This place needs a visit from OSHA for sure. 3. 2 Restaurants within 5 miles. Subway (3) 4.2 mi. We felt something was odd as the Holmes County sheriff’s department said three was enough. read more. Best nearby. DANDEROUS, DANGEROUS,DANGEROUS! Turan and the other diver did not wait to see those bubbles this time, and no one knows if there ever were any. So, we know Ben went in that evening. NOT SUITABLE FOR FAMILIES!!!! This is a classic case. If you had trouble registering to vote after the state website crashed Monday evening and didn’t take advantage of a seven hour extension granted Tuesday, there’s a 50/50 chance you may get another opportunity. I wish your copy writer would choose language other than “… cave claims another victim…). I just watched document about this and seems to be really mysterious case with many odd details. This is the first of a two-part series about the mysterious disappearance of Ben McDaniel, a certified open water SCUBA diver that has been missing since August 18, 2010. During the early 1990s, 13 divers died while exploring it. As far as the polygraph tests is concerned—there were only three questions asked instead of an official 1 1/2 to 3 hours it normally takes. Cables, rebar, trash all over, grass grown up and only half of a swimming hole available. He and the other diver with him on that day submitted to polygraph tests about the incident and passed. According to Holmes County Sheriff's Office's report, it happened Monday afternoon. I think not. DON'T BRING YOUR FAMILY HERE! If you love the water this is the place for you. Which made the mold smell worse. Vortex Spring Adventures is recognized as one of the best and safest diving resorts in the country. Please don’t dive beyond your certification level. Anyhow I’m just wondering if there haven’t used underwater remote cameras as they are very small sizes nowadays? 1. more. The place has a large layout and a ton of potential. Although he never resurfaced in society, no trace of him was ever found in the spring or the cave, despite ongoing efforts of police and qualified divers. This is the nastiest place I have ever visited. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. What if the guy that unlocked the underwater gate then locked the gate after ben passed through? Reports say a rescue diver was able to find the man a short time later. “Live Life’s Adventures” Barry R Jones Jr 228-596-7377, This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. Was this new information about the body being removed and disposed of by Kelly discovered before or after his death? There is a DEEP cave system than can lure inexperienced divers to their death! Anybody heard any theories?? There are plenty of thing for children to do and places for adults to relax or swim without bumping into someone else. Do they have a logical reason as to why they reported his truck two days after and not before if he was there on a Wednesday and they called in on Friday? Ponce de Leon Springs State Park (219) 3.4 mi. Website +1 800-342-0640. Submit your caving news and let the worldwide caving community know what you've been up to! Sometimes the spring bowl area is too small for many instructors certifying students. Don’t dive without a buddy and without proper equipment and training. Dive the shallows and stay safe. If you check you will find out it appears they were covering for something, or for someone. It’s a state park and was well maintained the last time I was there. The profiler we hired is 100% convinced Ben’s body was taken out of the cave and deposited elsewhere. A man is dead from an apparent drowning at Vortex Springs in Ponce de Leon. Water Temp is 68 all year long COLD, however the month of dec is cold outside, so not that comfortable, but the Gulf of Mexico is even colder. Did I read somewhere that Lowell Kelly had died? I guess this is a warning to all of us. Larry Higginbotham, of Biloxi, Mississippi, did not return after he went diving at the spring on Saturday at around 10:45 am. Vortex Springs could offer me no more than an apology and offer to reschedule, Ha! The place has a large layout and a ton of potential. It's truly a diver's paradise. Vortex Spring Adventures LLC, 1517 Vortex Springs Lane, Ponce de Leon, FL, 32455, United States (850) 836-4979 vsareserve@gmail.com (850) 836-4979 vsareserve@gmail.com Air barely worked. Eduardo and his co-worker who took the test know more than they have admitted. The body was recovered on Sunday evening with the help of volunteer cave divers. The missing persons case remains open. What we don’t know is what actually happened to him. Maybe the owner had a motive to silence Ben if he had knowledge of the murder of the other employee. Is this a must-do if you are traveling with a, Is this a place or activity you would suggest for, Is this a romantic place or activity that you would suggest for, Would you recommend this place or activity to a friend looking for an, Are the prices for this place or activity, Is this a place or activity you would go to on a, We have been going for the past two years and love it! Trash in the water & the people were trashy too. I’ve dove overhead environment numerous times. