Deepest ever emergency swimming ascent?

[Rhone Man]

You resurrected an old post to share this.

Your story could be valuable. Would you mind sharing it?

I'd love to hear it too, but I've got to say, that just sounds wildly improbable on almost any physiology (or perhaps we should say fizzy-ology)?

 

[CT-Rich]

Thirteen crewmen escaped from the USS Tang (an WWII American submarine) when she was sunk by her own circle running torpedo. They were using a primitive re-breather called the Momsen lung. Of the thirteen five survived to be captured by the Japanese. Unfortunately for the Americans the Japanese ship that picked them up was already crowded with the survivors of the two ships Tang had already sunken. Needless to say, they were not warmly received.

The Momsen Lungs were pretty terrible devices and were not much better than blow and go escapes. Of the 30 or so men that survived the torpedo and sinking more than half didn't even try to escape (or were too badly injured) from 180 fsw.

 

[Bob DBF]

sunk by her own circle running torpedo. They were using a primitive re-breather called the Momsen lung. Of the five survived to be captured by the Japanese. Unfortunately for the Americans the Japanese ship that picked them up was already crowded with the survivors of the two ships Tang had already sunken. Needless to say, they were not warmly received.

There were five that survived to be captured from the thirteen that made the escape and four that survived out of the ten that escaped off the bridge before it sank. As with the bridge personell, there were a variety of reasons for the deaths, some known and some unknown as they were in open ocean in the middle of a battle and captured by an enemy they had just decimated. All nine that survived their capture, also survived the pow camp.

For those that are interested, Clear the Bridge was written by Commander O'Kane, the skipper of the Tang and details his command from when it was built until its crew was repatriated.


DBF

 

[Bigeclipse]

I agree with others who state CESA is definitely important skill. It should NOT be part of a dive plan and only a LAST ditch effort compared to staying put and drowning. Personally, I know two people who did it from 100ft and lived without being bent. One of them is family the other was a friend who was relatively new to diving. The friend neglected to tell us he never had his equipment rebuilt or serviced and it was old equipment. He dove it earlier that week to 40ft without issue though. We all buddied up, I was buddies with someone else that day and my family member and friend were buddied together. We all descended down the line. My buddy and I were first. When we reached the bottom my buddy and I started towards the wreck. On the way to the wreck I looked back and saw the two of them reached the bottom of the ascent/descent line. This was not a very visible dive so when about 20ft away I could no longer see them. Anyways, my buddy and I reached the wreck a minute or two later and started swimming around it. I then realized my family member and friend never made it to the wreck so my buddy and I decided to make our ascent as well to look for them. When we reached the surface the two of them were just getting out of the water onto the boat. After speaking with them, it was found that my friends regs completely failed, he signaled OOA to my family member who donated his primary reg however when going to grab his backup reg the friend breathed off the primary once and then proceeded to kick to the surface dragging my family member with him. after a few feet the donated reg came out of my friend's mouth so he continued up without any air and my family member also proceeded without regs in their mouth because he panicked and did not simply grab for the regulator (he should have not panicked and simply grabbed their working regs but didn't). Needless to say both made it to the surface without injury. They had little to no bottom time since it was the start of the dive so less risk for being bent. This ALL could have been avoided if both of them remained calm. Needless to say they both got a huge scare and now routinely practice OOA drills.

 

[TMHeimer]

Agree CESA should not be part of a dive plan. But practising it occasionally is a good idea, especially if you dive solo. Practising the OOA routine is also good. I can't think of an instructor I have assisted who said he/she was involved in one or heard of a situation where it went by the book. It was always--"He just grabbed for my reg. in a panic". But, good stuff to know. One instructor told the class that once he saw a panicked diver approaching him and he just quickly gave him his primary before the diver had a chance to rip it out of his mouth, then he used his own octo.

 

[admikar]

I survived a CESA 5 years ago from 320 feet. Had 11 chamber treatments and am paralised, but alive. Do not reccomend it.

Disclaimer first: I am more affraid of staying paralissed after some accident, than dying.
I understand that you are in difficult position now, but are you really saying it is better to drown, than to try to get to the surface and live with consequences?

 

[ajduplessis]

The deepest seem to be the HMS OTUS (Maximum depth 601 feet keel depth). This sub was scuttled in the 90" outside of Durban and was "discovered" by Patrick Frooma.

It has become a popular wreck to dive lying and 108m. I assume this is the same sub.
The Discovery of HMS Otus | Dive-Careers Southern Africa
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