Diving accident on the Cedarville

[flots am]

WOW another diver killed by mixing up the pony and primary reg.. (and then a string of further errors).

That's another good reason to sling it in front. There's no question what you're breathing.

 

[boulderjohn]

The rescue diver reported an empty pony, but full tank on the back, a disconnected BCD inflator hose, and a non-functioning drysuit inflator on Javens.

All of which should have been identified through a simple buddy check.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

That's another good reason to sling it in front. There's no question what you're breathing.

I agree! There are very few dangers associated with adding a pony bottle to your rig, but if you back mount and get the second stages mixed up, it could be your last mistake..

Also, another reason why you might want to ditch the victim's lead rather than your own in an emergency.. If you loose contact with the victim, the victim floats to the surface (probably) and you just ascend as fast as is safe.

Ditching of the rescuer's lead (probably because it was easier), sounds like it might have prevented a rescue and caused more harm.

 

[raftingtigger]

If you are accidentally breathing off your pony and run out of air why wouldn't you put the other regulator (the one you think is your pony but really is your main tank) in your mouth and breath it? If you don't think about swapping regulators if you can't breathe from one why are you carrying a pony? Safety gear is often useless if not routinely practiced with.

Question: Does anyone know it the main tank valve was on? ***pure speculation*** If the main tank was turned off and not noticed because the deceased was breathing off the pony by mistake, then when he ran OOA on the pony he did not have gas readily available. If the main tank was on, it should have been easy to swap to the main regulator, even if he thought that was the pony regulator. ***end speculation***

 

[rx7diver]

This pretty much matches with what I heard while I was up there, on VHF while it unfolded, and at the dock from someone who was involved in the recovery later. So I feel more confident about posting details as I have heard them, but please keep in mind that this is second-hand and I cannot vouch for accuracy.

Three divers on a private boat set out to dive the Cedarville, a large wreck that sits at 105 ft. The conditions were excellent (calm waters, 50ft. viz), but the water cold (~40F at depth). 18 minutes into the dive, buddy realized that Javens had a problem. I do not know if he was already unresponsive at that point just very soon thereafter. Buddy tried to bring Javens up to the surface, but his BCD did not have enough lift and he ditched his own weights (instead of Javens'). He lost grip of Javens and had an uncontrolled ascent, and was rushed to the nearest chamber. I'm not sure what the third diver was doing, but on the radio they mentioned that they didn't have anyone on board to go into the water for a rescue attempt.
Another boat with a rescue diver arrived at the scene within maybe fifteen minutes, and he was able to bring the unresponsive Javens up very quickly. The rescue diver reported an empty pony, but full tank on the back, a disconnected BCD inflator hose, and a non-functioning drysuit inflator on Javens. Javens did not show any signs of life, but was rushed to the next hospital where he was pronounced dead. RIP.

Assuming the victim was an experienced diver, is it likely that he wouldn't have noticed that his SPG on his main cylinder hadn't moved? Almost certainly, he would have glanced at his SPG several times within the first five minutes, say, into his dive. This suggests to me that maybe he had already become incapacitated long before 18 minutes had elapsed. Maybe at one point he had become preoccupied. For example, a non-inflating drysuit at just a few feet of depth will make it very difficult to move or to reach for anything, including over one's shoulder to turn on a tank valve one might have thought was off (or wasn't fully on). Could things have progressed as follows, I wonder: "Main" regulator isn't working, drysuit won't inflate, BC won't inflate, SPG hasn't moved, so main tank must not be fully on, but it's valve cannot be reached because drysuit is too squeezed, and now both the "alternate" regulator and weight belt cannot be reached? Terrifying scenario.

Safe Diving,

rx7diver

 

[chillyinCanada]

One of my speculative questions is whether the inflater was damaged during the initial rescue attempt.

 

[fisheater]

More speculation: If the main tank valve were, in fact, turned off, it would explain the "nonfunctioning" DS inflator and why switching to the second regulator wouldn't deliver air.

 

[CamG]

With out knowing the divers involved there is still to much speculation.
However that being said with what we do know a buddy system failure did occur.
All gas should be turned on before you get in the water and pre- breathed.
I feel for the buddy , friends, and family.
My thoughts and prayers are with them at this time.

CamG

 

[Stoo]

"All the equipment was inspected and found to be in working order and the main tank was still full," says Clarmont, "It appears from the investigation that Mr. Javens started on his reserve tank and when it ran out of air, thinking it was his main tank, attempted to go to his reserve which was empty."

When I first read this, I first thought that this was another health-related, older-diver death, like the one that occurred earlier this week in Tobermory (to be confirmed).

This does sound like a deco-gas mix-up.

There's a reason why my deco regs have coloured hoses. I also put a wee notch in the mouthpiece of my 02 reg, which I notice in my mouth.

And I think it's pretty common practice to pressurize deco regs, then shut them down. I used to think that I only did this to prevent free-flows. But it has the added benefit of not being able to accidentally that gas by accident... not more than a breath or two anyway...

 

[Dr. Lecter]

What a cluster.