Glory Passenger drowns while Cave Tubing in Belize

[kgm0612]

Something intended to be fun for the family quickly turns so tragic.

 

 

Jen........my thoughts exactly!

 

Karen

[dvrdude]

My condolences to the family. What a terrible thing to have happen on what I'm sure was a great vacation until then. How sad too for the others on the excursion as well. That must have been a long somber bus ride back to the terminal.

[enester]

I don't think individuals should be turned loose in a natural river cave - period. This is one case when the private operators that have you link up with a guide per linked group have it over the "official" operators. My guess is that the - "let you loose and good luck" version will likely be ending.

[imkristen]

A year ago we went tubing with the cavetubing dotcom folks- Yhonny and his crew were VERY concerned with safety and made several comments about how other companies just let their customers float around and fend for themselves. At a more difficult part in the trip, we saw 2 people fending for themselves from the Carnival excursion and they were in a bit of danger. Yhonny left us (with his other 3 helpers) to assist the 2 in danger, he helped them move away from the rapids and get them back on track.

 

It is very sad that this ended in tragedy for this family. I hope this will not affect Yhonny and his very nice company.

[tinlizzy]

I'll chime in here that when we were there we took the excursion with cave tubing dot com and we were a small group with a group leader whom we could always see and hear.

 

The Carnival excursion was understaffed (overbooked?) and poorly ran. It was every person for themselves floating down the river. I was appalled that the ship sent more photographers than there were tour guides for the excursion.

[jandjfun]

I am so sorry to hear it actually happened. I have said over and over right here on these boards, it nearly happened to me. PLEASE don't go cave tubing in belieze. I am a very strong swimmer. I was slammed into the wall on a curve, the tube capsized and people began running me over, pushing me under the water each time. The other people couldn't help it, the water was to swift for them to control themselves. Finally, I came up just as another tube went over me, and I grabbed onto it. the man on the tube grabbed my arm and we both continued on. The "guide" just went by and said "are you OK?" I said "no, i'm not" and he just kept going. We finally got to a shallow part so I could stand up again.

There were a lot of people there that day. These were normal conditions. I have no problem someone died doing this activity.

first please allow me to correct my original words. I am so very passonate about this subject, I got ahead of myself typing. I meant my last sentence to say I have no problems BELIEVING someone died doing this avtivity.

Secondly, I was on a ship sponsored excursion, I was wearing a lifejacket, and yes our butts dragged in a lot of areas. In fact at the end of the cave, we actually had to pick up the tube and walk because there was not enough water. The water was not high, just very swift in parts.

Thirdly, please don't take a teenagers attitude and say "well this will never happen to me". It only took a split second for me to be slammed into the wall, YES feet and hands first! Capsized and under the water. Everytime I came up I would get slammed into the cave wall again. I am very lucky to only had a couple of scratches and bruises. I could have easily died that day.

fourthy, in the story from her husband he says she was wearing a life jacket too. But they dont help when you are stuck in a whirlpool, or on the curve with the water slamming into the cave walls.

Lastly, I really hope you will never allow children to go on this excursion, and if you decide to go yourself, then I hope it's not you or your loved one we will be writing about next.

Take care.

[RJA67]

As a past Glory passenger who did the cave tubing, it really does not surprise me that this happened. There was 8 of us and we went with Nacho for the tubing. We had two quides, one in the front of our "train" and one in the back. We hooked our feet together and the quides pulled us through. We all had our life jackets on and coal mining type lights on our heads. We pushed off at the same spot as the ship excursion passengers did. The ship people did not have lights, or life jackets. They just floated along helter skelter through the cave without anyone helping them through. Okay, we were in the cave about 45 minutes, it was dark and they had no lights! -- go figure. Toward the end of the cave there was a pretty fast rapid and the ship people were going nuts trying to get out of the eddy while out guide took us wide and brought us in safe and sound. It just did not make sense to me why they let the passengers just float along without watching or keeping track of them. There was a bunch of them too. I think I remember there being 2 bus loads of them. I assume they did a head count at the end but who knows.

[jandjfun]

Again, we had lifejackets and lights on.

[pungo3]

What a tragic loss. My heart goes out to the family. Things can go wrong so quickly on an otherwise lovely trip. I am so sorry for everyone who was on this excursion.

