I would certainly like to know where the tanks were filled, the last two times if possible - but not holding my breath. Not only will clear and documented info probably be very difficult to obtain, but in my experiences in Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Belize, Honduras, around the Caribbean a few other places, and on some US boats - the boats generally arrive to pickup divers with tanks onboard. We might get some hearsay, but never know for sure where the tanks were filled - much less had a chance to inspect compressors. The other times I did get to tour compressors, only a very few did I see any form of quality control or CO monitoring - two I can think of.
One of those two in Belize was especially interesting in memory, altho it happened many years ago, when I was still pretty green and certainly not up on CO risks - they just had not been exposed before. A few of us were diving Nitrox on a package I arranged from a shop other than the dive Op chosen by the LDS that sponsored the trip. I was a little surprised that my LDS allowed me to arrange that, but they were nice since the chose Op did not supply Nitrox. Most of the group dove air supplied by the dive Op.
Ok, this is going to get long here, and somewhat off target - but it's related. After 3 flights and finally arriving, I started tanking up on Kool-Aide but many hit the beer bar in celebrations - and I guess that some of the non-divers encouraged the latter. The next day, first day of diving - most of the group went to their rooms ill after 2 dives, skipping the third.
I shrugged if off as dehydration, glad that no one got bent and the week went on - with a lot of dread at times as the dive Op turned out to be the worst I've even seen. I wrote a scathing report on return, but I only wish I had known more about things then.
NOW, I look back at that trip with my home bud who'd dived air along with this GF that trip, reviewing their horrible symptoms, as compared to the rest of the troublesome week - and we now wonder just how close the air divers came to CO death, while us Nitrox divers were fine after breathing gas from one of the two Ops I've ever seen with quality controls, testing, records open for viewing, etc.
We now think back and suspect the captain went back to the fill station, threw a fit over the tanks, and got things cleaned up enough. It's been so long that I can't tell for sure which were Nitrox divers, which were air divers other than a few also including the LDS owners who also got sick - and it's certainly years too late to go back and test tanks, but as far as personal experiences go, it's not one I can forget now.
When I got my first CO tester, I loaned it to that LDS for a trip to Utila. They forgot about it until everyone got ill the first day, much like most of the group from the Belize trip - then remembered, tested tanks, drained them all, forced an overnight overhaul of the compressor shack. They were quite grateful to me on their return. By the way, this is a tiny shop in Lubbock that does not fill anywhere close to the number of tanks I used as example above to offset costs of CO monitoring, but they monitor their compressor fills on every tank even tho their per tank cost is higher, and they carry a different brand of CO tank tester now.
It has been touched on but it is really interesting that more has not been discussed as to why the victim was at 23 meters alone. The only things I can think of is the other party either ascended without her knowing, ascended with her knowing but she either couldn't or didn't surface with them, or she continued to descend while the group stopped and ascended
Want me to speculate? I'd like honest answers on that too, but the people who were there have all surely been told not to go public. My best guess is that the three divers were all hit by CO intoxication and disability, one sinking unconscious, the other two barely able to save themselves. I may not be guessing correctly or accurately, but the scenario does fit.
Someday we may get facts released from a court case, if they are not buried by agreement of silence like one Roatan case I remember well. One of my Texas dive buds who helped me test tanks in Coz, discovering several at 17 ppm, lost a neighbor to that double death - but the facts are hidden well.
If we ever do get the facts, who knows how the real story will unforld. So far tho, the story continues to support changing old ways and habits and instead - testing every tank. I am really glad that Outdoor Equipment Rentals is now renting CO analyers for those who don't want to own.