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. What Happened to Ben McDaniel? The fate of the state’s medical marijuana regulatory structure lies in the hands of the Florida Supreme Court, which on Wednesday heard a legal challenge brought by Florigrown for a second time. And no, Ben did not break the lock as there is new information whereas the broken lock was substituted with the original one and the owner ( Lowell Kelly with his helpers ) took the body out and disposed of it on the property somewhere. Will be waiting for ‘part 2’. If you trying to find special discount you'll need to searching when special time come or holidays. This place is just gross! *Prices may be higher on major holidays/holiday weekends. U don’t have to be certified to squeeze urself past that last restriction. Owners are rude, not helpful, and accomadations SUCK! The underwater cave at Vortex Spring is only accessible for 310 feet, after which a steel gate blocks the way. well both ladies at the dive shop had a rude demeanor and were not helpful answering my questions. we could never ever comprehend that & im certainly not going to try… sure, we all have our armchair investigator, wanna be cave diving expert opinions, but at the end of the day, none of know jack… i only hope & pray that this family can somehow be at enough peace to get up & live everyday, realizing the love they gave & still give their children that obviously was reciprocated, and never give up hope that someday (one way or another), we all find out what really happened. BEWARE! Funny. And yes, there is a possibility his body was removed but there is no proof or evidence. Popular hours. TRASHY, DISGUSTING, NO SAFETY PRECAUTIONS, DO NOT BRING YOUR FAMILY HERE! Something is not right here but our family was in such a stage of shock we did not realize how significant an error this was! According to Holmes County Sheriff's Office's report, it happened … Created by Doc & Ruth Dockery, Vortex Spring is home to the Red & White "Diver Down" Flag and is one of the largest diving facilities in the state of Florida. Leaking roof,cracked tiles. I suggest Ponce de Leon Springs in the same area. On previous dives, Turan would sometimes wait for the sight of McDaniel’s bubbles at the surface, as an indication that he was decompressing and okay. It was about 93 degrees out and the spring was STILL extremely cold. of this, we were not even informed verbally. more, Kayaking & Canoeing, Nature & Wildlife Tours, Gear Rentals, Stand-Up Paddleboarding. Vortex Springs Death. There is a DEEP cave system than can lure inexperienced divers to their death! It takes 11/2 hours as we found out to fully process the correct procedures. We also offer beautiful campgrounds and recently renovated lodging facilities. Only cave-certified divers are given a key to the gate, which McDaniel did not have. Could be a cool place, but it's not! I wouldn’t cave alone ABOVE ground. There are many unanswered questions that will probably never be resolved. Larry Higginbotham, of Biloxi, Mississippi, did not return after he went diving at the spring on Saturday at around 10:45 am. Another Tragedy at Florida’s Vortex Spring March 20, 2012 / Florida, United States, North America Florida’s Vortex Spring claimed the life of another cave diver over the weekend. Wow, that is where I got open water certified! Why were the spare tanks improperly filled and left in the wrong place? DANDEROUS, DANGEROUS,DANGEROUS! And stop renting moldy rooms. If you stay on site you must bring your own linens. Just watched the movie “Sanctum” on HBO. He’s probably gotten deeper than they’ve searched and if he hasn’t gotten hooked on something or blocking a narrow opening, he’ll eventually end up in the ocean. three—only three questions were asked of the two who last saw Ben ( normally in this kind of situation there are a series of many many questions if a lie detector is used properly ) I even ask for Kelly to be included plus others but was told there was no need to include anyone else!! Have no doubt he is down there. It’s a story that strikes fear into the heart of every diver: going down and never coming back up. His death is almost as confusing as Ben’s. We had several cadaver dog searches but no scent was found, except around the spring boil a week after Ben disappeared and again a month later. The grand lodge needs updated. Witnesses say the man went down a slide north of the swimming area but didn't come back up. The owners are very actively involved and are open to hearing feedback. And too, there is information known only to me that cannot be revealed, even after over three years. What restaurants are near Vortex Springs? They clearly layout there procedure on their website. read more, Spring and the slides and the music on Friday and Saturday nights awesome but the bathrooms and... Highly recommend. Bay County health officials say several swimming advisories, issued after Hurricane Sally because of raw sewage spills, have been lifted. Despite the well-known dangers of cave diving and the necessity of proper training, he went ahead on the dives without it. The Disappeared Program will air Ben’s documentary again next Monday morning at 8 AM on Comcast, channel 205. A Navarre man was killed in a traffic crash on Highway 98 Wednesday afternoon in Okaloosa County. Just want to chat? There is something for everyone from 3 water slides, rope swing, plenty, This place has some amazing views while diving unless its crowded then the viz is garbage. The water is nice and clear and there are some pretty big fish to look at with basic goggles. Please choose a different date. t. I was there that weekend he went missing…we were told he had broken the lock. Spring and the slides and the music on Friday and Saturday nights awesome but the bathrooms and showers were nasty and the three cabins need better aircondioners and at least a water hose spigot outside to clean your dishes hands brush teeth without going to the nasty bathrooms, Terribly dirty place. Cooper story…. I thought it was nice. Seeking more of a challenge than his open water certification offered, McDaniel decided to try his hand at cave diving, a certification which would have required about two months’ training and 125 logged dives with an instructor or cave-certified dive buddy.