“…the allure of doing something dangerous,” has led to the creation and posting of a video called The Dangerous Truth of Jacob’s Well on Facebook. The video was shared on May 8, 2020, by Grunge.com and has close to 3K shares. The history of it and what makes it a point of interest is the fact that many people interested in exploring this natural part of the Texas Hill Country near Wimberley have chosen to do so by scuba diving. Some have successfully navigated the underwater cave system, but a few met with tragedy.
Lifestyle
Do You Know the Dangerous Truth of Jacob’s Well?
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Video: Facebook/Grunge.com
Documented in the video is the tragedy that took place at Jacob’s Well on September 9, 1979. A group of friends from California arrived at the area close to midnight for a diving excursion. Despite the fact that it was late, two of the divers chose to take an early investigatory dive. Another group witnessed the pair swimming into the deepest and most narrow part of the chamber, which required the removal of their oxygen tanks to take in separately. They also didn’t have lighting or a safety line. After three weeks of rescue divers working to retrieve their bodies to no avail, a large metal grate was installed at the access point, to keep incidents such as this from happening. However, several months later, a subsequent dive by a member of the initial search team resulted in the finding that the grate had been removed.
Photo: @christysmith5 via Twenty20
Adrenaline junkies who have been willing to risk it all for the thrill of exploring Jacob’s Well have added to its list of fatalities over the years. Grunge.com quotes writer Heather Alexander of the Houston Chronicle in stating that at least a dozen divers have been lured to their deaths by the fascination of exploring this water-feature-turned-magnet for discovery. Referencing a 2001 article on Visit Wimberley, the video also identifies the many pitfalls of diving in this area, even for those of experience. Narrow passages, a “false chimney” (which appears to be a way out, but in fact isn’t), and poor visibility in tighter spaces are contributing factors.
Watch the full Grunge.com Facebook video at the link available here to learn more about the eerie history of Jacob’s Well. Albeit a beautiful Texas Hill Country waterhole, it has an ominous past and still tends to draw the curious and even experienced divers to a fate less than desirable.
