A man experienced one of history’s most harrowing silent deaths during an attempt to reach the depths of Zacatón, a famous cenote in northeastern Mexico.
Since 1990, divers have explored this sinkhole, with Jim Bowden and Gary Walten initially using a plumb line to measure 250 feet (76 meters) in depth—unaware they were only measuring a platform. In reality, Zacatón plunges to an astonishing 1,112 feet (339 meters), making it the deepest known cenote.
In 1993, renowned cave diver Sheck Exley joined Bowden and Walten, reaching depths of 721 feet and 504 feet respectively, setting records for Zacatón. Encouraged by the favorable conditions, they planned another dive to reach the cenote’s bottom. By April 1994, they spent two days preparing decompression tanks, descent lines, and routes.
On April 6, 1994, Exley and Bowden began their dive with support from Bowden’s wife Karen, Exley’s ex-wife Mary Ellen Eckhoff, and diver Ann Kristovich. As Bowden descended, he stopped at 750 feet and realized at 900 feet he’d used more air than anticipated, halting his dive.
Struggling briefly with his tank valve, Bowden spotted Exley’s line but sensed something was wrong when he saw only one set of bubbles. Concerned, Mary attempted a descent to check on Exley but couldn’t locate him.
At 60 feet, Bowden received news of Exley’s disappearance and knew recovery from that depth would be impossible. Three days later, the team recovered Exley’s line with his body attached. It’s believed Exley, realizing he wouldn’t make it, secured himself to the line so others wouldn’t risk retrieval.
Exley’s loss was a profound shock to the diving world, especially given his contributions to diving safety protocols. Though his life ended tragically, his legacy in cave and sinkhole diving continues to inspire and inform modern explorations.