Boesmansgat
Overview
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
(or sinkhole
Sinkhole
A sinkhole, also known as a sink, shake hole, swallow hole, swallet, doline or cenote, is a natural depression or hole in the Earth's surface caused by karst processes — the chemical dissolution of carbonate rocks or suffosion processes for example in sandstone...
) in the world, approximately 270 metres deep. It is located in the Northern Cape
Northern Cape
The Northern Cape is the largest and most sparsely populated province of South Africa. It was created in 1994 when the Cape Province was split up. Its capital is Kimberley. It includes the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, part of an international park shared with Botswana...
province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
On January 8, 2005, famed deep cave diver
Cave diving
Cave diving is a type of technical diving in which specialized equipment is used to enable the exploration of caves which are at least partially filled with water. In the United Kingdom it is an extension of the more common sport of caving, and in the United States an extension of the more common...
Dave Shaw
David Shaw (diver)
David Shaw was an Australian scuba diver, a technical diver and an airline pilot for Cathay Pacific, who flew the A330-300, A340-300 and A340-600...
died while recovering the body of an amateur diver, Deon Dreyer
Deon Dreyer
Deon Dreyer was a South African recreational scuba diver who lost his life in Bushman's Hole in South Africa.-Death:...
, who had drowned in the cave while helping a team assembled by Nuno Gomes
Nuno Gomes (diver)
Nuno Gomes is a South African SCUBA diver who holds the official current world record deep dive . He used self contained underwater breathing apparatus to dive to a depth of 1,044 feet...
prepare for a dive ten years earlier.
