Edd Sorenson

Last updated
Edd Sorenson
Sorenson 2023 cropped.jpg
Sorenson in 2023
Born1959 (age 65–66)
Occupation(s) Technical diving instructor, dive center owner
Years active1995–present
Known for Cave diving, cave rescue
Awards See section

Edd Sorenson (born 1959) is a cave diver known for numerous rescues of lost or trapped divers in underwater caves in the United States, particularly in Florida's Vortex Spring and Blue Spring State Park. [1] [2] [3] [4] Sorenson has been credited as the only diver with multiple successful rescues in completely submerged caves. [5] He is one of the most experienced body recovery divers in the world.

Contents

Sorenson is originally from Portland, Oregon and moved to Marianna, Florida where he owns Cave Adventurers dive center. KISS Rebreathers referred to Sorenson as a "top instructor." [6] His students have included hosts of Jonathan Bird's Blue World and the YouTube channel "Dive Talk," with both programs having featured Sorenson. [7] Sorenson has explored caves with Brian Kakuk. [8]

Career

Sorenson began diving in 1995 and within a few years expanded to cave diving. In 1999, he joined International Underwater Cave Rescue and Recovery (IUCRR) as one of the original members and in 2003 founded Cave Adventurers dive center in Marianna, Florida near Florida Caverns State Park.

In 2012, Sorenson completed four successful underwater cave rescues. [9]

Due to his experience with the Vortex Spring cave system, Sorenson was involved in the 2010 search for missing diver Ben McDaniel. After an extensive search, Sorenson believed that McDaniel was not trapped in the cave because of lack of evidence and disturbance to the cave commonly seen after a diver passes through. He stated, "The last place I searched was pristine, without a mark that a diver had been there. It would be impossible to go through that restriction without making a mark on the floor or ceiling. He's not in there." [10]

In February 2019 Sorenson, along with Mike Young, [a] successfully conducted two body recoveries from Dudú Lagoon in the Dominican Republic. [11]

In April 2019 Sorenson successfully rescued Josh Bratchley, a British cave diver who assisted in the rescue of 12 boys and their soccer coach from a Thai cave, from Mill Pond Cave in Flynn's Lick, Tennessee. [12]

Awards and recognition

Congressman Neal Dunn recognizing Sorenson at a luncheon in Florida, 2019 Edd Sorenson Congress cropped.jpg
Congressman Neal Dunn recognizing Sorenson at a luncheon in Florida, 2019

For his efforts in 2012, Sorenson was awarded the Diver’s Alert Network Hero Award, Heroic Merit Awards and the Instructor Trainer of the Year from the Professional Scuba Association International (PSAI). [13] [14] He was featured in the Duracell series Quantum Heroes. [9]

National Speleological Society Cave Diving Section (NSS-CDS) presented Sorenson with the Life Saving Award in 2013. In 2019, the organization presented him with the Lifetime Achievement Award. An award was named the “Edd Sorenson Life Saving Award” after him. [15]

Sorenson received the NAUI Albert Pierce medal for heroism and the Lifesaving medal from the Royal Order of St. John. [15]

Congressman Neal Dunn recognized Sorenson on the floor of the US House of Representatives for his rescues and recoveries. [16]

Personal life

Sorenson has stated that he battled cancer in the 2020s. [17]

Notes

  1. ↑ Cave explorer and then-owner of KISS Rebreathers

References

  1. ↑ "Distressed Diver Saved at Blue Springs". myPanHandle. 2014-11-05. Archived from the original on 2015-07-06. Retrieved 2015-07-06.
  2. ↑ Sutta, David (2014-06-28). "Cave Diving: Behind The Scenes". CBS Miami . Archived from the original on 2015-07-06. Retrieved 2015-07-06.
  3. ↑ Morton, Brooke (2013-11-13). "What It's Like to Attempt a Cave Rescue". Scuba Diving. Retrieved 2015-07-06.
  4. ↑ Kassab, Beth (24 June 2015). "Should cave diving sites have more restrictions?". OrlandoSentinel.com. Retrieved 2015-07-06.
  5. ↑ Velez, Grace (19 March 2025). "Expert in dive rescue and recovery sheds light on Blue Springs body recovery mission". mypanhandle.com. Archived from the original on 11 April 2025. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
  6. ↑ "The Faces of KISS". KISS Rebreathers. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  7. ↑ "Rebreather Training with Edd Sorenson". Blue World TV. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  8. ↑ Kakuk, Brian. "Deep Section Dans Cave with Edd Sorenson and Brian Kakuk". YouTube . Archived from the original on 12 February 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  9. 1 2 Baucom, Bergen (2013-09-18). "Local Cave Diver Featured in Duracell Battery Series". wjhg. Retrieved 2015-07-06.
  10. ↑ Wolff, Cindy (2012-02-19). "Theories about Collierville diver's disappearance swirl in vortex of unanswered questions". MCA. Archived from the original on 2015-09-12. Retrieved 2015-07-06.
  11. ↑ Lunn, Rosemary E. "Two bodies successfully recovered in Dom Rep". X-Ray Magazine. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019.
  12. ↑ Flynn, Meagan. "A diver who helped rescue the Thai soccer team was just saved from an underwater cave in Tennessee". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on 2025-01-22. Retrieved 2019-04-18.
  13. ↑ "Edd Sorenson". Cave Adventurers Training. 2014. Archived from the original on 2015-07-06. Retrieved 2015-07-06.
  14. ↑ "Cave Diver Celebrated for Successful Rescue Efforts". Caving News. 2013-01-21. Archived from the original on 2015-07-06. Retrieved 2015-07-06.
  15. 1 2 "The Who's Who of Sidemount". In Depth. 16 June 2023. Archived from the original on 22 December 2024. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
  16. ↑ Dunn, Neal (29 August 2019). "Congressman Neal Dunn, M.D.'s Post". Facebook . Office of Congressman Neal Dunn. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
  17. ↑ Sorenson, Edd. "Edd Sorenson Cave Rescue Gone Wrong". YouTube . BlueWorld_plus. Archived from the original on 28 August 2024. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
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