Catalina Diver died today w/ Instructor

[cool_hardware52]

No ... problem would be when you went to shut it down to remove the reg.

Just dump the gas, i.e. free flow the reg 'till empty

Stuck closed or blocked dip tube is a different animal.

Tobin

 

[Thalassamania]

Yeah, it's solvable ... I just wanted them to know where the problem would occur.

 

[ItsBruce]

LeeAnne posted something about speculating about the possibility of a lung expansion injury during the initial ascent and about how that might have led to the "bolt" at 15 - 20 feet. That possibility is something that has been in the back of my mind for some time now.

I do not see that as speculation. Given what we currently understand to be the "facts," this is not an impossibility. Given my knowledge of Boyle's law and human physiology, it is not foreclosed by the currently understood "facts." I think the concept deserves further discussion.

 

[drbill]

LeeAnne posted something about speculating about the possibility of a lung expansion injury during the initial ascent and about how that might have led to the "bolt" at 15 - 20 feet. That possibility is something that has been in the back of my mind for some time now.

I do not see that as speculation. Given what we currently understand to be the "facts," this is not an impossibility. Given my knowledge of Boyle's law and human physiology, it is not foreclosed by the currently understood "facts." I think the concept deserves further discussion.

I also see it as what I call "informed speculation..." specific to this incident and drawn from the known facts.

 

[Leejnd]

I also see it as what I call "informed speculation..." specific to this incident and drawn from the known facts.

Well, informed only inasmuch as having read this entire thread, and actually paid attention to the posts! I certainly don't have any information other than what's been in here.

Also, note that I prefaced my theory with "WARNING WARNING pure speculation ahead"! Which, in retrospect, is not a bad thing to do, methinks.

Anyway, regarding what Bruce said - that is, actually, what I've thought from the beginning. I don't have any theories about what caused the initial ascent, or why she thought she was OOA (although I'm not completely sold that it wasn't caused by a partially-opened valve). But when I first read of the relatively normal-paced ascent from 65-25, then the sudden bolt from 25-0, my immediate thought was that she'd held her breath for the initial ascent, and then bolted when she felt some kind of lung expansion injury. I have no idea what that would feel like (and hope I never learn!) but I would imagine it would not feel good - and that could have caused a panicked bolt for the surface.

I used to be a telecommunications engineer, and I spent years troubleshooting system problems. One of the first, and most elemental, principles in troubleshooting is to focus the simplest explanation first; once you have those ruled out, you can look at more complicated explanations. While we may never know the reason why she decided to ascend from 65, we all know how easy it can be for a new diver to forget to exhale during ascent. It's an easy thing to forget, but with a catastrophic outcome.

 

[drbill]

LeeAnne... I'm not sure the initial ascent from ~60-65 ft to 25 ft was "normal" pace... the instructor did attempt to retard the student's ascent during that portion.

 

[ItsBruce]

Whatever the ascent rate for the initial assent, if the diver held her breath, it could result in a lung expansion injury. I have seen nothing that would lead me to rule that out and it could explain the "bolt."

Is there anything that might rule out breath holding during the initial ascent?

 

[drbill]

Agree... with the operative word being "could"

 

[stedel]

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised (although I am) that someone would immediately call into question MY thoroughness and qualifications as an instructor when presenting a simple scenario about control. When I conduct my confined water training sessions, I start in three feet of water. Every single one of my students demonstrates repetition and MASTERY of mask clearing, regulator recovery and clearing, air sharing and so on in three feet of water before we repeat all the same exercises and skills in deeper confined water. When I introduce them to scuba, they breathe on the regulator with and without a mask (they have previously breathed on a snorkel with and without a mask) I am a Los Angeles County, NAUI, PADI, CMAS, Handicapped Scuba Association of America and formerly a YMCA instructor with over 30 years of diving experience. Would you still care to question my preparation of my students or my ability control same?

 

[Leejnd]

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised (although I am) that someone would immediately call into question MY thoroughness and qualifications as an instructor when presenting a simple scenario about control. When I conduct my confined water training sessions, I start in three feet of water. Every single one of my students demonstrates repetition and MASTERY of mask clearing, regulator recovery and clearing, air sharing and so on in three feet of water before we repeat all the same exercises and skills in deeper confined water. When I introduce them to scuba, they breathe on the regulator with and without a mask (they have previously breathed on a snorkel with and without a mask) I am a Los Angeles County, NAUI, PADI, CMAS, Handicapped Scuba Association of America and formerly a YMCA instructor with over 30 years of diving experience. Would you still care to question my preparation of my students or my ability control same?

Stedel - I suspect I'm not the only person following this thread who is scratching my head right now trying to come up with the context of your post. We've been discussing other aspects and theories on this incident, and right now I have zero memory of whatever discussion you are referring to. A quote of the post to which you are responding would be helpful. Or, how about some post numbers? Right now, at least to me, your post is coming completely out of left field in this thread.