Wayne's World (aka School Sink) off Stephens Drive in Hudson, FL
Information - http://www.tampadiving.com/sections/diving/cave_systems/system.asp?ID=88&region=FL

Trained In Cave Diving

Team 1 to search towards Main Street and Dog Tunnel

heavy thick dark brown silt on all surfaces

AL Backplate, Halcton wing

2 @ STEEL Faber 108, 1 AL40

3, 2 on bankmount tanks & 1 on O2 deco tank

Back - Apeks DS4/TX50, Deco - OMS

left post 1/2 rolled, isolator closed

Back - Highland, Stage - Zeagle

Back - 3500# PSIG, Deco - 1000# PSIG

1 = Halcyon 18w HID, 2 & 3 = Oxycheq stowed DIR style

1 = right hip, 2 = right shoulder, 3 = left shoulder

1 = DiveRite cavern reel (blue)

no, but 6 to 8 feet of line trailing behind diver

clipped to his side D ring with 6 to 8 feet of line spooled off, trailling

used light to tie into the goldline

1 - right wrist = VR3, 2 - left wrist = Sunto Viper

dive time = 1768 minutes, Max depth = 31 meters

camera in left pocket, contained no pictures of this dive but several of victim #1 and victim #2 at another cave system

Brett Hemphill
Paul Heinerth
Colt Smith
Walter Pickel
Lindsey Pickel
Michael McDonald
Robert Brooks

Wayne's World (aka School Sink) off Stephens Drive in Hudson, FL
Information - http://www.tampadiving.com/sections/diving/cave_systems/system.asp?ID=88&region=FL

Wayne’s World Recovery

Date: November 12, 2008

Walter Pickel and Brett Hemphill met at Scuba West in  Hudson, FL at 4PM.  Colt Smith arrived at 4.15 and Paul Heinerth arrived at 4.30.  We discussed possible search scenarios and decided teams.  Brett and Paul would be Team #1 and Walter and Colt would be Team #2.  We left Scuba West for Wayne’s World at 5PM.  We arrived at Wayne’s World at 5.05PM and parked vehicles.  At 5.15PM we briefed the Pasco County Sherriff’s Office Public Affairs Officer (PAO).

Team #1 entered the cave at 5.50PM. At 6.16PM Paul surfaced with Victim #2’s body and then submerged into the cave again.  Victim #2 was positioned on the stairs for inventory.  The inventory was performed by Walter Pickel and Michael McDonald.

At 6.20PM, Paul resurfaced with Victim #1’s body.  Brett had stayed inside the cave and he pushed Victim #1 through the small entrance while Paul was pulling from the outside.  It appears that Victim #1 had tied himself into the main gold line at 47’ FFW, with his primary light cord.  His O2 tank was also clipped to the main gold line at the same location, approximately 40 feet inside the cave from the main entrance.  His O2 regulator had been deployed and read 1000# PSIG.  He had apparently been breathing O2 from his deco tank.  As topside discoveries would show, Victim #1’s right back mounted bottle was empty but his left was full @ 3500# PSIG; his isolator was in the closed position.  When Walter tested the isolator valve positioning, a strong hiss could be heard when Walter opened the valve.  Walter quickly re-closed the isolator valve and the SPG read 2700# PSIG. Topside inventory was performed by Walter Pickel, Lindsey Pickel and Michael McDonald.

The Recovery Dive

When Paul and Brett entered the cave they immediately and saw Victim #1.  20 feet past him was his 1st fin and 50' further and at the lowest point in the Dog Tunnel passage they found his 2nd fin.  Of important note, was that the gold line past the anchoring three-way arrow rock headed into the Dog Tunnel had been completely pulled away from all placements and tie off which were originally on the right wall. The gold line was loose and laying close to the floor.  Also important is that 5' past the second fin at a depth of 80' which is as deep as you can get in this small section of the cave was a body size impact crater which was observed by both Paul and Brett.

As Paul and Brett continued up into the next room at 130' penetration they could see Victim #2 approximately 30' ahead and near the highest point of the hill floating upside down. By the time Brett signaled Paul, Brett believes Paul had already seen the body.   As they approached Victim #2 they decided that Paul would attend to his removal and Brett would attend to stabilizing the environment. There is an anchoring rock as you are coming up into the room; this tie off was intact; all gold line before it and past it had been completely pulled free from its original positioning. The next stationary tie off was at 90' deep at the dog leg left restriction going into the Short Cut Tunnel.  The main gold line had slipped into a crack, i.e. a “line trap”.  This occurs when the line slips into an area too small for a diver to swim through.  Brett began to pull approximately 60' of the gold line out of the impassable section of limestone bedding plane prior to the passable chute leading to the dog leg left restriction.  This was done for the safety of the recovery divers Paul and Brett.

The Cleanup Dive

Paul and Brett dove School Sink on 11.18.2008 to clean up any debris that remained.  Upon reaching 60’ penetration in the Staircase Tunnel, Brett noted that Victim #2’s main safety reel (his name was on it) had been dropped in the tunnel.  Victim #2's spool had been tied off to existent line in the Staircase Tunnel.  Only inches of line were left on his spool.

Additional notes

The Short Cut Tunnel is relatively small (3’ height) and contains salt water and fresh water mixing layers which make it difficult to focus or even determine visibility.  In the Short Cut Tunnel, it is possible to lose the line. 

Victim #1 was found in the main cavern at a depth of 47’ by his O2 bottle; the O2 regulator had been deployed. 

Victim #2 was found at the ceiling of the School Sink #2 dome.  He was found with stratified blood around his head: his mask was pushed back behind his head.

Recovery Team Members

Paul Heinerth – Recovery diver
Brett Hemphill – Recovery diver
Walter Pickel – Topside supervisor, inventory, note taking, handling bodies
Lindsey Pickel - Topside assistance with inventory and handling bodies
Colt Smith – Topside assistance with inventory and handling bodies
Michael McDonald - Topside assistance with inventory and handling bodies
Robert Brooks - Topside assistance with inventory and handling bodies