This is the second part of a two-part series about the mysterious disappearance of Ben McDaniel. He was a certified open-water SCUBA diver who has been missing since August 18, 2010. The missing persons case remains open.
On August 20, 2010, a call was issued to cave divers in the region surrounding Vortex Spring, Florida. They stated that a diver was missing and a body might need to be recovered from the cave within the spring. Three teams of 16 divers responded to the call and searched for Ben McDaniel’s body for 36 consecutive days. Despite their extensive efforts, not a single piece of evidence was found to indicate that he had drowned in the cave or the surrounding spring. Every crevice and opening of the cave was thoroughly searched. All except for a narrow, dangerous section at the back that posed challenges even for highly experienced divers.
The owner of Cave Adventures, a dive shop located about an hour from Vortex Spring, made three attempts to access this constricted area but found no evidence that any divers had been there. Given the difficulty of gaining entry, he speculated that a diver of McDaniel’s size would likely struggle to access it. An over 6 feet tall and weighing 210 pounds—very difficult.
Although no evidence regarding McDaniel’s fate was found in the cave, some peculiar clues emerged. Full air tanks were discovered outside the cave entrance, which puzzled investigators for two reasons. First, the tanks were filled with regular air, which was inconsistent with what McDaniel would have likely learned about cave diving. His parents had insisted he learn about the unique gas mixtures often required for cave diving, depending on factors such as depth.
Cave divers often place extra air tanks along their route inside the cave so that they are easily accessible if needed. In a troubling turn of events, Ben McDaniel’s truck went unnoticed by the dive shop staff at Vortex Spring for two days, even though it was parked within their view. They found McDaniel’s wallet inside the truck, which contained nearly $700 in cash, a cell phone, and various personal items. The last call made on the cell phone was to his mother the evening before his disappearance.
Ben McDaniel’s parents, Shelby and Patty, actively participated in the search efforts. They hoped that one of the divers would return with information about their son. They even offered a $10,000 reward to any diver willing to brave the dangerous passages. Unfortunately, many experienced cave divers declined to search due to concerns for their safety. The area remains unexplored, and the frustrated and grief-stricken parents have come to believe that it may be where Ben’s body is located. Their reluctance to consider alternative theories prompted Jill Heinerth to produce a documentary about the mystery surrounding Ben McDaniel’s disappearance.
Heinerth and her husband, Robert McClellan, have produced four documentaries, one of which, “Water’s Journey,” aired on PBS. Heinerth initially visited Vortex Spring to film a cave dive she could show McDaniel’s parents. This aims to demonstrate the inherent dangers of cave diving and help them find closure. However, after reading McDaniel’s logbooks, she discovered he was mapping the cave and had made at least one dive to its furthest reaches. This prompted her to reconsider her approach. She realized there wasn’t enough evidence to suggest that he hadn’t explored that cave region. Consequently, she created a documentary on his disappearance, “Ben’s Vortex.”
There are numerous theories regarding the disappearance of Ben McDaniel. Some believe he may have staged his disappearance to start a new life without anyone knowing. Others think he might have drowned in the cave and been swept out to sea. Another theory suggests that foul play could be involved, implicating a former owner of Vortex as a possible suspect. At the time of Ben’s disappearance, this owner was awaiting trial for the alleged kidnapping and assault of a temporary employee. He pleaded no contest, resulting in a fine and probation. The man has since passed away under suspicious circumstances just a month ago.
The McDaniel family continues to hold onto hope that their questions will eventually be answered. Until then, the case of the missing person remains open. The couple has increased the reward to $30,000 for any diver locating their son in the extensive cave system.
