ursuvictor wrote:did he write any message on his scooter, or tank(s)? - I guess that would have helped a lot
Victor
I don't have any information on that. At this point in time 09:00 hours local time on Sunday, there's no further information from SSF (Spéléo Sécours), but I expect a bulletin somewhere this morning as divers were set to leave for the restriction last night.
However, I have at least one observation that -although speculative- I would like to share with you.
This guy has been down there for the better part of a week, but yesterdays' events (him diving towards the obstruction and placing a tank there) tells me two things:
a) he still has a working rebreather (and hence, gas).
b) he still has at least one working light (in total darkness, I would assume it to be virtually impossible to negate a tank through the bit of space left in the restriction successfully).
That last thing would mean that, although in darkness for about a week, he is -if at all- only sparingly using lights to conserve batteries.
*IF* my assumption is right, than this guy is very switched on and cool under the circumstances...
The other thing: the communication (tapping signals) that went on was at the 780 meter restriction: this would almost certainly mean that Eric would have been right on the other side of it. Question now is: where is he sitting? He left with 400 meters of line last Sunday, which in theory would have enabled him to extend the line from 1040 meters (previous end-of-line) to the *assumed* end of the cave / dry part at 1300-1500 meters. If he is indeed that far back, it is shear luck he "met" the rescue divers at 780 meters (and he'd have had a fair dive yesterday -from (assume) 1400 meters back to 780 and then again back to +/-1400 meters). The other possibility would be that he has found an air bell (much) closer to the 780 meter restriction. We'll see....