I may not be a "good divier" but after 30 years, I must be doing something right because I am still here.
That, in this case, is not the point. The two expereinced divers are also still here. The point is that, when buddying with another diver
particularily someone on their first post cert dive, there is an obligation to be there for them and to make decisions that do not put them in harms way; and to consider
their experience level when making them. That is the lesson to be learned. Everybody gets your point about personal responsibility but in this case, as it is described, it isn't really relevant.
Again, it's like telling the blind person they ultimately are responsible for their own safety when crossing the street and ignoring the driver who runs the red light. No right thinking person would analyse an accident scene that way if trying to prevent similar occurances in the future. They may warn the blind to be more diligent but the focus would be on the person running the light.
My opinions, are just that, my opinions, these days all people want to do is assign blame to others.
But aren't you blaming the deceased diver here?
My statement is only that you are responsible for yourself.
Fair enough, as long as you tell everyone up front that you are opting out of the assumed duties of a diving team. Otherwise, some divers may have a different expectation of group resposibility than you.
It's only half the equation in team diving. The other half is that by being responsible for yourself, you are able to assume responsibility for your team mate(s). Everybody brings their A game for the good of the whole, not just themselves. In this case, again from what has been described, the two experienced divers were responsible for themselves but abdicated responsibilty for the most inexperienced member of the team.
Years ago there was a near death at Toby because a 18year old girl said she had enough experience to do a ~ 100 foot dive. She wanted to go because her boy friend was going. She almost died, but was saved by some quick thinking by others.
People said how could this happen .... she should not have been allowed to go this deep ( basic C Card only).
They tried to blame everyone but the girl, when as I said before is responsible for her decision.
This could have resulted in more than one death, but did not. If you lie about your ability and put others in danger am I still to blame and be responsible and supposed to watch your back?
Interesting story but hardly germaine to the discussion. You can't even compare a basic C card diver to someone on their first post cert dive. And you can't compare a newbies error in judgement against the far greater error of the experienced divers who left the diver at depth alone.
And yes, as long as they believe you are their buddy and you don't correct them, and you are not putting yourself in immediate danger, you are responsible to watch their back. Is that really news to you? If you don't want that rsponsibilty don't be their buddy. But don't become someones buddy and then bail on them part way through the dive because their skill level doesn't match your own. Call the dive, quit the team and carry on solo if you wish. That's the responsible way to terminate an obligation to a buddy.
We could argue about this all day but I think I've made my point. I'm a solo diver who can get himself out of just about every situation I can think of in recreational diving (touch wood). However, I'm also at times a member of a buddy team and I do not use that mindset when diving with a new diver. I scale it down to what I percieve their level of ability to be. That's my responsibilty, not theirs.