all guesses and presumptions and any shortfalls of evidence - well done sir.

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks. That's what I'm aiming for. Glad to see some glimpses shining through. 👍🏻

[@justahuman8790]

I once dropped my lighter behind my bed. I had to get on my knees stretching as far as possible, carefully avoiding all pots and socks. We are basically the same.

[@stuartgmk]

😅😅😅

[@andykitchen5225]

Lol

[@K1lostream]

You can’t leave us on a cliffhanger like this! Did you find the lighter? Or does it remain lost to this day, buried under a sock-fall?

[@catsupremacyy]

@@K1lostream Exactly!! We need to know the truth. THE WORLD DESERVES TO KNOW

[@maivaiva1412]

pots??????

[@LowlyGamer]

My Dad was a diver and rebreather instructor for many years. I'm glad I didn't find this channel while he was still diving otherwise I'd have been constantly worried about him.

[@jacobpittman2250]

This is one of your very best Brother!!! Great stuff, Riveting

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks mate. 👌🏻

[@Tscaperock]

If you are in a cave with half of a tank of gas, you are planning to die! You always have a reserve when diving a cave.

[@LovinIt-1980]

Always enjoy the Waterline content! This one had me squirming in my chair during the second half. Why individuals would do this is beyond me. There's just no way I could do something like this without panicking. Keep up the great work!

[@johnnunn8688]

There are some totally AMAZING sights in cave systems. I’ll just look at the pics, thanks. Wild horses etc.

[@jacekatalakis8316]

Makes me wonder if something like Google Earth for cave diving exists. After all if you can climb Everest, virtually, how much data would you need to make a Google Street View type thing for caves to virtually explore them without ever setting foot in one?

[@johnnunn8688]

@@jacekatalakis8316 no need, plenty of cave diving films on KZbin.

[@Brandon_Agil]

I wouldn’t do that if you paid me for it but doing that for fun is crazy

[@Brianx42O]

Get your open water! There is a whole other world to explore, on our own planet! Diving is fun and safe as long as you dive your plan!

[@Morbazan125]

I know the whole point is that feeling of adventure and discovery but one of the places where specialist drones would come in really helpful would be caving/cave diving.

[@DYESIX]

Especially since it would eliminate situations and what ifs like this. They'd still be the first person in the cave but they wouldn't risk their life. He did say that cavers don't dive without redundancies now but still...

[@johnnunn8688]

Drones cost money, I doubt many cavers have any spare. One would need underwater and above water drones. How big would a drone have to be, to carry, say, an air cylinder? You’ve not thought this through, have you?

[@DYESIX]

@@johnnunn8688 The idea isn't for the divers themselves to pay for the drones but rather a preliminary exploration to be done by an alternate authority (or sure the divers if they have the funds for it) before divers are even sent in. Also submersible drones have been utilized in similar situations and are entirely suitable for this use and would not need to carry an air cylinder period, let alone for people who would not be traversing the area in the cave its exploring until its done? You really are just being an absolute ass over an innocent idea in a KZbin comment section aren't you? Insufferable.

[@Morbazan125]

@@johnnunn8688 yeah I totally understand what you’re saying, of course there’d be engineering and monetary challenges so not necessarily a case that everyone would be able to do it and even then I wouldn’t want them to totally replace human exploration but still think it could be a worthwhile line of research and development for some cases. I’m just a viewer of this kinda thing, you’d never get me going anywhere like these people go so I will never truly understand.

[@maddeeps5520]

@@johnnunn8688 I don't think he means drones to bring supplies... I think what he was trying to refer to was just carrying a small ROV that you can just send down ahead of you into these unmapped sumps to scout if there is even an air pocket on the other end to swim to. Obviously it brings it's own logistical challenge because you'd need to get all that through the sumps and caves preceding where the unknown begins and even a small ROV still needs a long spool of cable to power it

[@chillidogkev]

Absolutely enthralling account of this adventure that sadly resulted in the loss of a man's life. Your presentation and delivery of the facts and events as they unfolded is brilliant. 10/10

[@devun1999]

Commenting for the algorithm, Absolutely love these videos, thank you so much!

[@mestep511]

Hard to get past my crippling claustrophobia and watch. Great story told very well. You’re good at this.

[@cz964]

I am super impressed at how young you are and yet with so much knowledge! This is so fascinating.

