Florida Father and Son Who Went Missing After Dive Found in Underwater Cave

Authorities discovered the remains of a father and son who went diving on Christmas Day to try out new underwater gear and never returned.

Darrin Spivey and 15-year-old son Dillon Sanchez's bodies were found on Thursday in an underwater cave located inside a wildlife refuge in north Florida, according to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office, which spoke with the Associated Press.

Law enforcement officials first heard word of the missing pair after Spivey's fiancé Holly King called the police after her partner and his son left for a dive and never came back. Sanchez had been given new diving supplies and couldn't wait to get in the water to test it out, King explained.

"I called friends and family that were more experienced the ask if I should be worried, and then I made the call," King stated during an ABC News interview.

The two then set out for the 300-foot-deep Eagle Nest Sink Cave in the Chassahowitzka Wildlife Management Area, located just an hour and a half north of downtown Tampa, in western Hernando County.

The dive is a risky one - as seen by the sign posted near the mouth of the cave: "Cave diving in this area is extremely dangerous - even life threatening!! Do not dive unless you are a certified cave diver!!" The area known as "The Lost Sink" and the "Grand Canyon" of diving brings in divers from around the world looking for deep-sea adventure, the Latino Post reported.

The two bodies were found at the opening of the cave - one at 67 feet, the other at 127 feet - after about five hours of search. A hunter told deputies looking for the father and son that he'd seen them putting on their wetsuits in preparation for the dive at about 11 a.m. the morning of their disappearance.

The Associated Press reported that Spivey, 35, held diving certifications, but was not authorized as a cave diver. Sanchez was not a certified diver.