The conversation about divers' deaths in the cenotes, on the way to the cenotes, went something like this: 

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Dive Guide Andy: They have a lot of restrictions so that no accidents happen. If there was an accident, it would be international... how you say... -incident? -and then no more cenote diving.

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Me, Getting Wary: Oh, so no one's died in the caves?

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Positive Andy (v. cheerily): Oh! No--- Lots of accidents!

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... and then he proceeded to tell me all of them. But he also proceeded to tell me about all the safety precautions he was taking with extra tanks etc, and a lot of tips on how not to die, and also that he'd brought me a sandwich for afterwards (an incentive to live, I guess). It was so otherwordly and amazing that it wasn't until we surface in the air dome that I realized WAIT A MINUTE THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. And it wasn't until years later (present day) that I learned that you're supposed to abort the dive if your flashlight dies. Oops. 

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Ah well. I lived, after all.