Accident at Vortex Springs 8-20-10

[ucfdiver]

If a diver became disoriented, why would he continue against the flow? Why not turn and go with the flow toward the exit?

Here's a video of a lost line drill I did during class just over 2 years ago in JB (more flow than most any tourist cave).-
http://static.ak.fbcdn.net/rsrc.php/z4OG5/hash/7qkbs3nb.swf?v=528073356615&ev=0

When push comes to shove, that flow isn't nearly as easy of an indicator as it's made out to be in textbooks. That being said, as I've gained more experience (which Ben didn't have) it's rather obvious.

 

[Hetland]

If he hadn't had advanced nitrox, what was in his "deco" bottles? Was he even nitrox certified? I would be very interested to find out what he had and how he got it (assuming he wasn't certed for the gas he had).....

 

[jnunn04]

Quote:
Originally Posted by jnunn04
We have a somewhat experienced diver without the formal or extensive training needed making a dive that from what I hear is way above his skill and knowledge. That I can understand - sadly, it happens.

I can't understand it at all. The fact that he made it as far as he did in planning and setting up this dive tells me he was a very intelligent young man. But I will never understand what drives someone like that to take the risks he did without proper training and preparation. Sadly, it does happen ... and the people it happens to usually become casualties of their own poor judgment.


What I meant is not that I understand it, but rather there will always be people that do things they shouldn't. Although I don't understand their thinking, I understand there will always be people that make poor choices.

 

[netmage]

If he hadn't had advanced nitrox, what was in his "deco" bottles? Was he even nitrox certified? I would be very interested to find out what he had and how he got it (assuming he wasn't certed for the gas he had).....

In extremely active dive areas - it's uncommon to get carded...

 

[gypsyjim]

It wasn't the lack of certs that got him in trouble ... it was his casual attitude toward a dive that was anything but casual. It IS easy to believe that Ben was a careless, reckless, lock picking daredevil ... because that's just about what it would take to put yourself into a situation like that in the first place.

Sure ... why not penalize everybody else over one man's irrational choices. Sounds perfectly reasonable.

Except for the fact that it would just encourage others to attempt the same thing that got this fellow in trouble.



... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Someone on SB had the signature line: "It's impossible to make something foolproof, because fools are so dam creative". Or words pretty close to that.

No matter what rules one creates, or obsticles they put in place to protect others, there will always be someone who feels those rules do not apply to themselves, for whatever reason.

Locally we have several nasty waterfalls, that claim lives every year or two, even though protected by fences, gates, signs, etc. Just last week an out of state visitor fell over 100ft to his death, at one of these sites, from a place where he should not have been able to get at.

There is something in human nature that pushes some of us to test the limits.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

In extremely active dive areas - it's uncommon to get carded...

... or he could just know someone with a fill station ... lots of people mix their own ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Hetland]

In extremely active dive areas - it's uncommon to get carded...

I can see that for recreational nitrox, but if he had deco gas above 40% I would expect they would be more careful in checking....

 

[Crush]

You are right. I myself have been deeper than 150' on air and never experienced narcosis. Everyone is different.
That is not the real point here. It is ONE of the possibilities

My personal opinion is that I doubt very much that you did not experience narcosis at 150' on air. I do believe that it is possible that you did not realize that you were narc'd. Try preparing some flash-cards with easy math problems and take them down to 100 feet. Also, bring some nuts and bolts and a length of string. Try doing the math problems, thread and un-thread the bolts, and tie the string in a bow around one of your hoses. Repeat at 150 feet. Your may find that at 150' your mind is still crystal clear, only the math problems just got harder and the nuts and bolts now have threads that no longer match. As for the string - who knows where it went to - you don't care.

 

[netmage]

I can see that for recreational nitrox, but if he had deco gas above 40% I would expect they would be more careful in checking....

It's nothing to go to airgas for a bottle of ABO, or top off O2 at the same time...

O2 is VERY common in cave country where dives are generally much longer by nature...

 

[ucfdiver]

I can see that for recreational nitrox, but if he had deco gas above 40% I would expect they would be more careful in checking....

I've never been carded for trimix nor any o2 mix in cave country. Most sites check qualifications, and if they don't, chances are they're sites you wouldn't know about without having been around the block so to speak.