Page 45 of Terminal Voyage

“Alright, let’s have fun, and most importantly, let’s be safe.”

Vanessa and I were buddies for this dive. We shouldered our tanks and moved to the swim platform where we donned our fins. With my mask on and the regulator in my mouth, I stepped into the water at Zach’s instruction. My BCD wasinflated just enough to let me float at the surface. I gave Zach the okay signal, cleared my mask, and waited for the rest of the group.

When everyone was in the water and ready to go, Zach led us below.

We finned toward the bottom, shafts of sunlight shimmering.

Julio stayed aboard the boat and would pick us up on the other end.

I equalized the pressure in my ears on the way down.

The water was warm and comfortable—around 82° and crystal clear.

The reef teemed with life. Tropical fish darted around, used to the strangers in their environment. Jagged red-orange coral, sponges, and sea fans formed a rugged tapestry around the entrance to the Abyss. It was truly a sight to behold, and I was glad I came. I mean, how often do you get to do this?

At almost 90 feet, the tunnel through the reef would plunge to 130 by the end of the channel.

Both Declan and Luciano had GoPros strapped to their foreheads to capture the action for posterity.

Zach led us into the mouth of the Abyss. It was a tight fit, and I followed Vanessa. Our flashlight beams illuminated the way as we swam into a larger space with a sandy bottom.

Soon, the passage narrowed. It grew darker and darker the farther we swam into the tunnel.

My flashlight beam raked across the vibrant coral.

We swam into the inky depths, and Vanessa rounded a corner ahead of me. She dipped out of sight for a moment.

The group had spaced out a little with gaps between.

Luciano and Sophia were behind me. At least I thought they were. I gave a quick glance back, but they weren't there. I'm sure Luciano was taking his time to observe the sights.

I kept swimming forward toward the bend. That's when something went wrong.

My regulator free-flowed.

The second stage stuck open. A hiss of bubbles erupted in a deafening roar. The tank dumped its gas. Engulfed by bubbles, panic rifled through me.

There was no direct line to the surface. Even if there was, a safety stop was mandatory. I could still breathe at the moment, but that wouldn’t last long. The tank would be empty soon.

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My heartbeat skyrocketed, and adrenaline rushed through my veins. Panic was the last thing I needed at a time like this. I needed to manage what oxygen I had. Surely somebody heard the violent dump of Nitrox from my tank?

I tried to get a grip and calm down.

Somebody grabbed me.

It was Luciano. He handed me his octo.

I spit out my regulator and put the backup in my mouth. I tried to control my breathing and gave him the thumbs up.

The two of us swam together, making our way through the rest of the tunnel. It was a tight squeeze in places, but we made it through. Finally, the sapphire light at the end of the passage became visible, and relief washed over me. I wasn't out of this yet, but the oppressive feeling of impending doom at 130 feet dissipated.

The best way to die was probably in your sleep. If I had to pick, I would say fire would be the worst, and drowning a close second. But no matter how you sliced it, I didn't want to die anytime soon.

Zach checked on us as we exited the tunnel. I gave him the okay sign, then we began our ascent, did our safety stop, and finally reached the surface. I spit out the regulator and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Are you okay?" Luciano asked.