[@waterlinestories]

thanks but I’m not that young. 🤣 . But it is kind of you to say.

[@Votrae]

Your skill in illustrative writing is outstanding. With diving, you don't need to look far back in history to see shocking differences in diver planning, discipline, and equipment. My heart goes out to family of the deceased

[@BrenMurphy1]

outrageous ego

[@larryfromwisconsin9970]

I learned to SCUBA dive in 1974 and in 2006 I did training through Divemaster. I have done cave and wreck diving and lived. It's about training and discipline. Hit the limit and turn around. Live to dive another day.

[@Christiaanwebb]

This channel is awesome. Thank you!

[@delilahboa]

It’s times like this I find myself happy to be a scaredy cat 🙀…. I couldn’t, I wouldn’t and I definitely shouldn’t because panic would be an understatement for my reaction in that situation…..great storytelling Waterline Stories xx❤xx

[@Jenna_Miles]

God this is a harrowing story. I can’t imagine turning back when that big discovery you’re owed could be just a little further. Nor can I imagine risking going ahead. Especially given the state of equipment they were working with compared to what’s available these days. And the horror Farr must have felt realising his mate was still following him… You’ve gotten very good at relaying stories like this factually but without losing the emotional gravity. On ya, mate 🙏🙏 From, your friend, Jenna

[@OmegaPaladin144]

You have the best perspective on diving incidents anywhere on KZbin. I once had a technical diver as an Uber driver (it was his off season) and I wish I could have told him about your channel.

[@themostbeautifulworldever]

Thank you for sharing their stories and making a beautiful video.

[@jordanrussell345]

I look forward to all your releases, thank you for all the time you spend developing your craft and content!

[@michaeljohn7398]

Excellent Narration, Cheers from Michael. Australia

[@michaelogden5958]

This, my friends, is storytelling at its finest. Well done, Mr. Waterline! I've done quite a bit of open water diving, but even when I was young and invincible, cave diving was a "Nope. Not gonna do it." thing for me. Cave diving is even lower on my list of things to do than parachuting. 😳

[@69dblcab]

Well told. Sad but enjoyable as presented. Thank you.

[@bok..]

This video was so good! One of my favourites now for sure!

[@waterlinestories]

🤛🏻 awesome

[@csnipper524]

I remember seeing the movie "The Descent', especially the part where one of them gets stuck in a tiny passage and the rocks start shifting. My first thought was, "Nope, won't see me trying this. "

[@woodafy]

I love your videos! Respectful, informative and well made. Keep it up!😁🎉 I'm so exited every time there's another upload😊👍

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks, I really appreciate that

[@delilahboa]

Me too @woodafy

[@B0M0A0K]

Another horrific tale, but once again, you are so good at narrating these stories. Great work as always, but so dark and for a non -diver somewhat confounding.

[@janisbaumrucker3431]

You did an amazing job telling this story! You have an incredible gift. I felt like I was there!

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks for your support

[@janisbaumrucker3431]

@@waterlinestories Thank you for taking the time to properly tell these fellow's story.

[@TheFbiFilesRepeat]

Agreed but little feedback: the video quality feels low to be 1080p in the shed scenes.

[@leonbrg]

Amazing story telling ! Surprised channel not well known it seems. Great job !!

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks🤛🏻

[@tamisthewizard3199]

You mentioned his aluminium tanks, I like to use steel tanks for my dives since I can hold more air and don’t need as much weight in my belt, despite their weight increase I figured cave divers would be all over them.

[@Yggdrasil42]

Aluminium tanks have the benefit of being close to neutral in the water, so you can move or remove them without affecting your buoyancy. For cave divers passing through a restriction this can be a big benefit. Also, in warm water caves most divers don't need much weight anyway, so the steel tank weight can even be too much. Generally when cave diving I prefer lightweight steel tanks in sidemount and aluminium for any stages since they'll be dropped and picked up.

[@luddite333]

top notch docu ! all your work is fantastic

[@blackhawkorg]

Excellent presentation. Know when to bug out.

[@John-p7i5g]

Great presentation. Love these stories from the 1970s. This was the wild west period of exploration where technology improves greatly but there are still few restrictions and regulations. And a real spirit of adventure.

[@Redacted-Information]

This story is causing me Way to much anxiety!

[@762Super]

Another great presentation. Thanks!

