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lives at risk because we have to go in to recover the bodies." By that time the McDaniels had also come to believe that, if he had not died in the cave, Ben had been murdered. A phone tip line they set up had not received any calls, and no one who had not yet said anything was likely to be further motivated to do so, they said. (Ben's father elaborated the following year that the family was told to rescind the reward while in the Vortex Spring area for exactly this reason.)
229:. In addition to the accident and murder theories, the documentary also considers the possibility that Ben staged the disappearance to escape a troubled recent past that included a divorce and financial setbacks. The McDaniels have vehemently rejected that theory, pointing to the dog and girlfriend he left behind as well as doubting that he would have knowingly subjected them to that level of grief after seeing how his brother's death had affected them.
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birthday, at the end of the year to anyone "brave" enough to go to those places and find it. The insinuation of cowardice alienated divers who had already risked their lives searching the cave, and raised fears among them that it would only encourage untrained divers to enter the cave and take potentially fatal risks for the reward money. Undeterred, the McDaniels increased the award, twice.
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dangerous cave diving recovery. Experienced divers scoured the cave, investigating small crevices and fissures Ben might have entered in a panicked attempt to exit the cave, as his tanks ran low, a pattern found in other cave diving deaths. It was risky work, and one diver said they had nearly died during the search. Multiple divers searched through the weekend, but did not find Ben.
199:(ROV). A reward they offered was rescinded in 2012 after the death of another diver who may have been trying to collect it, vindicating the criticism of the divers who had warned of that possibility and resented the McDaniels' insinuation that those who had searched for their son at great personal risk had not been "brave" enough.
778:, released in 2012. It considers all the theories regarding its subject's disappearance: an accident as originally believed, a murder or coverup of the accident as the McDaniels have sometimes alleged, and the possibility of a staged disappearance to allow Ben to escape his problems, which McClellan believes.
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The following month, amid increasing criticism, the McDaniels rescinded the reward offer. "Not only did it endanger the lives of divers who would risk going farther than they should," said
Sorenson, who was by then even more firmly convinced that their son had not died in the cave, "it put all of our
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Frustrated by the limitations the search had thus far encountered, and increasingly coming to believe that Ben's body was in an area of the cave no one had yet reached, the McDaniels offered a reward of $ 10,000, raised from money contributed at a benefit held on what would have been their son's 31st
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With the cave thoroughly searched, some divers began questioning whether Ben was there at all. Perhaps his body had been secretly removed from the cave before searching began and disposed of on land or it had washed out through the spring's outlet. Others, including Cronin and Kelly, suggested he had
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The McDaniels did what they could to help the search. They hired Steve Keene, who had originally mapped the Vortex Spring cave in 2003, to look. After seven dives, he apologized to the McDaniels for not finding any fresh sign of Ben. "If he's in there, I don't know where he'd be," he said later. They
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documentary. Three tanks believed to belong to Ben were recovered. Tank one, an "aluminum 80" (80 cubic ft capacity), full tank with a regulator, was found 200 feet (61 m) inside the cave. Two other tanks, lacking regulators, were attached to the "talk box" in the outer cavern area, (Piano Room)
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and other diving equipment were not present and there were no signs of a struggle near his truck or anywhere else he could have been. His wallet, with almost $ 1,100 in cash, and cell phone were in the cab of his truck; dive logs showed that he had explored the cave and a map he made was also found.
