Lost River - Karst Information Portal

2007 NSS Convention Guidebook
Total line in cave: 1,900 feet. Maximum
Depth: 75 feet.
Dive 21. December 3, 1995: Attempted
Photo Trip
After more than two weeks without rain
and a warm day of 55 degrees Fahrenheit with
partly sunny skies, Dave was able to talk Mark
and Ralph into a photo dive trip. The water
looked nice by Indiana standards, with the
water level up 4 inches and visibility of 10 feet
in the spring pool. After going over the dive to
plan where and how Mark wanted to set up for
taking pictures, Mark took the lead, going in
the entrance first. He wanted to get some shots
looking up as Dave and Ralph came through
the small opening in which a diver fills up most
of the space. After giving Mark a few minutes
to get set up, Dave went in head first and
stopped halfway to wait for Mark to take the
picture, but something was not working right.
Mark could not get the flash to go off. He tried
several times but still had no luck. He decided
to call off his part of the dive and let Ralph and
Dave go on and do some sightseeing.
The water was colder than it had been
in the fall, with a temperature of 52 degrees
70
Fahrenheit—and that was the water coming
in from the so-called Warm Water Passage.
After going about 450 feet in, they had seen
enough of the cave and the cold water. On the
way out Ralph was in the lead and Dave was
following when he decided to do a “lights out”
for practice. It was a quick trip out, stopping
only to take a look at the Warm Water Passage,
which was not very warm because it was early
December and the surface water entering the
system was much colder. Back on the surface
and glad to be out of the cold water, Mark told
Dave and Ralph that his flash unit had flooded.
Oh well—that’s the way it goes at times. They
did not get any pictures but still had a good
dive.
It was a good dive season. A new passage was
discovered that turned out to be Indian Creek,
which explains the warm water in the fall. The
Cold Water Passage drains the sinkhole plain
to the north. With 1,150 feet of new line laid
this year and passage still going, hopefully there
will be more dive trips.
This cave is closed due to the apparent
hazards of tight constrictions, cold water,
and low visibility.
George Jones, Dick Hughes, (Unknown), and Bob Braybender in South Branch
of Wyandotte with their tripods. Photo by George Jackson.
From the John Benton photo collection.