Artur Kozłowski (speleologist)

Artur Kozłowski
Born (1977-10-17)17 October 1977
Poznań, Poland
Died 5 September 2011(2011-09-05) (aged 33)
Gort, County Galway, Ireland
Known for Record-breaking cave diver and explorer

Artur (Conrad) Kozłowski (17 October 1977 – 5 September 2011) was a Polish cave diver who spent his last years in Ireland.[1] Amongst other achievements in cave exploration, he holds the record for the deepest cave dive in Ireland and the UK at a depth of 103 m (338 ft).[2] Kozłowski was born in Poznań, Poland in 1977.

Introduction to cave diving

Artur Kozłowski first came to Ireland in 2006 with just 13 warm open water dives under his belt. Shortly after arriving in Ireland he became interested in underwater cave exploration, and began learning cave diving with the Welsh cave diving instructor Martyn Farr in 2007.[3]

He began diving in the Hell Complex, part of the Green Holes group of underwater sea caves off Doolin, County Clare and initially used the area as a training ground for his newly acquired skills.[4] He soon began exploring and mapping undiscovered passage, and by July 2007 he had made his first significant breakthrough, making the first traverse between Hell's Kitchen and Robertson's Cave in the nearby Reef Complex.[4]

Exploration

Kozłowski was responsible for many extensions to cave systems in both Ireland and Spain, the most notable being the extension to the Marble Arch Caves system. In 2009 and 2010 diving connections were made to nearby cave systems by Kozłowski, firstly to Prod's Pot – Cascades Rising, doubling the total length of the system from 4.5 to 9 km (5.6 mi),[5] and subsequently to newly established Monastir Sink – Upper Cradle system,[6] extending the wider system further to 11.5 km (7.1 mi).[7] The discoveries make this the longest cave in Northern Ireland.[8]

He holds the record for the deepest cave dive in Ireland and the UK at a depth of 103 m (338 ft) in Pollatoomary, near Killavally, County Mayo, Ireland.[2][9] Perhaps his most notable achievement was the exploration of over 10 km (6.2 mi) of underwater passage in the notoriously unforgiving cave passages of the Gort region, including the discovery and exploration of Pollindre, 1 km in length and the third deepest sump in either Great Britain or Ireland at 82 m (269 ft).[10]

In March 2011 Kozłowski received the Kolosy award for cave exploration at the annual Polish travelling and outdoor sports conference, held in Gdynia.[11]

Writing and public speaking

Kozłowski was a passionate advocate of exploration and diving; his blog[12] recounted in detail his underwater adventures. His latest discoveries filled the pages of the journal Irish Speleology and Descent magazine.[3]

He was also an engaging public speaker; his January 2011 talk at NUIG/GMIT Sub Aqua Club was well received.[13]

Death and legacy

Kozłowski died during a cave dive in the Gort lowlands on 5 September 2011.[14] His body was successfully recovered on 10 September 2011 after an extensive recovery effort. The cave in which he died is called Pollonora 10 in the townland of Kiltartan, Gort, County Galway, Ireland and his body was found at the known limits of the cave, at a depth of −52 m (−171 ft) and approximately 810 m (2,660 ft) from the entrance.[1]

On 15 September, Kozłowski was buried in the nearby cemetery after a service at St Attracta's church, attended by friends, family and members of the local community.[15]

In August 2012, in recognition of his contribution to Irish speleology, the Speleological Union of Ireland set up the Kozłowski Fund to support original cave exploration in Ireland.[16]

References

  1. 1 2 "UK team asked to assist Galway cave recovery". RTÉ News. 7 September 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  2. 1 2 Kozłowski, Artur (2009). "Dark Rising: the exploration of an underground river in County Mayo, Ireland". Irish Speleology. Speleological Union of Ireland. 18: 69–70. ISSN 0332-4907.
  3. 1 2 "Artur Kozłowski, RIP". Speleological Union of Ireland. 7 September 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  4. 1 2 Kozłowski, Artur (2009). "Siren Song: Doolin's Green Holes revisited". Irish Speleology. Speleological Union of Ireland. 18: 17–20. ISSN 0332-4907.
  5. ↑ Kozłowski, Artur (15 November 2009). "Report from connection between Marble Arch and Prod's Pot/Cascades systems". Hell & High Water. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  6. ↑ Kozłowski, Artur (11 April 2010). "Monastir Sink – Upper Cradle connection". Hell & High Water. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  7. ↑ Kozłowski, Artur (21 May 2010). "Report from connection between Marble Arch and Upper Cradle". Hell & High Water. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  8. ↑ "N Ireland – Longest caves". UK Caves Database. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  9. ↑ Gallagher, Emer (16 July 2008). "Explorer plunges to new depths in Mayo". Mayo News. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
  10. ↑ Kozłowski, Artur (17 December 2010). "New deep underwater cave discovered in Gort". Hell & High Water. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  11. ↑ "Artur Kozłowski". Kolosy.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 11 August 2013.
  12. ↑ Kozłowski, Artur. "Hell & High Water". Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  13. ↑ "'Cave Diving in Ireland' by Artur Kozlowski". NUIG/GMIT Sub Aqua Club. 14 January 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  14. ↑ "Top cave diver perishes". Diver Magazine. 7 September 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  15. ↑ "Funeral of Polish diver takes place in Galway". RTE.ie. 15 September 2013. Retrieved 11 August 2013.
  16. ↑ "Kozłowski Fund". caving.ie. SUICRO. Retrieved 31 May 2013.

Further reading

External links

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