[@gowdsake7103]

You like strange hand wags then

[@felixar90]

Yeah I'd say he's rugged. Cave diving must be rough on the body. 23 years old looks like he's double that age.

[@mccoybyz1099]

I was thinking the same thing, like dam! He's only 23!! You look 40 bro!

[@robydee920]

@@mccoybyz1099 He's 73, he was born in 1951.

[@TailGunner1978]

I though the same but the story is 50 years old and the guy survived so those are probably later pics of him.

[@bigglock5478]

@@TailGunner1978ah - that makes sense lol.

[@peterharris38]

That's what I thought too 😮😢

[@berryreading4809]

Almost to 130,000 subscribers! and I'm guessing it won't stop there 😉👍I remember commenting you had a great recipe for success and for the algorithm back before 10k! Maybe even 5k subscribers? 🤔 Goes to show how great you have been at researching, presenting, and editing these videos! 👏 I must say even though you started off extremely strong, your presentations have only become even more polished! Thank you for the hard work! It's nice to watch your channel gain the viewership it deserves while educating people and promoting safety. Thanks for another great video! 👍Also glad to see that your growth has attracted some decent paid advertising opportunities, since adsense pay sure isn't what it used to be, especially for content that may get algorithm or monetization restricted, so I'm happy to watc paid advertisements knowing how much work you've put in this channel for measly returns from adsense alone... Keep it up! 👍

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks. It's great for me to see people who I recognise from the early days. Thanks for sticking around and continuing to support. I really do appreciate that.

[@mindypatterson7302]

I can only imagine the sinking feeling of absolute dread he had when pulling back a cut line.

[@MarkBerenger]

Why? He's probably the one who cut it .. that story is fishier than Jennifer Lopez's camel toe

[@Peachtreedishes]

Ground news seems really good. Important to know the biases when we read information. As always thanks for a great video 🙂

[@johnproctor6438]

At 23, I thought the guy looked like he was 45.

[@michaeld4637]

Yes, I thought he was close to fifty.

[@Goosemancan]

53

[@dayniasykora7213]

Best retelling of this story that I’ve heard. Well done.

[@TheWirksworthGunroom]

"Terminal downstream sump" Yes. The clue is in the name.....

[@cyberleaderandy1]

Aluminium tanks also tend to be bigger than steel. Its because they are not as strong for a given thickness and therefore have to be thicker to compensate.

[@chesspiece81]

Can breathe in the dry sections without using their oxygen? Would the air between the sumps have enough oxygen to be able to sustain a human for a short time?

[@AN-12345]

Yes, that's why Farr was waiting in the dry area before number 4 before pulling in the line. It was an area he could breathe in without depleting a tank.

[@Yggdrasil42]

Depends on the cave. In this case, apparent yes.

[@genejasper4091]

Great presentation accurate and well paced.

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks, I really appreciate that

[@cremebrulee4759]

You said that they hadn't planned to be in the position where they would need more air. That's crazy. An industrial safety, the rule is to plan for the worst hope for the best. It seems like that would be a good rule here, too. You I need to have a large safety factor when you're doing something that dangerous and that unknown. Plus they knowingly chose how to break the rule of thirds. I guess it's the carelessness of youth.

[@DirkDigler12inch]

If they’re experienced divers, he should know if he’s underweighted that he can just slip a few rocks in his vest or weight belt. There’s ways to get heavier

[@ryangalante]

This guy is brilliant. love this channel

[@waterlinestories]

👍🏻

[@ataphelicopter5734]

God I gotta get into cave diving so I can mysteriously die in an accident and become a documentary on this channel

[@nullptr472]

There is no better way to achieve immortality than dying in a unique and terrifying way.

[@journey_woman]

Please survive so you can be a plot twist 🥹

[@Jenna_Miles]

@@journey_woman Far more people survive cave diving than die from it!

[@PaulKing-h9m]

Kinda. It’s like BASE jumping; eventually it has a better chance than not of killing you.

[@Jenna_Miles]

@@PaulKing-h9m Yeah but that’s true for driving a car too 🤷‍♀️ Guess you gotta pick which risks you take in life. For me - it’s taking more than the recommended dosage of vitagummies 😎😎

[@viking1236]

Martin Farrs book is a good read ‘The Darkness Beckons’. Done some of the dry sections years ago which was not that long after Roger Solari was lost.