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But then during the research process, she was able to read Ben's dive logs and the map he had made. She realized that he had, in fact, gotten very far into the cave. Knowing that divers in trouble will often burrow deeper into narrow crevices such as those within the cave in a mistaken effort to get
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McDaniel was not the only person associated with Vortex Spring at the time facing serious legal issues. Lowell Kelly, who had owned Vortex Spring since 2007, was facing criminal charges. He had allegedly taken a temporary employee who he said owed him thousands of dollars out into an isolated wooded
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with an eye toward getting that certification as well. On his nights out with Greer, he told her of plans to eventually start a diving-related business. On the weekend of August 14–15, he returned to
Florida, leaving behind a letter thanking his parents for the sabbatical and promising to look after
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certification, which requires two months' training including 125 dives with an instructor or certified diving partner. This policy was instituted after the deaths of 13 divers in the cave during the 1990s, and in response to threats from the state to ban diving in the cave entirely. Beginning at the
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There was no explicit evidence that
Higginbotham was trying to find Ben and claim the reward. The divers who recovered his body believed he was, however. "He was found near a shovel left near a restriction so small that no one could get through it," said Sorenson, who had pulled Higginbotham's body
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They did, however, find some of his equipment. Two tanks known to belong to McDaniel were found near the entrance to the cave. But this discovery struck some searchers as inconsistent with Ben's supposed intent to explore the cave he was technically not permitted to enter. Cave divers usually place
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McDaniel's dives at the site were regular enough that the dive shop employees and other frequent visitors came to know him. One of the employees, Chuck Cronin, believed that while McDaniel had the proper equipment and considerable diving knowledge, he was often overly confident in his abilities and
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Shelby does not believe Ben had any intention of abandoning his life. He had left his dog in Santa Rosa Beach and had not given Greer any indication of such plans. Shelby also noted that Ben had seen the impact Paul's death had had on his parents. "After what we went through with Paul, we know our
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filmmakers, went to Vortex Spring to make a short video. They hoped to show it to the McDaniel family in the hopes of giving them a better understanding of the risks associated with cave diving, and "closure", as
Heinerth put it. At the time she believed that Ben, whatever his fate, was not in the
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By 2011, it seemed unlikely that Ben's body would be found in the cave. The McDaniels began considering the possibility that he had died as a result of foul play, and that his diving disappearance was staged to cover up a crime. Or, perhaps he had been found dead by the dive shop staff, who feared
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Ben was 6 feet 1 inch (185 cm) tall and weighed 210 pounds (95 kg), one inch (2.5 cm) taller and 20 pounds (9.1 kg) heavier than
Sorenson. Without cave diving training, Sorenson said, there was no way Ben could have gotten through some of the narrower passages, called
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Captain Harry
Hamilton, an investigator in Holmes County, assumed at first that a very large number of divers, both amateur and expert, would volunteer to search for and recover McDaniel's body. He soon realized that very few divers "in the world" possessed the training and skill to attempt such a
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Cronin and fellow employee
Eduardo Taran, on their way back from a dive themselves – something they often did on Wednesdays after the shop closed – saw Ben as he began descending, with his lights on and wearing a helmet, suggesting he was venturing into the cave. Taran, who had suspected
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by Rob Neto was published. The foreword in the book states the idea for the book was inspired by the disappearance of Ben McDaniel. The author was one of the cave divers tasked with trying to find and recover Ben's body the day he was reported missing. Neto and one of his teammates penetrated the
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Some other events reported to have occurred on the day Ben disappeared supported that theory. Kelly said shortly afterwards that on that evening, a man he described as "wild-eyed" and apparently drunk showed up at the shop and asked if it was too late to dive; the possibility has been raised that
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Ben's truck was still in the parking lot the next morning, but with many summer visitors coming to enjoy the site's many water-based recreational opportunities and picnic grounds in addition to diving, the employees said they were too busy to notice. They did see the truck the next morning. After
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regularly at the spring while living in his parents' nearby beach house, had last been seen by two of those employees on the evening of August 18, on a dive entering a cave 58 feet (18 m) below the water's surface. While he was initially believed to have drowned on that dive, and his parents
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sheriff's office, which had also been the lead agency investigating the McDaniel disappearance, implied that it had not gotten the full story of what had occurred the night of Kelly's injury and that it had some questions it wanted answered. However, police would not name the individuals who had
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Reports of a missing diver in the Vortex Spring cave spread and other cave divers volunteered for what they assumed would be a recovery operation, taking advantage of the weekend. The McDaniels were called, and they drove to
Florida, along with Greer, to observe from the shore. News media in the
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police, in case it was lost in the cave. (Due to technical issues, it was unable to go any farther than the human divers had ventured.) In total, 16 divers spent 36 straight days looking for Ben's body in the cave with no results. Volunteer searches continued afterwards at the spring through
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On August 18, the
Wednesday after he returned to the Santa Rosa Beach house, he went up to Vortex Spring again. In the middle of the day, he did one dive. Other divers saw him looking closely at the area around the cave entrance, as if, it was later reported, he was planning something. After
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tanks; many of the divers who took part in those searches believe that if McDaniel is indeed dead, his body is not in the cave as he was too large to enter its narrower passages. The McDaniels devoted their family's extensive financial resources to the search, at one point guaranteeing the
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his parents established to support research into prevention and treatment of strokes. Later, it was revealed that Paul's cause of death was "anoxic encephalopathy due to combined drug (opiate/benzodiazepine) toxicity", a drug overdose, not a stroke. Paul was not being prescribed opiates.
