Brett Hemphill Obituary; Record-Setting US Cave Diver Dies During Underwater Excursion

Brett Hemphill was a record-setting cave diver before he died during a cave-diving excursion in October 2023. In order to shatter a record he had established just five years earlier, Brett Hemphill dove more than 40 storeys down in Texas’s Phantom Springs underwater cave system in 2013.

Days after the 56-year-old went missing while on an expedition, his diving buddies last weekend recovered his body from the same dangerous labyrinth.

The close-knit international diving community, which knew Hemphill to uphold the greatest standards of safety, has responded to the tragic news of his death with an outpouring of condolences. The Karst Underwater Research (KUR) team, which he oversaw, has stated that efforts to locate and recover Hemphill have been replaced with an investigation into his fatal accident, however it will take time to unearth the answers.

The circumstances of Hemphill’s death have drawn worldwide attention to the Phantom Springs caves in west Texas. The record setter spent the vast majority of his life cave-diving there and other places before unexpectedly leaving behind his wife, children and other close relatives.

Hemphill became fascinated with caves when he was 14. He participated in a dry excursion – exploring a cave on foot rather than diving – and found a previously undiscovered section of the site.

On October 4, at around 10.45 am, Hemphill made his final dive with Pitkin. Hemphill descended an astounding 570 feet (174 meters) when the pair returned to Phantom Springs.