[@Strype13]

So there hasn't been any further advancement in the cave since 1986? That's strange. This seems like a top-tier cave explorer's wet dream (pun obviously intended) and with the vast improvements in modern diving equipment, you'd think some of these legendary explorers would be all over this place, trying to figure out just how far it goes.

[@xavierstanton8146]

I believe after Ian Rolland found the Against All Odds Chamber, all areas in the cave were found

[@williamglaser6577]

Great Story, haveing been there and done that, it brought back a lot of memories for me.

[@jorodo299]

Must be an underwater version of the mountaineering compulsion. Why did they do it? Because it's there.

[@gmonkman]

I'm not a diver, but a sea kayaker. A blindly accepted safety thing is to always have at least 1 buddy. In my experience the tendancy is to push to riskier behaviour.

[@glennchartrand5411]

It sounds like he got entangled , cut the line and followed the wrong end back into the sump.

[@asya9493]

This video needs to be shown on all cave diving or confined space courses.

[@waterlinestories]

👌🏻

[@asya9493]

@@waterlinestories The thing about the step by step process in your videos is it becomes a lesson, and you've probably saved a few asses already.

[@spikenomoon]

Watching these videos caused me to have a panic attack in an MRI chamber. I’m not joking. I fell asleep started dreaming about being in a cave. I woke up and freaked out had to go back a week or so later.

[@drrandog]

It’s hard to have sympathy for these guys. They knew the rules and the safety measures and chose to ignore it through curiosity. An interesting story and hopefully a case study to deter others from making similar mistakes.

[@intheshell35ify]

I think watching my gas gauge between towns in Kansas is stressful. This stuff is plain nuts.

[@joemars41]

So dangerous, even with experience RIP

[@fatovamingus]

You need to have someone nominate you for a TED talk. In the meantime : Cave Diving! So when you get caught doing something stupid you can say "yeah well at least I didn't go cave diving!"

[@DeffoZappo]

Ted talks are incredibly dumb. I recommend The Onion talks

[@fatovamingus]

@@DeffoZappo he does have a good sense of humor but I just don't know that they'd be that much interest. When I did MY Onion Talk "I'm 48 I squandered all of my talent and achieved nothing absolutely nothing" it went well.

[@riseandshinejp]

TED is trash

[@dylanstacey3514]

Shudders mate absolutely chilling

[@RobertLegereIII]

I couldn’t do it. I simply couldn’t sleep at night knowing that my friend’s body is down in that cave all by himself. These people are out of their damned minds, to begin with but spelunking (outside of spacious and easily accessed surface caves) is a lunatics errand. The horror stories we have should serve as a deterrent but they don’t. I think the entire idea is arrogant.

[@2esquared]

With the greatest respect..... seems to me their egos killed Solari. And youthful exuberance. And just plain recklessness- going into a sump of unknown depth and length and duration with just one tank! They were only 23 and 24 years old, young & strong for goodness sake- they could have spent another week or two carting extra equipment underground before they tried the uncharted sump 4.

[@2nicnag2]

I cant even begin to imagine being somewhere no one else had ever been, nor will I ever. Exploration especially in water is a no go but I did actually take an intro to diving at a local pool because my now husband was a diver. I hated it but the hardest part for me was breathing through my mouth which I’m sure distracted me from my fear of water and claustrophobia in the moment. I didn’t even finish the session but I did attempt to make it through the class at least.

[@provideleverage]

i used to be an avid caver. nss (national speleological society) put out regular summaries of caving accidents. regular cavers have around a hundred accidents per year fatalities are rare, cave divers had around 5 accidents per year...80% fatal. i ve met and caved with a few cave divers in dry caves. all but one died in cave diving accidents. i love caving but you ll never get me to dive in one.

[@Melanie16040]

Interesting. I think you guys are nuts in the dry ones. As for a cave I can swim through? It is so peaceful down there. Few understand how beautiful wet rocks can be. I find it interesting that all but one of the cave divers you met have died in diving cave diving accidents. I am only aware of a single fatality of someone who followed the rules while cave diving. Every other death I am aware of can be attributed to breaking the rules.