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bedrock have been mapped, to a depth of 310 feet (94 m); the cave's full extent is unknown. At some points, the passage narrows to 10 inches (25 cm), requiring divers to remove their tanks, push them forward through the passage, and then twist their bodies to follow.
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The day had been hot, with temperatures around 90 °F (32 °C), and as evening came Ben began preparing for another dive. He called his mother on his cell phone, the last contact he had with his family. Around 7:30 p.m., as the sun began to set, he went in again.
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In mid-August, four months into his
Florida sojourn, Ben returned to Tennessee for a week. His parents and girlfriend, Emily Greer, said he seemed optimistic. He told them he was working on getting certified as an instructor so he could find a job and that he was researching
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At the Santa Rosa Beach house officers found his dog, hungry from having been unfed for two days. Based on these circumstances, police and dive shop employees assumed that he had never resurfaced and had in all probability drowned somewhere in the cave trying to get out.
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later reported, was shared by posters on a scuba diving website, scubaboard.com, who had also met Ben during trips to Vortex Spring. (According to a 2014 online comment by his father, he could not find anyone at Vortex Spring willing to be his diving partner, so
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where the talk box was located at the time. All contained normal air, not a specialized gas mix. The talk box, originally located in the Piano Room of the cave, was moved to the basin area of Vortex Springs and is now at a depth of only 21 feet (6.4 m).
623:, Larry Higginbotham, died in the cavern at Vortex Spring. His body was found the next day after he, too, had failed to return from a dive. "He just got himself in a pinch and couldn't find his way back out", said one of the divers who recovered the body.
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For the most experienced divers, some of whom come from around the world, the main attraction of Vortex Spring is the cave, which starts 300 feet (91 m) from the cavern, at a depth of 115 feet (35 m). At the entrance is a sign depicting the
729:, Lynn-Marie Carty, who found that other people associated with Vortex Spring besides Kelly had criminal records. "There is just as much reason to look above the water for Ben's body as there was to look below it in the cave," she told the
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Although the McDaniels continue to believe Ben's body is in an area of the cave beyond the reach of current search capabilities, they have also entertained the possibility that his death was not an accident but the result of foul play. A
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this man, if he existed, may have been involved. Earlier that day, a diver had had a confrontation with several teenagers on the property about their drinking; they eventually left but may have come back in an attempt to exact revenge.
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as being able to go where other divers cannot, persisted. He made three separate dives that day, going (by his account) 1,700 feet (520 m) into the cave, 200 feet (61 m) further than those sections Ben had mapped, using a
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292:. He accepted the offer and moved into the house in April 2010. His parents and girlfriend say the move was proving beneficial, as Ben was beginning to think and talk about moving on from his recent personal setbacks.
515:, leading an expedition. He came to Vortex Springs the next day. Other divers, and an official with International Underwater Cave Rescue and Recovery, told him it was too dangerous to search any deeper into the cave.
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they hired believes that his body may have been removed before any authorities were contacted, or that he may even have been murdered on land and the narrative of his disappearance fabricated as a cover story.
547:. "The last place I searched was pristine, without a mark that a diver had been there. It would be impossible to go through that restriction without making a mark on the floor or ceiling. He's not in there."
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in the wake of a divorce, a business failure, and the death of his younger brother two years earlier. An avid diver since his teens, he had been a regular at the spring, where he had apparently been covertly
674:, helped Kelly shower and then placed a blanket over him and left Kelly to rest in the bathtub. In the morning, a different person came to Kelly's home, and realized his condition had worsened overnight.
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is a work of fiction using fictional characters and incidents, it begins with the premise that Ben did perish in the cave and the story explores one possible explanation for what happened to Ben's body.
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Gotta love the implication that all the divers who risked life in this search, are now cowards ... Grieving or not, I thought it was pretty classless to bash the people who'd been searching for his son.
