I don't know nearly enough about cave diving to weigh in one way or
another on solo cave diving.  Ron Simmons chose to, and I think he was
qualified to make that choice.  Ron was a caver first, then he began
to wear wet suits and later took up "sump diving."  I took up hang
gliding about then, we both thought each other had lost it.  He used
to have a two bedroom apartment, though he lived alone.  One of the
bedrooms was exclusively for cave gear, later dive gear.  One of his
closets was lined with plastic so he could store wet, dripping gear
there.  He was an expert photographer, hired by National Geographic
several times, his photos appeared in places like Outside, and (of
course) frequently in the National Speleological Society News.  He was
made a fellow of that organization.    He was meticulous with his
gear, always cleaning it and maintaining it.  He was a degreed
electrical engineer who worked as a laboratory instrument maker at the
University of Virginia.  He also had (and used) an industrial model
Singer sewing machine.  What gear he couldn't find, he made.  He was
an expert at vertical caving too.  Some of the fastest times in the
100m rope climb were consistently made using the Simmons Racing
Roller.   He'd done his share of "body hauls," too.  He knew all too
well just how nasty and gruesome the job can be.  I'll miss him, he
was my friend.  I won't second guess him.
--
Galen Hekhuis                      ghekhuis@earthlink.net
  We'll cross that bridge when it rears its ugly head

 Do we know how or why he died?

 Would a buddy have saved him, or be the second victim?

 Thanks for dinner last night, Dennis!

 Glad you liked my new hat! :-)

Indeed. I doubt anything new could be said in that regard. Hopefully anyone
who thinks they do have something new, will first read what'd already been
posted.

Yep.

Dennis