The bodies of two divers have been recovered from the Weeki Wachee river.
- Divers were reported missing Sunday
- Identified as Patrick Peacock and Chris Rittenmeyer
- Link with more information about Eagles Nest Sink
The divers, identified as Patrick Peacock and Chris Rittenmeyer, were reported missing Sunday from Eagles Nest Sink on Cortez Boulevard. Their bodies were found Monday.
Peacock, Rittenmeyer and a third diver, Justin Blakely, entered the water at about 2 p.m. Sunday, according to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.
Blakely remained close to the surface while Peacock and Rittenmeyer explored the caves. They planned to meet later at a pre-determined location, but when Peacock and Rittenmeyer didn't show up, Blakely called authorities.
A group of rescue divers looked for Peacock and Rittenmeyer Sunday evening but couldn't find them. The bodies were removed from the water Monday morning.
"Both divers were located in close proximity to one another in 260 feet of water," the sheriff's office said in a news release. "The divers were in a very dangerous and complex area of the cave system."
This isn't the first time Eagles Nest Sink has seen such an incident.
A north Florida man and his 15-year-old son ran out of oxygen and died while diving on Christmas Day in 2013.
The bodies of 35-year-old Darrin Spivey and Dillon Sanchez were found hours after they went diving at the Eagle Nest Sink cave. Authorities said they were trying out new equipment they had received as a present.
A sheriff's office investigation found the pair died accidentally after diving to 233 feet and using air alone in their tanks.