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We thought we'd have a flood of expert and amateur divers...but, there's not that many people, in the world, who have the capability and the guts to go into that spring." Capt. Harry Hamilton
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is offered for all levels; experienced divers come for the underwater wildlife and the cavern, which begins 58 feet (18 m) below the surface. All divers are required to present proof of
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At Vortex Spring, which claims on its website to be the largest diving facility in the state, divers descend into clear waters at a constant temperature of 68 °F (20 °C) fed by the
418:(it is not known what he filled those tanks with). He spent much of the rest of the afternoon by himself alongside the spring, witnesses said, testing equipment and making notes in his
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245:, he had returned to live with his parents after his marriage ended in divorce and his construction business failed, the latter leaving him with tax debts of almost $ 50,000 to the
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staged his own disappearance to start his life over under another identity and escape his past troubles. Authorities began to consider these possibilities and adjust their search.
396:.) His parents later defended him from those criticisms by seeing them as positive traits. "Ben was brave," his father later said. "Ben was fearless. He followed his passions."
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On some nights when they had seen Ben dive late, the two had stayed at the spring after resurfacing until they saw bubbles on the surface, indicating that he was beginning to
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for some time that Ben was forcing the gate open, went down to him and unlocked it, watching Ben go in and then returning to Cronin. No one is known to have seen him since.
487:, at points along their exit route so they can follow them out, and not only at the entrance to the cave. When tested, the tanks were found to contain normal air, not the
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In the late 2000s Ben McDaniel was going through a difficult period in his life. The oldest of three sons born to Shelby and Patty McDaniel, a wealthy couple who lived in
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still strongly believe his body is in an inaccessible reach of the extensive cave system, no trace of him has ever been found. The state of Florida issued his family a
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311:. He had first taken it up at the age of 15, practicing with his tanks in the family pool. Despite living on the coast during his sabbatical, he preferred to
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gate with a chain and padlock, at a point almost 300 feet (91 m) from the entrance. The dive shop withheld the gate key, unless a diver showed proof of
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The cadaver dogs searched the woods around Vortex Spring without success. Assisted by helicopters, they searched the swamps along the spring's outflow into
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758:, a Canadian who has set the world record for deepest dive by a woman. Afterwards, she and her husband Robert McClellan, both certified cave divers and
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required for diving at depth. Ben would have been aware of this requirement, if he had been researching cave diving, as his parents reported.
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In March 2012, by which time the reward had been increased to $ 30,000, the fears of the cave divers were realized. Two days before the
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area and attempted to beat him with a baseball bat to make him pay up. The man escaped, and prosecutors later charged Kelly with
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and smaller tanks to increase his range. He found nothing – no body, and no evidence of one such as increased activity by
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260:. Ben had found Paul unconscious in the family home and tried to revive him; he later became active in raising money for the
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aquatic scavengers, nor any evidence that Ben had gotten into those sections, such as marks on the cave walls or disturbed
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165:, noticed that his pickup truck had remained in the shop's parking lot for the previous two days. McDaniel, who had been
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back to the surface, she revised her opinion. "I simply see no reasonable evidence that he is NOT in the cave," the
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despite lacking the required certification. Lengthy searches have only located some anomalously placed and filled
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in order to safely resurface. But on the night of the 18th, they instead went back to Taran's house for coffee.
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593:. Taran, who said he had let Ben into the cave despite knowing he lacked certification to dive in it, passed a
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This article is about the scuba diver who went missing in 2010. For the college football player and coach, see
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which warns divers of the dangers of continuing onwards. The cave steadily narrows, reaching a makeshift
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511:, a veteran cave diver and recovery specialist with nearly 2,500 logged dives. He was on a yacht in the
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589:. Thirty separate tests of the water over the next several months showed no sign of an increase in the
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restrictions by divers, in the cave. "I know what I'm doing and I barely made it through," he told the
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taken Kelly home and found him there in the morning. The sheriff's office also refused to release the
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he was hosting at Vortex Spring in December, Kelly reportedly fell down the stairs and sustained a
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Upon arrival, the sheriff's deputies sealed off the spring with crime-scene tape. Ben's tanks,
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937:"Theories about Collierville diver's disappearance swirl in vortex of unanswered questions"
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By Sunday, August 22, no other signs of Ben had been found. A text message was sent to
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She and McClellan turned their private video short into a feature-length documentary,
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son well enough to know he wouldn't put us through that again," his mother told the
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There was no blockage of arteries or bleeding in the brain. Dr. David Sawatsky
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resurfacing he filled his tanks at the dive shop, a transaction recorded on
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157:, United States, was reported missing after employees in the dive shop at
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1013:"When a diver goes missing, a deep cave is scene of a deeper mystery"
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bacteria that would indicate the presence of a decomposing human body
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partner during their youth, who died in 2008 at the age of 22 from a
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He was also still grieving for his younger brother Paul, a frequent
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cave to the 4th restriction, seeing no signs of Ben in the cave.
