A scuba diver died whereas navigating an intricate community of caves within the Florida Panhandle that stretch a whole bunch of ft under the floor, officers mentioned.
A rescue mission was launched for 3 people after the Jackson County Sheriff’s Workplace mentioned it was notified of overdue divers at Twin Caves in Jackson Blue Springs Park, 65 miles northwest of Tallahassee, at 1:15 p.m. on Tuesday.
Deputies mentioned that two divers made it from the cave safely within the rescue operation, which additionally concerned Jackson County Fireplace and Rescue, Florida Fish and Wildlife, and the workers at Cave Adventures.
“Sadly, the operation led to the restoration of a 3rd diver that was deceased,” the sheriff’s workplace wrote in a press release early Tuesday night.
A health worker is working to find out the diver’s explanation for loss of life, officers mentioned.
Edd Sorenson, an knowledgeable in dive rescues and restoration who owns Cave Adventures, was about 50 miles away in Vortex Springs when one of many divers contacted him to say that two members of their get together have been lacking within the water.
In keeping with Cave Adventures’ web site, passages within the Twin Caves lengthen a whole bunch of ft under.
Sorenson informed WKRG that one in all his instructors, Mehdi Zinetti, was on the location. Sorenson mentioned that Zinetti, who started the seek for the deceased diver, had by no means carried out an energetic physique restoration mission earlier than Tuesday.
Sorenson mentioned situations on the caves have been clear, with greater than 100 ft of visibility on Tuesday morning when the divers started their descent. After getting into the water, Zinetti was in a position to find one of many lacking divers and safely convey her to land.
He continued to seek for the third diver within the water however received out a couple of minutes later.
“He thought since he needed to go a number of instructions, possibly he missed him, and possibly he is out secure. So he exited and he wasn’t there but. So he went again in once more,” Sorenson mentioned. When he couldn’t discover the diver on land, Zinetti received again within the water.
Sediment was stirred up by divers throughout the day, making visibility practically not possible.
Zinetti ultimately discovered the sufferer and pulled them out, he added.
When Sorenson arrived again on the facility, he mentioned the Florida Fish and Wildlife was there, and CPR efforts had been made. Nevertheless, the diver was pronounced lifeless on the scene.
Sorenson informed the native information station that he would study the diver’s tools, analyze the video, and conduct one other stock spherical to find out what went fallacious earlier than alerting deputies of any findings.
Sheriff Donnie Edenfield thanked all these concerned within the rescue efforts and urged residents to “maintain the households of the divers in your ideas and prayers.”
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