On August 24th, a Tallahassee man drowned while solo scuba diving at Ginnie Springs, Florida.
The diver, Brian Luke Tindale, age 24, is said to have arrived with his three friends at Ginnie Springs at approximately 8:30 p.m. Friday evening to set up camp, according to Gilchrist County Sheriff David Turner. According to official reports, two of the friends went paddling in a canoe while another snorkeled behind them, and Tindale went scuba diving.
Before disappearing, Tindale told his friends he had approximately 12 minutes of air left in his tank. At 2:30 a.m., after 20 minutes without any sign of Tindale, Tindale’s friends called 911, Sheriff Turner stated.
Ginnie Springs recovery divers found Tindale in a cave at Devil’s Ear Spring with his mouthpiece still in place. Tindale was a certified open-water diver, but he did not have cave-diving certification, Turner said.
"Alcohol may have been a factor based on witness reports," according to authorities.
Officials stated that it would take several weeks before toxicology results are available and the investigation is continuing.