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agreed to put up $ 54,000 to guarantee the cost of replacing a
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to search the area of the springs again, but with no results.
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In 2011 Kelly ameliorated the charges against him by pleading
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alerted on the water surface, further supporting that theory.
272:, offering to support him financially while he and his dog, a
1586:"Parents of lost diver pin hopes for closure on team of dogs"
655:. Consequently he was fined, and sentenced to seven years of
1167:(DVD). Heinerth Productions, Inc. Event occurs at 1:18:08.
1133:(DVD). Heinerth Productions, Inc. Event occurs at 1:17:28.
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November, often with the McDaniels and Greer in attendance.
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determining that no one else had seen Ben, Taran called the
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McDaniel had been living at his parents' beach house on the
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More detailed information regarding tanks was given in the
1365:(DVD). Heinerth Productions, Inc. Event occurs at 23:19.
1331:(DVD). Heinerth Productions, Inc. Event occurs at 22:15.
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the consequences of that discovery. They hired a Florida
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responded to a call and he was admitted to a hospital in
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Scuba diver who disappeared during or after a cave dive
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1671:, video showing the portion of the cave up to the gate
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gate, over 1,600 feet (490 m) through the area's
1453:"What Happened to Ben McDaniel? Unanswered Questions"
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Cave diving beyond the locked gate at Vortex Springs
1613:. USA: Chipola Publishing LLC. pp. v, vi, vii.
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1103:"Collierville parents pull reward for missing diver"
470:Panhandle and Memphis followed the search closely.
410:them as they grew older. They never saw him again.
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1476:"Mississippi Man Killed in Cave Diving Accident"
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1428:"Article on Ben McDaniel – Vortex Springs Case"
1149:shows death certificate, continuing to @1:18:00
659:. He died before the first year was completed.
307:allowed Ben to indulge in his preferred hobby,
132:for 14 years, 1 month and 3 days
754:Among the divers who heard about the case was
1554:"Questions remain about Lowell Kelly's death"
693:care, where he died the following month. The
8:
619:aired a segment on Ben's case, a diver from
385:not shy about saying so. That opinion, the
319:, located inland a short distance north of
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740:In March 2012, the McDaniels arranged for
358:Warning sign near the entrance to the cave
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68:
268:The McDaniels suggested their son take a
221:has been devoted to the case, as well as
518:Sorenson, who has been described by the
1706:August 2010 events in the United States
1637:Ben McDaniel, Missing but not forgotten
1390:Deepswim - Nik Vatin (13 August 2013).
882:
1474:O'Halloran, Meaghan (March 21, 2012).
1405:McDaniel, Shelby (February 21, 2013).
627:back through four tight restrictions.
280:, lived in the family's beach home at
1505:McDaniel, Shelby (October 14, 2013).
1052:from the original on October 24, 2023
670:. A guest drove Kelly to his home in
225:, a documentary co-directed by diver
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1552:McLaughlin, Tom (January 25, 2012).
1303:McDaniel, Shelby (January 8, 2014).
1074:McDaniel, Shelby (August 21, 2013).
558:remotely operated underwater vehicle
197:remotely operated underwater vehicle
1455:. LeisurePro.com. February 23, 2012
771:quoted her as writing in an email.
1528:"Lowell Bernarr Kelly (1952–2012)"
1283:"Comment #40213, LeisurePro story"
1044:McDaniel, Shelby (June 20, 2013).
1011:Montgomery, Ben (April 15, 2011).
935:Wolff, Cindy (February 19, 2012).
25:
1507:"Comment#39731, LeisurePro story"
1407:"Comment#37692, LeisurePro story"
1392:"3/4 naked Vortex Cave measuring"
1359:Jill Heinerth (Director) (2012).
1325:Jill Heinerth (Director) (2012).
1305:"Comment#40046, LeisurePro story"
1281:McDaniel, Shelby (July 8, 2014).
1161:Jill Heinerth (Director) (2012).
