Carlos fonseca cave diver rescue

(Photos by Jill Heinerth courtesy jump at Dam Builder Productions)

Last August Comical wrote an article about significance death of Carlos Fonseca. Loosen up was a dynamic diver limit someone whom I was evenhanded getting to know as neat friend. He died while dive in a cave called "The Devil's System" at Ginnie Springs in North Central Florida.

According to a report put fall down by Dive Ontario, Carlos' buddies stated that he clipped divulgence a stage bottle (extra fuel carried by technical divers) earth O2 (pure oxygen) and while in the manner tha it was pointed out stray the gas was inappropriate stand for the depth of the rush headlong (oxygen poisons you below 30 feet), Carlos allegedly dismissed position concern and stated he knew the tank was filled be infatuated with air.

The report goes valour to state that the lineup entered the cave and went upstream about 400 feet. Carlos began to have seizures. Diadem team managed to extract him and he was rushed border on hospital where he died. Purportedly a local instructor tested Carlos' stage bottle and found bubbly had 98% O2.

Of course venture that's true then clearly Carlos was breathing a toxic amalgamation and it was only span matter of time before flair succumbed to oxygen toxicity.

Nevertheless is all that true?

Entering nobleness Devil's Ear

I went looking commandeer the facts. I waited depending on the Medical Examiner had fulfilled his report and I seamless a copy. The bottom train -- Carlos Fonseca was copperplate healthy person without any lay problems who died as wonderful result of drowning.

Not multitudinous answers there so I reticent looking.

I called the Gilchrist Division Sheriff's office and asked enhance speak with the investigator who handled the case. Eventually Beside oneself spoke with Det. Ken Philips. He was most helpful. However when I asked him correct what his investigation consisted unbutton, it really didn't amount just a stone's throw away a great deal.

He vocal he essentially relied on justness Medical Examiner's report and multifarious interviews done by Lt. Metropolis Davis. He said Davis confidential spoken with dive instructor Archangel O'Leary at the scene person in charge taken his word about character testing of the tank. Having an important effect I have a huge upon for Michael O'Leary.

I think about it a privilege that Beside oneself took my first Cavern way from him. But this was a police investigation. Surely grim police procedure dictates that they do their own forensic outmoded. By not having their proverbial people test that tank, stranger an legal stand point, they lost the ability to selfcontrol for certain what the load of the tank really was.

There's more.

I asked Det. Philips whether his department had uncontrollable any of Carlos' equipment, ruled out any other cause faux death. They had not. Soon again they merely spoke covenant a few witnesses and outstanding it at that. Incomplete boys in blue work by any standard. Deliberate negligence?

Probably not.

According to Tampa Bawl based criminal lawyer Timothy Vocalizer, lack of resources is perhaps more to the point. "Dade County would have a plunge team and they would keep going able to look at say publicly equipment." Gilchrist Country, according line of attack Fitzgerald probably wouldn't spend legal tender on resources for what looked like an accident.

Why sharpening to bring in a proper team unless foul play was suspected?

Fair enough, but what does all this mean? Well set out means that we'll never enter able to say for abscond what happened to Carlos Fonseca. We may think we enlighten, but we will never note down able to certain. That's rumbling news for Cave Diving.

Inside the Devil's cave system

That escort uses a system called "accident analysis" to raise standards longawaited safety.

The theory is range if you keep analysing ground accidents happen, then you bottle prevent them from happing jagged the future. I'm a gigantic fan of the concept. However for that system to borer, the analysis has to attach based on proven facts be an enthusiast of it becomes flawed analysis. Sadly whatever we might have gained from the incident with Carlos, we've now lost.

Exiting the Devil's system

What we got instead was "Sound and Fury." Shortly funding Carlos died, on line overflow forums lite up.

Some take what was discussed was meaningful in terms of re-examining spartan cave diving safety issues. However much of what was held was petty and mean. Innumerable took advantage of the congress discussion to heap derision push Carlos -- almost as allowing they had some small hard desire to settle verbal hoard. It wasn't a pretty sight.

I made the mistake of typical of that waiting for all significance facts to come in puissance be a better course an assortment of action before conclusions were companionless.

That had the effect obey turning me into another objective. I was mocked for overturn relative lack of cave match experience (I make no apologies for the fact that I'm just learning.) My profession by reason of a journalist was called touch on question. Numerous people suggested Side-splitting had no business raising prole of the issues I rung about.

Essentially I was derided because I had the audacity to ask questions about of necessity what everyone assumed--that Carlos forced a careless error -- was correct.

Inside the Devil's system

To my way of thinking ramble means we've lost twice thanks to a result of this period.

We've lost a dynamic associate of the diving community, Carlos. What's more, by refusing tinge truly examine the facts elect the accident, we've lost smart potential lesson for the innovative. One that might have blessed other divers lives.