Ex-Dallastown man who died in cave dive described as 'wonderful dad'

Nov 18, 2008 (The York Dispatch - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- LMT | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- Joseph Christian Hartranft was a solid guy, devoted to his family and dedicated to his job, his wife said.

After moving from York County to Florida two years ago, he called his two youngest children every day, according to his estranged wife, Robin Hartranft of Dallastown.

"He was a wonderful dad," she said. "Everything was about his children."

Because he was so focused on his kids and his work, Robin Hartranft was surprised when Joe Hartranft, 52, took up scuba diving and realized it was his great passion, she said.

"He was a homebody. He never really had any extracurricular activities," she said.

At first, he dived on reefs and shipwrecks.

"I was thrilled. The way he would describe it (was that he) finally found something that was his niche," Robin said. "I was so happy for him, because he never had anything like that. He just loved it; he felt relaxed and free."

But more recently, he had become interested in underwater cave diving.

"I was shocked," Robin said, and very worried. "I don't know how many cave dives he's done, but not very many."

Cave accident: Joe Hartranft died last Tuesday, Nov. 11, while diving in School Sink, a sinkhole in Pasco County, Fla., that connects with the state's underground aquifer -- "a maze of tunnels and caves," according to Kevin Doll, spokesman for the Pasco County Sheriff's Office. The area is about 30 miles north of Tampa.

"It's an extremely dangerous sport. Even experienced cave divers end

up getting killed almost every year," Doll said. "There's no light down there, obviously. ... It's very easy to get lost, and if you're not near the surface and you run out of air, you're in trouble."

Joe Hartranft and Yessic Cozay Spencer, 42, both of Hillsborough County, Fla., were reported missing Tuesday.

According to Doll, Pasco County Sheriff's deputies found Joe Hartranft's vehicle Wednesday, parked near School Sink.

"We called some expert cave divers," he said, who went into the underwater cave about 5:55 p.m. Wednesday.

"They found the divers' bodies less than 30 minutes later," Doll said. "One was about 50 feet down from the entrance; the other was in a side tunnel a couple hundred feet away."

Test results: Investigators are now waiting for the results of toxicology tests, Doll said.

"It appears to be an accident," he said. "Neither one of these men had the experience or certification to dive in a spot this dangerous."

Robin said her husband always called her and their daughters before diving, and last Tuesday was no exception. But they weren't home, and he left a message.

"He told us what he was going to be doing," she said. "He told us he loved us and he would call when he was done."

It's been difficult for her daughters, Robin said.

Last summer, they spent six weeks in Florida with their dad and learned how to scuba dive.

"They loved it, just like their daddy did," she said. "They got miniature scuba diving certificates. They were very proud of that."

Local ties: Robin said she, Joe and the girls lived in Maryland, but about five years ago they moved to Dallastown, where Robin grew up.

She and her husband separated, and he moved to Hanover for a few months, then moved to Florida two years ago, she said.

They have two daughters, 9-year-old Abigail and Jacquelyn, 7. Joe Hartranft also has three adult children from his first marriage -- Elizabeth, 31, Joseph, 29, and Robert, 23, according to his Florida obituary.

Robin Hartranft described her husband as "an extremely intelligent man," a cryptologist who retired from the Navy after 22 years of service as a chief warrant officer. He worked for Lockheed Martin at MacDill Air Force Base near Tampa, according to his obituary.

Funeral services will be in Florida, she said.

- Reach Elizabeth Evans at levans@yorkdispatch.com or 505-5429.

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