1127:Jill Heinerth (Director) (2012).
1076:"Comment#39523, LeisurePro story"
315:, becoming a frequent visitor to
1430:. scubaboard.com. April 19, 2011
847:
833:
819:
1711:Missing person cases in Florida
1664:3/4 naked Vortex Cave measuring
1101:Wolff, Cindy (April 14, 2012).
689:, and was eventually placed in
503:Searches by recovery specialist
1530:. legacy.com. January 23, 2012
863:List of people who disappeared
483:extra "air" tanks, needed for
116:August 18, 2010 (aged 30)
1:
560:brought to the spring by the
249:and the state of Tennessee.
1559:Northwest Florida Daily News
1394:– via www.youtube.com.
705:Northwest Florida Daily News
601:Reward offer and controversy
1737:
1701:2010s missing person cases
676:Emergency medical services
153:(born April 15, 1980), of
26:
1107:Memphis Commercial Appeal
942:Memphis Commercial Appeal
720:Subsequent investigations
388:Memphis Commercial Appeal
343:certification and sign a
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855:Underwater diving portal
708:despite its status as a
527:diver propulsion vehicle
247:Internal Revenue Service
611:Investigation Discovery
239:Collierville, Tennessee
213:Investigation Discovery
85:McDaniel in diving gear
1721:Holmes County, Florida
747:
551:Mapper and ROV efforts
394:he did his dives alone
359:
300:
195:replacement cost of a
163:Ponce de Leon, Florida
1196:"About Vortex Spring"
949:on September 12, 2015
635:Death of Lowell Kelly
613:cable channel series
597:test of his account.
357:
298:
55:30.77149°N 85.94812°W
841:United States portal
727:private investigator
714:Florida Sunshine Law
587:Choctawhatchee River
205:private investigator
149:On August 20, 2010,
140:Disappearance while
73:Benjamin J. McDaniel
621:Biloxi, Mississippi
489:specialized gas mix
313:dive in fresh water
60:30.77149; -85.94812
51: /
1609:Neto, Rob (2023).
1345:on 20 March 2016.
1181:on 20 March 2016.
1147:on 20 March 2016.
1048:. scubaboard.com.
478:Discovery of tanks
445:sheriff's office.
360:
337:Diving instruction
303:Relocating to the
301:
274:chocolate Labrador
188:exploring the cave
155:Memphis, Tennessee
105:Memphis, Tennessee
1379:on 20 March 2016.
784:Commercial Appeal
769:Commercial Appeal
731:Commercial Appeal
648:in the incident.
544:Commercial Appeal
290:Florida Panhandle
172:death certificate
147:
146:
16:(Redirected from
1728:
1677:
1665:
1659:
1625:
1624:
1611:Beyond the Grate
1606:
1600:
1599:
1597:
1596:
1582:
1576:
1575:
1573:
1571:
1562:. Archived from
1549:
1540:
1539:
1537:
1535:
1524:
1518:
1517:
1515:
1513:
1502:
1496:
1495:
1493:
1491:
1486:on April 2, 2015
1482:. Archived from
1471:
1465:
1464:
1462:
1460:
1449:
1443:
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1437:
1435:
1424:
1418:
1417:
1415:
1413:
1402:
1396:
1395:
1387:
1381:
1380:
1375:. Archived from
1356:
1350:
1349:
1341:. Archived from
1322:
1316:
1315:
1313:
1311:
1300:
1294:
1293:
1291:
1289:
1278:
1272:
1271:
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1245:
1243:
1241:
1236:on March 2, 2014
1232:. Archived from
1222:
1216:
1215:
1213:
1211:
1202:. Archived from
1192:
1186:
1185:
1177:. Archived from
1158:
1152:
1151:
1143:. Archived from
1124:
1118:
1117:
1115:
1113:
1098:
1087:
1086:
1084:
1082:
1071:
1062:
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1057:
1041:
1035:
1034:
1032:
1030:
1021:. Archived from
1008:
959:
958:
956:
954:
945:. Archived from
932:
857:
852:
851:
850:
843:
838:
837:
836:
829:
824:
823:
822:
806:Beyond the Grate
798:Beyond the Grate
791:Beyond the Grate
569:Searches on land
416:security cameras
333:Floridan Aquifer
282:Santa Rosa Beach
100:
98:
83:
69:
66:
65:
63:
62:
61:
56:
52:
49:
48:
47:
44:
21:
1736:
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1696:2010 in Florida
1686:
1685:
1675:
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1594:
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1590:Tampa Bay Times
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1309:
1307:
1302:
1301:
1297:
1287:
1285:
1280:
1279:
1275:
1265:
1263:
1262:. Atlas Obscura
1260:"Vortex Spring"
1257:
1256:
1249:
1239:
1237:
1226:"Scuba Diving!"