[@provideleverage]

​​@@Melanie16040 that s pretty much the same opinion every cave diver i ve met stated. cave diving is just less forgiving of errors

[@Melanie16040]

@@provideleverage I 2 people I have dove with have perished. One was due to an undeserved DCS hit coming out of Eagles Nest. The ambulance, instead of taking him to the hospital he requested due to it having a chamber, took him "somewhere closer." He was there a couple hours before dying from complications. The other one, she was an intro to cave diver(and the other two she normally dove with), they are not trained or allowed to make jumps with that certification. Her and 2 friends had been diving every week at a particular site and would always do the same dive. I joined them a number of times as it was a nice place to dive. One time, while we were exiting, they all of a sudden started kicking for all they were worth and shot off into the distance. No communication, nothing. She just headed in the direction of the exit and I was with 2 other intro divers, so we just continued exiting at our pace. When we found her, she said she thought one of the other divers was missing and she was trying to swim faster to catch up to them... Fast forward to a week I did not go along. They went diving with someone else at the cave. The cave had 2 tunnels going off the entrance and they would always dive down one, come back, then down the other and back. There was a tunnel that connected the two about 1000 feet in and it was a nice dive. They decided to do the circuit with this new fellow they went diving with since he had done it before. After making the jump and crossing over to the other tunnel they were exiting. Well, she panicked, turned around and did the same thing she did in the previous dive I was along for. Except for 2 things... She was swimming back into the cave, and she was kicked up so much silt she blew out the visibility and could not be followed. Her body was found by the jump over to the other tunnel. The conclusion being she had gone much deeper into the cave until realizing it was the wrong way before turning around to try and exit again. Thing is, if she had known the cave instead of just trusting someone else to show her the way or whatever... She was not even 100 feet from another exit to the cave. Across the jump and another 25 or 50 feet is a sink hole you can surface at. But they had spent years just doing the same dive. She violated the limits of her certification and paid the price. If she had communicated with the people she was diving with. Hell, if she had just looked at the main line! There are arrows at regular intervals pointing the way to the nearest exit. All the arrows she passed would have told her she was swimming deeper into the cave... I do not understand it. You can make errors in cave diving. I have made errors. I have had my light die because I forgot to charge the battery. Not a problem, that is what multiple backups are for. I remember one time I was standing at the landing of some steps in the water kitting up. Didn't have my mask on. Went to try to put a fin on and lost my balance. I went over backwards and sunk like a rock. I was maybe 30 or 35lbs negative. Something as simple as that could kill a person if they panic. I just found a regulator and proceeded from there. Another time, I do not know how it happened. Valve on my primary reg was 1/2 turn from full closed. I only fully open or close my valves for exactly this reason. Always have. I do not know how, but I can only assume someone decided to "help" with my valves while I was not looking. It was fine on the surface... When I dumped the air out of my wing and went to inhale at 20 feet... It was like breathing through a straw. Reached back and fixed my valves. I guess it depends on the mistakes you make. Diving past 1/3rds is dangerous. Diving past 1/2 and continuing to swim further in... That is a death wish.

[@MorangRus]

Regulator on each tank is expensive but having just two allows the diver to "walk" his regulators from spent tanks to the new ones I guess? Regulator 1 is in use, regulator 2 is ready to be used on the next tank, and as soon as the switch occurs, regulator 1 can be replaced on yet another tank with regulator 2 being now in use etc.

[@bluebelle8823]

Very few of these make me feel ill. This one did. I think it could be because of the whole first ones in the space bit. This was an experienced man who just lost track of self preservation for two minutes, deadly in that situation. But I am glad of one thing, that it didn't prevent Martyn Farr from persuing something he clearly loves.

[@HandyMan657]

23 ? That's a rough 23, you sure he's not 33 or older?

[@robydee920]

He's 73, he was born in 1951.

[@skullsaintdead]

He photos are modern-day, prob 10-20 years ago, can tell from the kit too.

[@poutinedream5066]

I just got to the end He looks better now 🤷🏽‍♀️. Figure that out.

[@BrokeNbelt_tv]

Bro looks 40

[@pattonpending7390]

​@user-cn3uz5hp2c : It was all the second hand smoke. Wrecked havoc with skin cells and caused wrinkles. I'm 58 and look at least 10 years younger than my dad was at the same age.

[@Tscaperock]

Aluminum tanks became available in the early 1980s! They would have been using steel tanks with 2800psi. Dry suits were very new in the 80s also.