[oakleys]

That's a real shame, goes to show you have to be careful in these countries. I would think these guy's just wanted to make some $, & it cost here her life.

[NCTribeFan]

Again, we had lifejackets and lights on.

 

Were you hooked together in small groups with a guide with you at every point through the caves?

 

The private groups all do this. I don't believe the Carnival group does. Way too many people.

 

We actually got out of our tubes - in the cave - at one point and walked around a huge group of people. It was a madhouse when we were there.

 

We were repeatedly told that although we would be "butts up" plenty of times, there were other places in the cave where the water was very deep, and we would have no way of knowing where those places were.

 

I can easily understand how this happened. I've been white water rafting, and the guides told us the biggest danger was flipping the raft and coming up under the raft or being pinned against a rock. So there I was, a non-swimmer, and we flipped the raft in the first rapid (my 2nd trip; 1st was wonderful). And I came up under the raft and in a complete and total panic, as non-swimmers tend to get. I managed to fight my way to the edge of the raft where there's a rope and pulled myself out from under it. Not easy to do in a Class III rapid on the New River in April.

 

I declined to go ziplining in Roatan in May because of the death there just a couple of weeks before we sailed. But I simply cannot stop doing things in port because of an accident. Statisically, we're probably more likely to die in a traffic accident on the way to the caves than during the actual trip.

 

I refuse to become a recluse for fear of what "could" happen. That doesn't mean I'm not aware of the risks or so childish as to believe "it can't happen to me" because that isn't the case.

[Ltvscout]

Lastly, I really hope you will never allow children to go on this excursion, and if you decide to go yourself, then I hope it's not you or your loved one we will be writing about next.

Take care.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I disagree with this statement. We've gone cave tubing twice with Yhony. The first time we had a 6yr old, 8yr old and 13yr old. The second time we had a 3yr old, 5yr old, 8yr old, 10yr old and 15yr old. (Yes, all children in both groups can swim and the 3yr old floated with his mother.) Both times Yhony's people took extra pre-caution with the kids in order to ensure a safe and fun trip.

[NCTribeFan]

That's a real shame, goes to show you have to be careful in these countries. I would think these guy's just wanted to make some $, & it cost here her life.

 

These countries?

 

Guess what? You have to be careful everywhere. :rolleyes:

[Kurbanfan]

first please allow me to correct my original words. I am so very passonate about this subject, I got ahead of myself typing. I meant my last sentence to say I have no problems BELIEVING someone died doing this avtivity.

Secondly, I was on a ship sponsored excursion, I was wearing a lifejacket, and yes our butts dragged in a lot of areas. In fact at the end of the cave, we actually had to pick up the tube and walk because there was not enough water. The water was not high, just very swift in parts.

Thirdly, please don't take a teenagers attitude and say "well this will never happen to me". It only took a split second for me to be slammed into the wall, YES feet and hands first! Capsized and under the water. Everytime I came up I would get slammed into the cave wall again. I am very lucky to only had a couple of scratches and bruises. I could have easily died that day.

fourthy, in the story from her husband he says she was wearing a life jacket too. But they dont help when you are stuck in a whirlpool, or on the curve with the water slamming into the cave walls.

Lastly, I really hope you will never allow children to go on this excursion, and if you decide to go yourself, then I hope it's not you or your loved one we will be writing about next.

Take care.

 

 

This is great info. For someone to actually experience how dangerous this can be........it will make some think twice about who they book with or maybe not book at all. Thanks!

[jandjfun]

Were you hooked together in small groups with a guide with you at every point through the caves?

 

The private groups all do this. I don't believe the Carnival group does. Way too many people.

 

We actually got out of our tubes - in the cave - at one point and walked around a huge group of people. It was a madhouse when we were there.

 

We were repeatedly told that although we would be "butts up" plenty of times, there were other places in the cave where the water was very deep, and we would have no way of knowing where those places were.

 

I can easily understand how this happened. I've been white water rafting, and the guides told us the biggest danger was flipping the raft and coming up under the raft or being pinned against a rock. So there I was, a non-swimmer, and we flipped the raft in the first rapid (my 2nd trip; 1st was wonderful). And I came up under the raft and in a complete and total panic, as non-swimmers tend to get. I managed to fight my way to the edge of the raft where there's a rope and pulled myself out from under it. Not easy to do in a Class III rapid on the New River in April.

