Deon Dreyer

Deon Dreyer (7 August 1974 – 17 December 1994) was a South African recreational scuba diver who died in Bushman's Hole in South Africa. Cave diver David Shaw died while retrieving Dreyer's body over 10 years later.

Life Dreyer's father, Theo (who owns a business that sells and services two-way radios) and mother, Marie, raised him in the town of Vereeniging, about 35 miles south of Johannesburg. Dreyer designed "obscenely loud car stereos", had a passion for diving, and loved adventure, (e.g., hunting, racing a souped-up car, and motorcycling).

Outside Magazines Tim Zimmerman reports:Deon had logged about 200 dives when he was invited to join some South Africa Cave Diving Association divers at Bushman's Hole over the 1994 Christmas break. They planned a descent to 150 metres (492 ft) and asked Deon to dive support. He was thrilled. Two weeks before the expedition, Deon's grandfather died. Sitting around a barbecue with his family one night, Deon spoke with boyish hubris. "He said if he had a choice of how to go out in life, he'd like to go out diving," recalls his father, Theo, 51.

Recovery of body

Ten years later, in October 2004, the Australian cave diver Dave Shaw discovered Dreyer's body in the cave at a depth of . On 8 January 2005, Shaw tried to recover the body but died in the attempt. Shaw's close friend and support diver, Don Shirley, nearly died and sustained permanent damage that impaired his balance.