Fatality at Peacock Springs today (07-07-2010)

[Dive-aholic]

that is not true. correlation is not causation. if every cave death was preceded by frosted flakes or coffee that doesn't mean frosted flakes or coffee caused it.

Interesting, so you're saying the majority of cave instructors don't know what they're talking about. I first learned this from my cave instructor and it has been reinforced several times by all the instructors I've interned with.

rob, i'm not arguing that they were right and all was good with their plan. i'm just trying to say that following the rules would not have necessarily changed the scenario. sure, they should have. sure, it might have very well made a difference. like mat sais, stack the deck in your favor at every opportunity. but a freaking panicking buddy might have blown right by a jump line, too. the panic is the problem. the lack of line is a diversion.

And what I'm saying is if they were following the rules and putting in jump spools and personal markers there likely wouldn't have been confusion or panic. You speculate what you want and I'll speculate what I want.

hmm, i don't see how the arrow change on the olsen line would be an issue on peanut. could you elaborate?

No jump spools put in place. First time doing this circuit. Possible confusion about which line she was on. Jump spools at the Crossover line would have eliminated the confusion, or at least given her a visual indicator of where they had come from.



I don't know what happened. What I do know is that violations of the rules of accident analysis did occur and a diver died. This has given me ideas on some exercises to add to my cave courses, so some good has come of the discussions.

 

[tstormdiver]

This has given me ideas on some exercises to add to my cave courses, so some good has come of the discussions.

My instructor told me exactly the same thing yesterday. He gave me fair warning that I would see something similar next time we go back to FL.

 

[Dive-aholic]

My instructor told me exactly the same thing yesterday. He gave me fair warning that I would see something similar next time we go back to FL.

I'm not setting up something similar. First, it would be too difficult to set up an exercise similar to this incident without violating standards. I do have a couple of exercises in mind, though, that will fall completely within standards.

 

[tstormdiver]

I said similar to, not exact. He will not break standards, I can guarantee that, he's far to "by the books" to do that. I would guess he'll probably break it up into sections so that he's not breaking any standards. Most likely in the realm of trying to disorient me & having me find the correct way out, stop him from leaving the planned dive rout & such. I have done these tasks in smaller drills & had my share of failures & successes.

 

[riftvalley84]

Marion woman, Patricia Barkley, 67, dies while cave diving | Ocala.com

Marion woman dies while cave diving

Patricia Barkley's body was recovered in Suwannee County.


By Lise Fisher
Staff writer
Published: Friday, July 9, 2010 at 6:30 a.m.

The body of Patricia Barkley, 67, was recovered shortly after 12:30 p.m. at the state park, located about 16 miles southwest of Live Oak. Barkley had been diving with a partner when he said she signaled to him with her light and then started swimming in the other direction, said Ron Colvin, chief deputy of the Suwannee County Sheriff's Office. He grabbed her hand and put it back on a safety cable strung through the cave. The pair were heading toward an exit. "He looked back, and she was swimming off in the opposite direction" in which she had been going, Colvin said. The man tried to reach Barkley but couldn't, Colvin said. He remained underwater for about 20 minutes looking for her before he resurfaced. Colvin said recovery divers happened to be at the springs and searched for the woman. She was found about one hour later, 830 feet from the nearest exit and 53 feet under the water.

Barkley, who officers said had a Lady Lake address, had been cave diving at Peacock Springs before, Colvin said. She was considered an introductory level cave diver and had been in training for four years.
Colvin said investigators don't know what happened. "Even her partner wasn't sure what happened," he said. "I don't know anybody ever will."

 

[427Dave]

This saddens me greatly. Pat and dive buddy were members of our Dive Club in The Villages. I have dove with both of them. I just became aware of this accident as I am not in Florida presently.