Gas failure kills local diver - Washington state

[DandyDon]

No details yet as to how the crew knew, was he found with weights attached, etc.

40-year-old Whatcom County man dies in scuba diving accident near San Juans

BELLINGHAM, Wash. (AP) — Authorities say a Whatcom County man has died after a scuba diving accident near the San Juan Islands.

The Bellingham Herald reports (https://goo.gl/g3nFkb ) the 40-year-old diver was pronounced dead Wednesday afternoon at Gooseberry Point near Sucia Island.

Bellingham Fire Department Assistant Chief Bill Hewett says the diver’s oxygen supply was cut off because of an apparent equipment malfunction.

U.S. Coast Guard Commanding Officer Charles Chavtur says others on the boat pulled the unconscious man aboard and performed CPR. People with him told authorities the man had been underwater for about five minutes.

Fire crews and the Coast Guard responded. Authorities say the man could not be revived.

Officials had not confirmed the man’s name as of Thursday afternoon.

An autopsy has been scheduled for this week.

 

[Steve_C]

He was pulled out within 5 minutes. They may have seen no bubbles.

 

[wgw04024]

Sad. No buddy?

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

"The man's Oxygen supply was cut off"
So why was he breathing pure O2 in the first place?
And what type of equipment just stops working and suddenly provides no oxygen?

 

[Pao]

Closed valve?

 

[AfterDark]

"The man's Oxygen supply was cut off"
So why was he breathing pure O2 in the first place?
And what type of equipment just stops working and suddenly provides no oxygen?

There's probably zero chance he was breathing O2. The media as usual couldn't accurately report a rainy day. They think every diver breaths pure O2.

And what type of equipment just stops working and suddenly provides no oxygen? As they reported,
malfunctioned equipment. Who knows? I did have a regulator stop delivering air to me once long ago, but it was because the owner that "serviced" it put it together wrong. Almost killed me in my second year of diving. Never borrowed a regulator since or dived with that person again. A CESA from 70' was required to save my life. He was a lousy buddy too! Nowhere to be found when I needed him and didn't surface until over 30 min. after I got to shore.

This incident is an example of why I use a pony bottle instead of an octopus if it was his 1st stage that failed or his valve wasn't opened all the way an octopus would have been equally useless. Redundant air is the way I roll.

 

[Steve_C]

A DM setting the hook on a boat I was on had his air suddenly shut off at 70 ft. Like afterdark it was a reg repaired incorrectly. Part in upside down.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Wow. I've never heard of a reg failing due to a part upside down.

Though waiting to learn more, my guess is with Pao's above; valve not properly turned on.

 

[seeker242]

Closed valve?

Or even a partially closed one. Happened to a buddy of mine when he first started diving. Was breathing fine on the surface, but once reaching a certain depth, it just stopped.

 

[wgw04024]

This is one of the reasons when boat diving, I always go in with my bcd fairly inflated and go in with a full breath.