Deon Dreyer, an enthusiastic scuba diver from South Africa, was tragically lost after exploring the deeps of Bushman's Hole, when a team went to retrieve his body ten years on disaster struck again
The body of a diver who sank without a trace during a risky dive was left at the bottom of an 800-foot underwater hole for 10 years until a chance discovery led to efforts to retrieve his body.
But when expert diver Dave Shaw mounted an expedition to retrieve the remains of Deon Dreyer, little did he know that tragedy lay in wait for him as well.
The story was explored by YouTuber MrBallen who described the incredible diving spot known as Boesmansgat or Bushman's Hole in South Africa.
The deep freshwater cave in the country’s Northern Cape region has claimed the lives of a number of cave divers over the years.
"If you hike down the crater to the middle, there's this little tiny basin of water that almost looks like an oversized puddle. This is the entrance to Bushman's Hole," explained Mr Ballen.
Once past a tight, claustrophobic entrance, divers are rewarded with one of the largest freshwater caves in the world at 393 feet long, 328 feet wide and 927 feet deep.
"For the people that have been in there, they say it's unbelievable and it's like spacewalking," Mr Ballen explained.
The location is the site of numerous world records over the years but the challenge is accompanied by serious risks.
Among the lives lost to Bushman’s Hole over the years is that of South African scuba diver Deon Dreyer from South Africa.
A diving group offered for Dreyer to accompany them to the renowned spot in 1994 and he jumped at the chance.
As the group suited up and began their dive things appeared to be going well but it wasn’t long before a member of the dive team realized Dreyer was sinking into the murky depths.
"Deon was sinking so quickly that this diver realised that it's a suicide mission [to retrieve him]," the YouTuber explained.
The cause of Deon’s rapid sinking into the pit remained a mystery, his parents were told that he had most likely suffered a deep water blackout causing him to sink to the bottom of the deep cave.
Authorities were unable to retrieve his body using robotics and his parents were forced to commemorate their son with a plaque beside the entrance to the cave which had claimed their son.
Then, ten years later David Shaw arrived at the entrance of the same cave system.
“Dave Shaw, who was a 50-year-old extremely audacious cave diver, was passing the 800-ft mark inside of Bushman's Hole,” Mr Ballen explained.
"Shaw touched down on the sloping bottom of the cave, he detached from the cave reel, took out his flashlight and began swimming around the bottom.
"As he was scanning around, he looked about 50 feet to his left and he saw something he immediately recognised - it was a human body.
"They were on their back with their arms stretched out towards the surface, and when Shaw went over to them, he immediately recognised that this is Deon Dreyer."
Shaw was unable to lift the body as the oxygen tanks were snagged on something - not wanting to die down there himself he attached something to the remains and returned to the surface.
He contacted Dreyer’s parents with the news that he had found their son’s body and promised to return their boy home to them.
In January 2005, after much preparation Shaw and a team of divers embarked on the 12-hour mission.
Shaw, who had decided to film the dive with a helmet camera descended the dangerous cave and began trying to free Dreyer’s body.
The other divers were spread out above him at intervals, back up to the surface - after 15 minutes the diver above him began looking for signs that Shaw had finished his work,
On seeing there was no movement below the diver attempted to rescue Shaw but soon after he started heading down to him he heard a strange sound and discovered his gauge had broken - a vital piece of kit.
He shared the sad news to the person at the next decompression stop using a slate that said 'Dave's not coming back'.
This message was passed along, eventually reaching the surface where Dreyer's parents were waiting.
The tragic news caused the team to head home, leaving much of their gear still in the cave.
When they eventually returned to get their equipment, the team started pulling on the line, as it moved to the surface they found both Shaw and Dreyer’s bodies attached to it.
"Basically Shaw had been attached to this line, and he had managed to free Deon before he had passed," added MrBallen.
"And so when they pulled the line, both of them were freed and they floated to the surface."
The helmet camera allowed the divers to analyze Shaw’s final moments, leading them to conclude he had most likely suffered from nitrogen narcosis, a condition that deep divers can get, causing them to feel intoxicated and disorientated.
While the mission to retrieve Dreyer’s body has a tragic end, Shaw continues to be remembered for his bravery and giving closure to the Dreyer family after a decade.
