Ben McDaniel's parents believe two things: that their 30-year-old son dived into an underwater cave in Vortex Sprin, Florida on August 18, 2010. And that he is dead. What happened between these two events completely turned their lives upside down.
Ben recently moved to Santa Rosa, Florida to rehabilitate himself from business failure and a ruined marriage. Ben hadn't been doing so well lately, and he needed time to recover. The location was ideal for Ben, who was an avid diver.
Vortex Sprin is a popular holiday destination a few hours away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The comfortable temperature all year round attracts thousands of tourists who flock to the source for camping, swimming and, of course, diving. Ben often dived underwater but was not well trained and was not considered an experienced diver. The water source consists of a 61 meter pool that leads to an underground cave system. In the 1990s, 13 divers died in the cave.
Ben McDaniel.
On the evening of August 19, 2010, Ben descended the narrow dock and slipped into the clear, warm water of the vortex source. He was wearing a diving mask, fins and a wetsuit.
What happened next is shrouded in mystery.
2 days later, it was noticed that Ben's car was still in the parking lot. Vortex Sprin was shut down, and a crime scene tape was stretched from tree to tree during the investigation into Ben's disappearance. There was no sign of a struggle in his car and his belongings were intact, including $ 1,000 in cash.
The police sent divers to look for Ben for several days. Armed with flashlights, they searched the entire source. The cadaverous odor was picked up by the dogs along the shore of the source, as well as one in the water, but when the county health department examined the water, they found no signs of a bacterial surge consistent with the decomposition.
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Vortex Sprin Pool.
There were witnesses who said that they met Ben on the evening of 18 August. He descended to the cave, which starts 100 meters from the cave. At the entrance to the cave there is a sign with the image of Death, which reads: “Prevent your death. DO NOT GO FURTHER. There is nothing worth dying for."
An ominous sign warning divers about the consequences of diving at this location.
Ben made it to the locked gate at the entrance to the cave. The key to the lock was given only to experienced divers. Ben wasn't, so he didn't have the key. Eduardo Taran, however, was an experienced diver as well as a Vortex Sprin employee. He met Ben 2 months before he disappeared. Watching Ben try to open the gate, he pulled out his key and opened the gate, allowing Ben to dive in. This was the last time Ben was seen alive. Later, Eduardo took a lie detector test.
In the years that followed, experienced divers continued to search for clues in search of Ben's tracks at the request of his parents, who offered them a reward. While the police had already searched the Source, there were certain passages that they refused to investigate because it was too dangerous and they were not experienced enough. It is clear that they did not want to risk their lives.
Ed Sorenson, an experienced diver who owns a diving shop, searched the source thoroughly. He worked his way through tiny crevices that Ben was too big to swim through, but he was determined to search every inch of the cave system. While the divers couldn't find Ben, they found 2 decompression tanks that the divers leave as they ascend to avoid decompression sickness. It was concluded that they were abandoned by Ben.
There was no sign of Ben except 2 tanks: no mask, no fins, no wetsuit, no body. Many divers are adamant that Ben is not in the cave. One of the seasoned divers who searched for Ben, Kevin Carlisle, explained: "We may never know the truth about where he is, but we know where he is not, and this is due to the large number of talented and skilled divers."
While they searched the tiny passages, there was no sign of human activity. There were no marks from a diving helmet or oxygen tank on the limestone to scratch the ceiling of the cave. There were no signs of activity from aquatic scavengers, as one would expect if there was a dead body there.
Underwater caves.
Some believe that something more sinister happened to Ben: he was killed. However, the police refused to view this as murder.
Underwater caves map.
Others believe that Ben faked his own death. He probably lives in Mexico. He had a failed marriage and financial problems. In fact, he owed $ 48,861. Ben tried to change his life. He had a new girlfriend in Florida and was going to start his own business. This is the theory that Ben's parents least believe in. They are sure that he could not have treated them so cruelly.
In 2008, the McDaniel family suffered tragedy when their youngest son Paul died of a stroke. “We know our son won't make us go through this again,” said Patty, Ben's mother.
A dark secret where Ben is stalking the McDaniels family. Closing a case is impossible without a body. To this day, parents do not lose hope that one day their son, dead or alive, will be found.