In August of 2021, a group of Russian explorers was
gearing up for a descent into the deepest cave known
on Earth,
Veriofkina Cave, nestled in the Caucasus Mountains.
But then they noticed something mysterious
at the mouth of The Cave.
A single set of ropes dangled deep into the darkness
below.
But there was no sign of any other people insight.
The group continued their descent for a few hours,
paying little attention to the extra ropes.
However, after lowering themselves more than
1000 meters below the surface,
they came upon something chilling at the end of those
ropes,
A lifeless body suspended over the gaping abyss of The
Cave.
The explorers searched the surroundings in search of the dead
man's team,
but there was no one to be found.
Who was this mysterious man?
Was he alone? How had he met this horrific end,
and how long had he been hanging in the cave's
depths?
Well, before we dive into the grim details of this
story,
let's take a moment to explore this eerie place.
Veriofkena is about 15 kilometers off the coast of the
Black Sea in the Republic of Abkhazia.
Due to the unique limestone conditions in the region,
it's no surprise that the four deepest caves in the
world are found here.
Most caves are formed in limestone when acidic rain and
groundwater dissolve the insides of the rock.
First discovered in 1968, very of Keno was thought to
have a depth of only
115 meters. However, half a century of exploration LED a
team of Russian explorers to discover the cave's record depth
of
2.2 kilometers.
The descent takes approximately 4 days for experienced speleologists,
during which they navigate through more than 6 kilometres of
towering chambers,
narrow tunnels, and stunning underwater passages that can become nightmares
in the blink of an eye.
The best example of this cave's potential fury came just
a few years ago,
when the same explorers who discovered the cave's record death
were nearly swallowed alive during a dive.
March of 2018 was the first time the team,
led by Russian speleologist Pavel Dimitov,
was able to confirm the cave's depth of
2212 meters.
A few months later, the team decided to return to
continue their exploration of this mesmerizing underworld.
This time, they were joined by British photographer Robbie Schoen
from National Geographic and his assistant Jeff Wade to document
the expedition.
Over the course of four grueling days,
they descended through narrow shafts,
squeezing themselves through impossibly tight chimneys and crevices,
and hauled their equipment across muddy underground lakes.
Their ultimate destination was the deepest point in The Cave.
After spending three days in a camp at the cave's
lowest depth,
they heard a deafening rumble that shook the entire chamber.
Being experienced, Cavers, Dmitoff's team recognized it instantly.
It was a flood pulse.
These deadly phenomena occur when rainwater infiltrates the cave's cracks,
forming beautiful underground lakes. But when the pressure breaches the
rock walls,
it triggers sudden and deadly floods within the chambers.
They needed to escape, and they needed to do it
immediately.
Robbie, the photographer, wasted no time rushing to the vertical
ropes and leaving behind 10s of thousands of dollars worth
of photography equipment.
As he started climbing up,
an avalanche of water surged from the wall,
drenching him with such force that he thought his head
might be swallowed by his shoulders.
But he kept going, inch by inch,
climbing the rope with frantic determination.
After several agonizing minutes of struggle,
he heard the voice of his assistant,
Jeff Wade. They were safe,
having narrowly escaped what seemed like certain death.
However, the Russian team was missing and they began fearing
the worst.
Thankfully, the entire team emerged a few minutes later.
They had stopped to grab some of their gear and
samples from the camp,
making their escape far more challenging.
It would have been virtually impossible without their expertise
as they made their way out.
The route shown had used was submerged underwater.
They had to swim against the current,
navigate a growing waterfall, and squeeze through narrow shafts.
They survived despite razor thin odds,
owing entirely to their extensive knowledge of this particular cave.
Now remember the mysterious man from the beginning of our
story?
Could he have met a similar fate,
trapped by a sudden flood while desperately trying to escape?
Well, it is possible, but experts have a different explanation.
Let's begin by uncovering his identity.
Upon discovering his body, the explorers found his cell phone.
After analysing the photographs stored on the device,
authorities identified the man as Sergey Kosiev,
a 37 year old Russian sports enthusiast and explorer who
had gone missing in the region nine months earlier.
According to other Russian cave experts familiar with Veriovkina,
Koziev may have fallen and met his untimely death while
hanging from the rope,
since no one was around to help him.
However, Evgeny Snetkov of the Union of Cavers
thinks that the cold might have been the ultimate cause
of death.
The Cave maintains a constant temperature below
4°C, which combined with its damp conditions,
can cause hypothermia within just 30 minutes if you're not
wearing the proper equipment.
Sadly, Koziev made two critical mistakes,
descending into one of the planet's most challenging caves alone
and not carrying the necessary equipment to save him from
any problems waiting for him inside.
If you ever plan on venturing deep into a cave,
get advice from experts about the kind of equipment you'll
need and team up with experienced cavers who are well
acquainted with the specific cave you want to explore.
Diving headlong into an adventure like this without proper preparation
could cost you your life.
Packing lots of food is also a good idea because
you never know how long you could be trapped inside
a cave.
In 2018, a junior soccer team went on an expedition
in a cave in Thailand when they were trapped by
a flash flood blocking their exit for two harrowing weeks.
Want to know how they escaped?
Well, keep watching here on how to survive.