It might be an interesting tourist location, but they don't come to splash around near the safety of the surface. These divers court danger. They want the risk that has claimed the lives of many fellow explorers. The draw of Jacob's Well is the same that compels people to skydive or ride roller coasters: It's the terror and it's the adrenaline. These divers want the opportunity to beat Jacob's Well's deadly reputation and reach the surface with a small piece of glory, or else die trying.
And make no mistake: Many had done exactly that — died trying — in Jacob's Well. According to the Houston Chronicle, at least 12 people have met their end in the spring waters of Jacob's Well. That might not sound like a lot, but the same danger that draws divers to the sinkhole also keeps many more (perhaps more sensible) divers out. Well, that and the metal grate that rests 40 feet into the hole. Divers need a special permit to get through it, and not many take on the challenge. The exact number of divers is difficult to discern, but the ratio isn't the only thing that makes this sinkhole one of the deadliest diving locations in the world. The underwater cave system poses rare technical diving challenges that have claimed the lives of even the most thoroughly experienced divers. "It was the forbidden fruit, the allure of doing something dangerous," says Don Dibble, a local diver.
