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Atlanta woman dies after diving accident in Ginnie Springs
- Thread starter TexasFencer
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fisherdvm
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This case make me more aware of the liability of an instructor, divemaster, or divemaster intern. I remember assisting a class where 2 students were taking a refresher course, 2 were taking a drysuit class, and one was an AOW graduate who wanted to "tag" along. While I was just a DM intern, the father of one of the student was along, as so another friend of the instructor.
One instructor, 4 students, 1 tag along, 1 dad, and 1 friend plus myself (DM intern). What a mess it was underwater. The girl in the drysuit class had problem at the surface, problem under with floaty feet which shortly becomes a problem at the surface.... You kinda wonder, how do you keep track of them all.
As far as I am concern, tag along are essentially on their own. But, when bad things happen, one is not covered by waiver of liability, and then you are responsible for them too.
I feel sad for everyone here. I am sure she was a great diver, and a safe diver. Yes, I too, have called a dive off early, and waved OK to the group to let me ascend by myself. I can not see holding anyone liable if I had issues. I feel bad reading about how some claimed the instructor "broke" standards. It could have been any one of us.
One instructor, 4 students, 1 tag along, 1 dad, and 1 friend plus myself (DM intern). What a mess it was underwater. The girl in the drysuit class had problem at the surface, problem under with floaty feet which shortly becomes a problem at the surface.... You kinda wonder, how do you keep track of them all.
As far as I am concern, tag along are essentially on their own. But, when bad things happen, one is not covered by waiver of liability, and then you are responsible for them too.
I feel sad for everyone here. I am sure she was a great diver, and a safe diver. Yes, I too, have called a dive off early, and waved OK to the group to let me ascend by myself. I can not see holding anyone liable if I had issues. I feel bad reading about how some claimed the instructor "broke" standards. It could have been any one of us.
Ken Kurtis
Contributor
Slightly off this main thread but a quick clarificiation here for those of you who are not currently insured Ibstructors, DMs, or AIs and who "assist" with a class or dive.
First of all, you CAN be named in a waiver. Make sure your name is specifically added so you're sopecifically named in the waiver. (As a sidenote, we always specifically name our working DMs, boat captain, boat itself, and DBA for the boat.) But that's not the problem.
The problem is that you have no insurance to pay for any damages that might arise out of your participation as a de-facto assistant and - more importantly - no insurance that will pay the lawyers who will defend you should you get named in a suit.
Even if you're specificially named in a waiver, you will still need to pay a lawyer out of your pocket to defend you on the waiver. Those of us who have professional liability insurance have this as a protection as part of our coverage.
My advice to those who want to assist: Don't do it without professional liability insurance coverage. Become a DM/AI/Instructor so you can obtain such coverage. Otherwise, you're exposing yourself to tremendous financial risk.
My sympathies and prayers go out to her friends and family. We all feel a loss when we lose a member of our dive family.
Descent
Descent
Oh, I have shrugged off the noise and calamity of modern day
and floated through the depths on bubble-glistening fins.
Downward I have drifted and joined the ebb and flow of wind-driven currents,
and done a thousand things you would never have dreamed of.
Dipping and swooping deep in the limpid pools of silent seas,
Floating…. Drifting….
I've chased shimmering schools of fish,
laughed through coral-carpeted canyons,
and eased my rubber-covered body through the floorless oceans of blue.
Deeper and deeper into the bone-chilling depths
I've descended to the sand covered bottom of the universe,
with peaceful reserve, where sunshine nor rain have ever danced.
And…. While with silent questioning mind,
I've slipped through the blue un-trespassed serenity of the heavenly sea,
Raised up my face
and felt the cool embrace of God
Carolyn:sharks:
and floated through the depths on bubble-glistening fins.
Downward I have drifted and joined the ebb and flow of wind-driven currents,
and done a thousand things you would never have dreamed of.
Dipping and swooping deep in the limpid pools of silent seas,
Floating…. Drifting….
I've chased shimmering schools of fish,
laughed through coral-carpeted canyons,
and eased my rubber-covered body through the floorless oceans of blue.
Deeper and deeper into the bone-chilling depths
I've descended to the sand covered bottom of the universe,
with peaceful reserve, where sunshine nor rain have ever danced.
And…. While with silent questioning mind,
I've slipped through the blue un-trespassed serenity of the heavenly sea,
Raised up my face
and felt the cool embrace of God
Carolyn:sharks:
irishsquid
Contributor
Mcaffee picked up a trojan virus when I went to the CDNN exposed link so be careful
Thank you. It's a beautiful poem that was written by Robert Gwalchmai. I think it represents how all of us feel and what we experience when diving.Nice!
Carolyn:sharks:
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UnderSeaBumbleBee
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