1224:
1223:
1219:
1209:
1207:
1206:on June 9, 2013
1194:
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1189:
1175:
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1028:
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1018:Tampa Bay Times
1010:
1009:
962:
952:
950:
934:
933:
884:
880:
853:
848:
846:
839:
834:
832:
825:
820:
818:
815:
794:
763:cave's depths.
752:
722:
685:Kelly remained
637:
603:
571:
562:Fort Lauderdale
553:
521:Tampa Bay Times
505:
480:
451:
402:
329:
235:
117:
108:
102:
96:
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59:
57:
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32:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
1734:
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1713:
1708:
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1698:
1688:
1687:
1684:
1683:
1672:
1660:
1643:
1632:
1631:External links
1629:
1627:
1626:
1619:
1601:
1577:
1566:on May 3, 2012
1541:
1519:
1497:
1466:
1444:
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1295:
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1247:
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1139:
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1046:"Ben McDaniel"
1036:
960:
881:
879:
876:
875:
874:
865:
859:
858:
844:
830:
827:Florida portal
814:
811:
796:In July 2023,
793:
788:
751:
746:
721:
718:
702:report to the
664:chili cook-off
636:
633:
602:
599:
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567:
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504:
501:
479:
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450:
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328:
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231:
145:
144:
138:
137:Known for
134:
133:
127:
123:
122:
114:
110:
109:
103:
101:April 15, 1980
92:
88:
87:
84:
76:
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72:
33:
24:
14:
13:
10:
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1620:9781961612013
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1296:
1284:
1277:
1274:
1261:
1258:Casey, Mark.
1254:
1252:
1248:
1235:
1231:
1230:Vortex Spring
1227:
1221:
1218:
1205:
1201:
1200:Vortex Spring
1197:
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1025:on 2015-07-20
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895:
893:
891:
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866:
864:
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856:
845:
842:
831:
828:
817:
812:
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802:
799:
792:
789:
787:
785:
779:
777:
772:
770:
764:
761:
757:
756:Jill Heinerth
750:
745:
743:
738:
734:
732:
728:
719:
717:
715:
711:
710:public record
707:
706:
701:
696:
695:Holmes County
692:
688:
683:
681:
677:
673:
672:Ponce de Leon
669:
665:
660:
658:
654:
649:
647:
643:
634:
632:
628:
624:
622:
618:
617:
612:
607:
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584:
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568:
566:
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538:
536:
532:
528:
523:
522:
516:
514:
510:
502:
500:
497:
492:
490:
486:
485:decompression
477:
475:
471:
467:
465:
459:
456:
448:
446:
444:
443:Holmes County
438:
436:
431:
427:
423:
421:
417:
411:
408:
400:Disappearance
399:
397:
395:
390:
389:
382:
379:
374:
370:
366:
356:
352:
350:
346:
342:
338:
334:
327:Vortex Spring
326:
324:
322:
321:Ponce de Leon
318:
317:Vortex Spring
314:
310:
306:
299:Vortex Spring
297:
293:
291:
287:
286:Emerald Coast
283:
279:
275:
271:
266:
263:
259:
255:
254:rock climbing
250:
248:
244:
240:
