Trapped Underwater in the Nickajack Cave | Encore Episode

Southern Gothic

Southern Gothic Media LLC

Society & Culture, History, Documentary, True Crime

4.7 • 980 Ratings

🗓️ 20 July 2026

⏱️ 39 minutes

🔗️ Recording | Apple Podcasts | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Just west of Chattanooga, Tennessee is the Nickajack Cave, a historic natural wonder flooded in 1967 due to the construction of the Nickajack Dam. Carved by the Tennessee River over millennia, the cave has a rich history filled with tales of the Chickamauga, Confederate soldiers, and even the notorious Man in Black, Johnny Cash. Today the cave is a wildlife refuge for a colony of endangered bats, but back in 1992, after it was shut off to the public for this purpose, a man named David Gant dared enter anyway, becoming trapped in the dark, underwater cavern without any air to breathe. This episode is made possible through the support of our sponsor: Elevate your summer bedding with Quince. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/sogo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. Want to Listen to Southern Gothic Ad-Free? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon: Ad-Free Episodes, Premium Releases, Bonus Content & More⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Southern Gothic Premium on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Southern Gothic Premium on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Into History: History Without Interruption⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Southern Gothic Media: Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SouthernGothicMedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Merch Store:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.southerngothicmedia.com/merch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Pinterest:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @SouthernGothicMedia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @SouthernGothicMedia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @SouthernGothicMedia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @SoGoPodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Advertise on this podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠press@southerngothicmedia.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	In every small town, behind every closed door, a story waits to be uncovered.
0:05.9	On our true crime podcast, we dive deep into the cases that haunt communities around the world,
0:11.4	from chilling cold cases to crimes with unexpected twist. No detail is too small.
0:17.4	Hosted by us, Jen and Cam, two lifelong friends who love telling a good story. This isn't
0:22.3	sensationalized news. It's real cases, real people, and the chilling details that keep you up at night.
0:28.9	Our True Crime Podcast brings the facts, a little perspective, and just enough humor to remind you
0:34.3	you're not alone in being fascinated by the darker side of life.
0:37.9	Our True Crime Podcast, where bizarre crimes, meticulous research, and genuine friendship collide.
0:44.9	Subscribe today if you dare, because sometimes the scariest stories are the true ones. Southern Gothic is a podcast that explores the history behind some of the American South's darkest days, greatest mysteries, and most chilling ghost stories.
1:17.6	The Johnny Cash was a troubled man when he stumbled into Nica Jack Cave in 1967.
1:42.3	Although, according to legend, when the notorious country singer walked out, everything had changed.
1:57.6	Cash's early life had been far from easy.
2:01.6	He was born into a poor farming family in Arkansas in 1932, and after graduating high school,
2:08.6	he enlisted in the Air Force and was stationed in Germany, where he started learning to play guitar.
2:15.6	When the aspiring musician returned home, he married Vivian
2:20.5	Liberto and the pair settled in Memphis where they had four daughters. It was there in
2:27.1	1955 that Cash signed his first recording contract with Sun Records, and the following year, I Walk the Line became
2:36.9	his first number one hit on the country charts. Johnny Cash's career took off.
2:50.0	But the young man was not prepared for the pressures of fame and constant touring.
2:56.6	He began drinking heavily and was soon addicted to amphetamines and barbiturates, abusing stimulants in order to continue to perform high-energy shows.
3:09.6	And this juggling of pills worked for him for a while until it didn't.
3:15.9	By the early 1960s, Cash's life was spirally not of control,
	...

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