Diving dangers

Yesterday, a judge dismissed charges against Gage Watson which ultimately cleared him of any wrong doing in the death of his wife during a honeymoon SCUBA diving accident.
However, what the judge did not dismiss is the fact that SCUBA diving can be a very dangerous game, even for the experts.
Just ask all the people who are looking for Ben Collierville.
Collierville disappeared after diving into a Florida cave on Aug. 18, 2010, according to The Commercial Appeal.
The cave, located in Vortex Spring near the town of Ponce de Leon, is a common deep dive/caving site for divers who enjoy exploring the unexplored.
On Aug. 20, a call went out to divers that Collierville was in Vortex Spring and needed to be pulled out. Yet, after three teams of experienced divers plunged into the cave, exploring the entire cave, and found nothing.
However, Vortex Spring hides a “dangerously cramped area in the rear of the cave that only someone foolhardy and untrained would enter.”
Although Collierville was a certified open water diver, he still needed a few months and at least “125 dives with an instructor or diving buddy to get certification to be a cave diver.” This did not stop the Florida man from repeatedly diving Vortex Spring anyway.
A sign on the entrance to the cave system reads: Go no farther. There’s nothing in this cave worth dying for.
The only evidence Collierville was in the cave was his abandoned truck near the water, his wallet, his cellphone and a few other personal items. The last call made on the phone was to his mother.
Although theories have risen that Collierville was the victim of foul play or that he faked his death to start a new life, his parents remain convinced that he drowned in the cave.
They believe that is where he still remains.
His family is offering $30,000 to anyone who can answer there one, single question: Where is Ben?
Here at Sportbay, we hate hearing about these kinds of accidents under the oceans waters but it always gives us the opportunity to remind divers to be safe when practicing their sport. Use training, preparation, basic safety and, above all, common sense when approaching any and all diving trips.