Kategorie: News
Fascination meets unanswered questions
The Felicitas mine is considered one of the most spectacular diving spots in Germany. Anyone who has been therespeaks enthusiastically about the crystal-clear water , mystical atmosphere and unparalleled diving experience. Felicitas is a particularly attractive site for experienced divers – but it is also facing growing criticism.
Because as beautiful as it is there, for months there have been serious indications behind the scenes that raise questions about safety and organization on site.
We know from diving accident investigators that three incidents are said to have occurred in Felicitas in the last six months, including two decompression accidents with rebreather divers – and a fatal diving accident in February 2025. Other divers have also contacted us and signaled that they are increasingly concerned about what is going on.
Specifically, the following points have been brought to our attention on multiple occasions:
- In some cases, up to 50 divers were in the water at the same time. Groups of 6–8 people could end up in dangerous crowds, especially in narrow decompression areas, which is highly problematic, especially for longer dive profiles.
- There are no emergency exits in the system – a factor that could lead to longer rescue times in the event of an incident.
- Almost all dives take place at depths of over 30 meters, which means that almost every dive would require decompression – with a correspondingly higher risk.
- We were told that cave intro dives were conducted in areas far from any possibility of surfacing – something that would be clearly outside the acceptable range according to current standards.
- During the week, groups of two would be allowed into the mine without surface backup – which, according to our contact, is to be considered particularly critical, especially in a mine system without redundant safety structures.
In order to enable balanced reporting, we sent the operator specific questions regarding, among other things, diver capacity, course implementation and safety-related measures before publishing these lines. Unfortunately, we did not receive a reply.
We would like to emphasize: the Felicitas mine is a unique site that will continue to fascinate many experienced divers in the future. However, it is precisely places like this that need a clear line when it comes to safety, responsibility and communication – because when trust disappears, the entire diving community suffers in the end.