[@andybrooks1787]

Martyn was using 45cf Draeger steel tanks, which were usually pumped to around 3500psi instead of the nominal 3000. Not sure about Roger's tanks, but most likely smaller steel tanks nominally 40cf. Very unlikely that they had any form of buoyancy compensation at that time, and I'd like to know the source for the suggestion that they each carried only one regulator for two tanks, as that was certainly not standard practice then or ever.

[@trj1442]

Gawd, cave diving would be my worst nightmare. Certainly a bizarre occupation for most people. Keep going with your awesome content bud. I'm sure your subs will grow exponentially soon.

[@ianmcluckie2336]

Brilliant video!

[@katanaki3059]

It takes a special kind of mad courage to explore unknown caves and a special kind of madness to take it underwater.

[@treyquattro]

cave diving and caving generally is a pursuit better done by Boston Dynamic robots I think.

[@visnichba]

You're underwater, low on air, then the last thing you see is one of those 'headless dog' Boston Dynamics robots 'running' towards you on the bottom of the cave. Creepy.

[@DGriff-ix5el]

Diver master for 27 years. Cave Cavern certified. But, there’s nothing down there but dead souls. One can admire stalactites from a dry well lit cave.

[@Wes-o7y]

You're a good storyteller, you also know how to choose good content.

[@waterlinestories]

👌🏻😀 thanks I appreciate the support

[@vickyvix5324]

I can’t imagine the best of the best divers dying doing what they love to do, how much more the amateurs and beginners?

[@godzilla928]

4:07 why you blurred his face?

[@animusadvertere3371]

Early 20s, i'm just so surprised that they didn't have great judgment. /s

[@3zzzTyle]

The outcome was kinda obvious when one guy had photos from old age and the other only from young

[@johnproctor6438]

I’ve watched this video at least 50 times. It’s absolutely heartbreaking. I was in the military, deployed to some very turbulent areas in some very remote areas of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Africa. I can’t imagine knowing that, 1. A friend of mine who was so close behind where I was just at, died in the exact spot. 2. That there is literally nothing I would have been able to do to help him survive. 3. That even after going back, searching, not finding his body where he couldn’t have been far from the last spot I saw him still alive and in a fight for his life And finally, 4. His body is found years later, but still can’t be retrieved. That would quite literally, drive me absolutely insane.

[@eamonnbyrne8400]

Every time I watch one of these underwater cave videos' I always come to the same conclusion,don't EVER go cave diving.

[@Yggdrasil42]

That's because you watch disaster videos. ;) I don't watch Aircrash Investigations before a flight.

[@wkgurr]

Very well-told story. But what about sump 4. Has its end ever been reached? What is its end? A new passage or just a submerged dead end? These events took place decades ago what has happened in the meantime?

[@andybrooks1787]

The sump ends in a boulder choke at a small air chamber known as Against All Odds, found in 1987. This is not far beyond the point that Martyn reached. It is within 50 meters of another very large cave system, but the connection has not yet been made.

[@BlackfootJones]

If I would’ve seen that, my friend was following me and he didn’t have enough air. I would’ve just turned around to go back to force him to go back.

[@wioi]

When he saw his friend and signals to him for them to go back and never gets a signal back, the friend was already dead at that time.

[@denisiwaszczuk1176]

Im thinking he knew and cut the line so he. Saved his mate from coming back .

[@visnichba]

Yes, I thought that too.

[@guachingman]

it s difficult to find any sympathy for such "accidents"

[@myishenhaines1706]

Wow, that actually sounds like a good and ethical sponsor!

[@wazzazone]

Great as usual

[@michelemarcolin2548]

Very well presented and narrated. Prefessionally.

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks 👌🏻

[@MorangRus]

I looked up the map of Agen Allwedd. There is a dry (?) dead-end chamber shown at the end of Sump 4, "Against All Odds Chamber". When was it discovered and by whom? Also it looks like Sumps 1-3 can be bypassed on the way to Sump 4 by the way of so called "Resurrection Passage". Was it known when the dive took place (I guess not because it connects with the system after the freshly discovered Sump 3)? When was it discovered?

[@andybrooks1787]

Against All Odds was found in 1987. It lies very close to another very large cave system, but the connection has still not been made. I'm not sure when Resurrection Passage was found, but it was not known at the time of the dive.

[@mitchellschmidt7885]

This case is the exact reason so many rules and regulations where introduced to cave driving such as never solo diving and always having back up cylinders (not tanks) I know some places still call them tanks but the correct term is cylinders