Cave Divers Body Recovered

[L Roebuck]

Very sad news this morning concerning caver, Ron Simmons, the inventor of the Simmons Roller.

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Man dead after Suwannee River cave diving

A certified cave diver from Virginia apparently drowned this week while cave diving alone in a spring along the Suwannee River.

The body of Ronald Wayne Simmons, 53, of Charlottesville, Va., was recovered at 5:48 p.m. Thursday, according to Lafayette County Sheriff Carson McCall.

"He appeared to have complications with some equipment but that's all I can say right now," McCall said. "Our investigation is continuing but this looks like an accidental death."

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[madratdan]

This is really sad.....condolances to his family and friends. I met Ron at convention. He was a super nice guy to be around.

[Sharon Faulkner]

This is sad,....my condolences to his brothers, friends, and cave diving buddies. Here is more information from the FL list serve, posted by Buford Pruitt of Gainesville, Florida:

I had a long talk this morning with Mark Long, a friend and the person who retrieved Ron's [Simmons] body last night. I expect that a full account of the incident will be written and published by him fairly soon.

The corpse was found beyond two serious restrictions on Mark's second
dive attempt to find the remains. Mark said that if Ron had been beyond a third, even gnarlier restriction, extricating the body might have been impossible. Ron was known as a digger and a finder of significant additional passages; indeed, he had lengthened the known extent of Allen's Millpond Spring Cave from approximately 650 ft by another 1000 ft in 43 dives there. He once remarked to me that Florida's cave divers weren't really interested in digging, and therefore there was a lot more underwater cave to be found in "walled out" underwater Florida caves.

His two tanks were empty and his regulators were functioning, but he was snarled in line that had slipped off his reel. Jerry Murphy has possession of both Ron's dive computers and is to download and analyze their data. The Sheriff's office has possession of his regulators.

Ron never married and had no children. His parents were deceased but he is survived by two brothers. He had many friends in Florida's caving and cave diving communities, and I expect there will be a memorial service down here possibly in addition to one in Virginia where he lived. He was 52 years old and only a year away from full retirement. He was the inventor of the Simmons Roller and for years was the main supplier of aluminum double-tank backmount plates. He was a well-known caver when I first started caving in the early 1970s, and had expedition caved all over the world.

[Brian Roebuck]

Sincere condolences to Ron's friends and family. He will be missed by them and the caving community.

[L Roebuck]

Some cavers may want to read the official report of Ron Simmons death. The Accident Report is at iucrr.org/aa.htm

Also here's Ron's Obituary for those who wish to give condolences to Ron's family or need info on the memorials. www.henryfuneralhome.net/index.cfm

RONALD WAYNE SIMMONS
(September 14, 1953 - February 14, 2007)

RONALD W. SIMMONS CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA…
Ronald Wayne Simmons, 53, of 1336 Chesapeake Street, Charlottesville, died Thursday, February 15, 2007 in Lafayette County, FL while cave diving.

He was born September 14, 1953 in Staunton, a son of Harry Richard and Charlene (Campbell) Simmons.

Mr. Simmons was a graduate of Robert E. Lee High School and the University of Virginia. After graduation, he was employed by UVA in the Department of Psychology and was an instrument maker. He was a member of the National Speleological Society.

He enjoyed caving and underwater cave diving exploration. He loved outdoor life and photography.

He was the inventor of the Simmons Roller and for years was the main supplier of aluminum double-tank back mount plates. Mr. Simmons had many friends in Florida’s caving and cave diving communities. He was a well-known caver, a great mapper and hardcore explorer, and had expedition caved all over the world.

Family members include two brothers, Elburne Simmons and Harry Simmons, Jr., both of Staunton; special friends, Alice Weakley of Charlottesville, Wes and Teri Skiles of High Springs, FL, and Ward Foeller of Charlottesville; two nieces; three nephews; and a number of cousins.

A funeral service will be conducted at 2 p.m. Friday, February 23, 2007 in the Henry Funeral Home Chapel, Staunton, by the Rev. C. Douglas Akers. Burial will follow in Oak Lawn Mausoleum and Memory Gardens, Staunton.

Active pallbearers will be Michael Simmons, Chris Simmons, Anthony Simmons, Dwayne Simmons, Jeremy Simmons, Derek Wheeler, Bobby McCray, and Buddy Stinespring.

Honorary pallbearers will be friends attending the service.

The family will receive friends from 7 until 8:30 p.m. Thursday, February 22, 2007 at the funeral home.

Memorials may be made to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, Inc., P. O. Box 937, Verona, VA 24482, or to Nature Conservancy, WVPT, or to Earth Justice.

Condolences may be sent to the family on line at www.henryfuneralhome.net.