 

I declined to go ziplining in Roatan in May because of the death there just a couple of weeks before we sailed. But I simply cannot stop doing things in port because of an accident. Statisically, we're probably more likely to die in a traffic accident on the way to the caves than during the actual trip.

 

I refuse to become a recluse for fear of what "could" happen. That doesn't mean I'm not aware of the risks or so childish as to believe "it can't happen to me" because that isn't the case.

We were not linked together. The guide said if you have a fear of the dark, to link yourselves together and he would guide you. My sister, linked up because she actually had an injured shoulder and needed the assistance. The guide lead them for about 1/4 of the way. Then the rapid hit, and their link broke. She no longer had the help she needed and neither did anyone else. They never did get linked back up. She was petrified, but stuggled with one arm to get to the shallow places. But no, I was not linked up with a group. Well not on purpose anyway.

Why would you not go zipling because someone died, but you will go cavetubing when someone died, and nearly died. I don't expect anyone to become a recluse. I suggest you go someplace that is safe, such as x-caret.

As far as the other post, a 3 yr. old on the mothers lap?? O-KAY.

[jandjfun]

This is great info. For someone to actually experience how dangerous this can be........it will make some think twice about who they book with or maybe not book at all. Thanks!

You are very wlecome! I am so happy that someone gets it. Please be safe.

[bplazo]

I do not think that I would take a child that is three or five cavetubing.

[Mommy40]

I thought that the zip line death was because one of the guides went down the zip line with the woman because she asked him to go with her. I am not sure if that is true or a rumor so don't quote me.

I am getting ready to book my excursions and since I travel with my kids without another adult I tend to stick with the cruise line excursions thinking they are safer. This is really a wake up call!

I feel so sorry for this woman's husband and anyone else on that excursion that was tubing with them. so sad.

[Kurbanfan]

I do not think that I would take a child that is three or five cavetubing.

 

Me either.........

[Luanne21]

I think the key word in all of this is "high water: This almost happened to us in Jamaica last summer. It was also a Carnival excursion.

 

We are planning on doing it in Dec with an independent group that all of you recommended.

 

I hope our results are better.

 

My thought and prayers to this family in their time of loss.

[jandjfun]

Again, for safety sake, I was not there during "high Water". These were normal conditions. Even had to lift up our butts, and stand up and walk during parts of this trip. Please do not feel safe because the water is low, or normal. Swift is swift, no mater how up or down the water is.

[halos]

I do not think that I would take a child that is three or five cavetubing.

 

After having done it, I would definitely not recommend it for a child under the age of at LEAST 12. And we had calm water...but like I said, at the end when we had to get out of the tubes the water was rushing pretty fast and some people lost control and were causing all kinds of problems. My sister wound up (because a man in front of her started to lose his footing and panicked, falling into her) with the rope they had strung across the river, to hold on to, at her throat. It was horrible, she was choking and she had rope burns on her neck from it. I CAN'T imagine having a child in my lap during that.

[futaba951]

Personally, I don't think this incident is any cause for people to cancel all their excursions. There isn't enough information available to make any decisions.

 

I live in the "Land of 10,000 Lakes". People drown here every year. However, no one jumps up to sound the alarm for everyone to quit swimming, boating, water skiing, etc. Accidents happen. Tragic yes, but still an accident.

 

The sky is not falling.

 

 

Where were you when they banned 3 wheelers? They were SOOO much more fun than 4 wheelers, but since a few klutzes couldn't handle them, we are now stuck with 4 wheels. :mad: Your testimony before Congress could have saved our fun. :)

[misand]

First of all let me say how sorry I am to the family. I can't even imagine.

Second, we did the cavetubing with Yhony back in January. This was not rainy season. We were told butts up most of the time. I was very worried before we went. Once at the caves/river I was completely comfortable. We had four guides with us, the group had 18 people. We always felt safe as someone was always right there. We did have a 4yo, 9yo and us. I can see if it is rainy season being fairly dangerous, but as for our experience I would do it again in a heartbeat. They paid special attention to our children. We also saw the ships tour and it was crazy. Looked to be 50 people to 2 guides. Not sure which cruise line tour we saw. There was also a photographer in the water taking pictures of the ships tours.

 

Again so sorry for the family's loss.:(

[viciouslysh]

I will be praying for this family!

What happened on the zipline????