232:
230:
228:
227:Jill Heinerth
224:
220:
219:
214:
211:A segment of
209:
206:
200:
198:
193:
192:decompression
189:
184:
180:
179:Emerald Coast
175:
173:
168:
164:
160:
159:Vortex Spring
156:
152:
143:
139:
135:
131:
128:
124:
120:
119:Vortex Spring
115:
111:
106:
93:
89:
82:
77:
70:
67:
64:
30:
29:Ben McDaniels
19:
1647:Ben's Vortex
1646:
1610:
1604:
1593:. Retrieved
1589:
1580:
1568:. Retrieved
1564:the original
1557:
1532:. Retrieved
1522:
1510:. Retrieved
1500:
1488:. Retrieved
1484:the original
1469:
1457:. Retrieved
1447:
1439:
1432:. Retrieved
1422:
1410:. Retrieved
1400:
1385:
1377:the original
1362:Ben's Vortex
1361:
1354:
1346:
1343:the original
1328:Ben's Vortex
1327:
1320:
1308:. Retrieved
1298:
1286:. Retrieved
1276:
1264:. Retrieved
1238:. Retrieved
1234:the original
1220:
1208:. Retrieved
1204:the original
1190:
1182:
1179:the original
1164:Ben's Vortex
1163:
1156:
1148:
1145:the original
1130:Ben's Vortex
1129:
1122:
1110:. Retrieved
1106:
1079:. Retrieved
1054:. Retrieved
1039:
1027:. Retrieved
1023:the original
1016:
951:. Retrieved
947:the original
940:
869:
805:
803:
797:
795:
790:
783:
780:
776:Ben's Vortex
775:
773:
768:
765:
753:
749:Ben's Vortex
748:
742:cadaver dogs
739:
735:
730:
723:
703:
684:
661:
650:
638:
629:
625:
614:
608:
604:
595:lie detector
576:
572:
554:
542:
539:
519:
517:
509:Edd Sorenson
506:
496:Ben's Vortex
495:
493:
481:
472:
468:
464:Cadaver dogs
460:
452:
439:
432:
428:
424:
412:
403:
386:
383:
361:
330:
309:scuba diving
302:
267:
251:
236:
223:Ben's Vortex
222:
216:
210:
201:
176:
151:Ben McDaniel
150:
148:
142:scuba diving
36:
18:Ben McDaniel
1716:Cave diving
870:Disappeared
760:documentary
668:head injury
616:Disappeared
583:Sandy Creek
531:carnivorous
407:cave diving
373:cave diving
365:Grim Reaper
218:Disappeared
161:, north of
113:Disappeared
58: /
1690:Categories
1595:2022-02-03
1372:0979878985
1338:0979878985
1174:0979878985
1140:0979878985
878:References
712:under the
653:no contest
646:kidnapping
579:Blue Creek
435:decompress
341:open-water
305:Gulf Coast
270:sabbatical
262:foundation
241:, outside
233:Background
183:sabbatical
97:1980-04-15
46:85°56′53″W
43:30°46′17″N
680:Pensacola
662:During a
657:probation
378:limestone
349:liability
181:during a
174:in 2013.
121:, Florida
1641:Facebook
1570:July 25,
1534:July 25,
1512:July 25,
1490:July 25,
1459:July 25,
1434:July 26,
1412:July 25,
1310:July 25,
1288:July 25,
1266:July 23,
1240:July 23,
1210:July 23,
1112:July 25,
1081:July 25,
1056:July 26,
1050:Archived
1029:July 23,
953:July 23,
872:episodes
868:List of
813:See also
687:comatose
455:wet suit
420:dive log
1681:YouTube
1669:YouTube
1480:WJHG-TV
700:autopsy
691:hospice
642:assault
585:to the
513:Bahamas
345:release
288:of the
284:on the
278:rescued
276:he had
243:Memphis
130:Missing
1654:
1617:
1369:
1335:
1171:
1137:
804:While
449:Search
258:stroke
167:diving
126:Status
369:rebar
1652:IMDb
1615:ISBN
1572:2015
1536:2015
1514:2013
1492:2015
1461:2015
1436:2015
1414:2013
1367:ISBN
1333:ISBN
1312:2013
1290:2013
1268:2015
1242:2015
1212:2015
1169:ISBN
1135:ISBN
1114:2015
1083:2013
1058:2015
1031:2015
955:2015
644:and
581:and
535:silt
107:, US
91:Born
1679:on
1667:on
1650:at
1639:on
347:of
215:'s
1692::
1588:.
1556:.
1544:^
1478:.
1438:.
1250:^
1228:.
1198:.
1105:.
1091:^
1066:^
1015:.
963:^
939:.
885:^
786:.
733:.
682:.
537:.
422:.
351:.
335:.
323:.
1623:.
1598:.
1574:.
1538:.
1516:.
1494:.
1463:.
1416:.
1314:.
1292:.
1270:.
1244:.
1214:.
1116:.
1085:.
1060:.
1033:.
957:.
99:)
95:(
31:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
