Jack Sheppard (cave diver)

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name = Jack Sheppard


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birth_name = John Arthur Sheppard
birth_date = 31 March 1909
birth_place = Lewisham, Kent
death_date = 14 July 2001
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known_for = Cave Diving
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Jack Sheppard (31 March 1909–14 July 2001), born John Arthur Sheppard in Lewisham, Kent (south east London), was a pioneer of cave diving in the United Kingdom and a founder of the Cave Diving Group together with Graham Balcombe.cite web | url= http://www.cavedivinggroup.org.uk/Articles/Sheppard.html | work= Cave Diving Group | title= Jack Sheppard | accessdate= 2007-12-29]

Sheppard and Balcombe both worked for the Post Office as telecommunications engineers. They became rock climbing partners and while based in Bristol became interested in the caves of the Mendip Hills, particularly Swildon's Hole which they believed connected to Wookey Hole Caves. They proved this by putting dye into the water at Swildon's and seeing it emerge at Wookey.

Various attempts were made to enter these underwater cave systems using shore-based pumped air diving suits, without much success. Sheppard then constructed his own dry suit, incorporating an oxygen rebreathing system, and used this to make the world's first cave dive in Swildon's Hole on 4 October 1936. Although this initial dive was unsuccessful, and the first successful dive was the following year at Wookey Hole, they returned with improved equipment and succeeded in further exploration. [cite web|url=http://www.cavedivinggroup.org.uk/Essays/History/JBArticle.html|title=The Cave Diving Group|last=Buxton|first=John S. |publisher=CDG|accessdate=2008-09-28]

During his later life, Jack Sheppard was made Honorary President of the Cave Diving Group.

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