Noted cave diver Brett Hemphill found dead after Texas expedition

Brett Hemphill, a record-setting cave diver based in Florida, died in Texas while exploring one of the deepest underwater cave systems in the U.S., authorities said. He was 56.

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Hemphill’s body was recovered Sunday night, according to Karst Underwater Research, The Dallas Morning News reported. Hemphill was president of the nonprofit organization, which is located in Dade City, Florida, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Hemphill was exploring Phantom Caves Springs Cave in West Texas with KUR Director Andy Pitkin on Oct. 4 when they became separated, the Morning News reported. Hemphill never resurfaced from the cave, according to the newspaper.

Hemphill was seen on video tying a guide rope to a rock at a depth of 570 feet before becoming separated, the Times reported.

“We finished recovering Brett from the cave this evening,” Pitkin wrote in a social media post on KUR’s page late Sunday night. “Thank you to everyone who has contributed in any way. Please allow us some time to come to terms with his loss, as up until now we have been focused on the recovery.”

Several expert divers traveled to the area to retrieve Hemphill’s body, located more than 450 feet beneath ground level, the Times reported.

Hemphill and Pitkin were members of a team that documented parts of Phantom Springs Cave during a record-setting expedition in 2013, the Morning News reported, citing information from TEKDiveUSA.

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