| Name | Age | Sex | Injuries | Injured areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthews, George | 22 | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Horton, John | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded |
At 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 3, George Matthews (22) and John Horton entered the underwater cave at Spring Run in Washington County, Florida. Matthews was certified open water and had logged eleven dives; his companion had no experience or formal training. Neither had experience or training in cave diving. They had only one low power light and 80 cubic foot tank with no second stage regulators, each. They penetrated 300 feet and to 80 feet in depth in very silty conditions without a guideline. They turned back, Horton signaling to Matthews to lead out. Matthews was quickly lost from sight. Horton swam "frantically" toward the entrance, frequently running into walls. He found a fixed line and followed it to a "I" junction from which the light of the entrance can be seen. He surfaced with only 500 psi in his tank. Matthews body was located on Friday at 12:45, 249 feet in and 70 feet down, on the third recovery attempt.
Inexperienced, untrained divers, poorly equipped, extending themselves much too far.
Two inexperienced and untrained divers, poorly equipped, were cave diving; one diver drowned after becoming separated.