Brett Hemphill, 56, Howell High School Class of 1986, died Oct. 5, 2023, in Phantom Springs, Texas – the deepest natural cave in the United States – and he’s being remembered for his adventurous spirit and his dedication and contributions to cave exploration and underwater research.
Phantom Springs was the site of Hemphill’s record-breaking dive a decade earlier. Details about the incident are scarce, but news reports describe Phantom Springs as an extremely challenging system that demands divers have high skill and experience levels.
Hemphill’s dive record has him logged at over 3,000 dives with a maximum depth of 440 feet.
In 2008, his diving team set the U.S. deep underwater cave record at Florida’s Week Wachee Springs before breaking that record in 2103 at Phantom Springs by traversing more than 465 feet deep and almost 8,000 feet — a little more than a mile-and-a-half — back into the cave. It’s estimated by rescue divers trying to locate his body in Phantom Springs on Friday that Hemphill was at least 480 feet deep and 2 miles into the cave.
Hemphill, who lived in Dade City, Fla., was president of Karst Underwater Research (KUR), a non-profit organization dedicated to the exploration, study and preservation of underwater karst environments that scientists are unable to reach. (You can check out some amazing photos of KUR’s work by clicking here.) Hemphill is also credited with designing the Armadillo, a dive harness that allows divers to navigate tight passages, thick jungles and dry cave sections. He was respected in the dive community for exploring, mapping and filming many of the deepest underwater cave systems found across the world, something he had done for decades. He also explored and researched waters along the Florida coast, Missouri, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic and the Yucatan Peninsula.
You can check out a video of the 2013 Phantom Springs dive below.
Hemphill is being remembered by fellow Howell HS grads for his friendliness, love of life, and his singing ability.
Former classmate Kelley Doyle Albrant remembered Hemphill as a “truly wonderful man from a wonderful family” who brought “so much joy and love to my heart during my high school days.”
“I will forever stand by the fact that you sang the song “Babe” better than Dennis DeYoung” (of Styx fame).
We found this video of Hemphill performing with a band on Facebook, which showcases his vocal skill.
