Mr Hemphill’s body was recovered on Sunday, days after the 56-year-old had gone missing during an expedition with his colleague Andy Pitkin.

A cave diver known for his record-breaking dives and contributions to scientific research has died while exploring one of the deepest underwater caves in the United States. According to The Independent, Brett Hemphill was the president of a non-profit organisation called Karst Underwater Research (KUR).

He was 56 years old and had an illustrious career as a cave explorer. He spent over 25 years smashing diving records and collecting scientific data.

Mr Hemphill’s body was recovered on Sunday, days after the 56-year-old had gone missing during an expedition with his colleague Andy Pitkin.

He was last seen on video tying off a guideline at approximately 570 feet before the team became separated. Mr Hemphill never resurfaced from the cave, the KUR said in a statement, as per The Independent. 

Two divers then began exploring the Phantom Springs Cave in West Texas on October 4. The KUR said that it suspected that Mr Hemphill was stuck over a mile inside an underwater cave, and so multiple recovery divers travelled “thousands of miles” to assist in the search.

“All cave recovery divers are self-supported – there are no organizations that fund those efforts. Cave diver recoveries are logistically difficult and this one is especially so,” the statement said.

Thanks for reading from Ghsplash a news publishing website from Ghana. Share this article, For spelling mistakes and other related issues contact us