Fatality Off Miami Beach - Florida

[SC_Hoaty]

Thanks

Curious, because I have always been asked for mine (granted - that it not a lot of times!) The exceptions are lake shore dives, but I need to show my card to get air (unless the shop knows me).

It really seems communication was a big issue. When I dived in Japan, I sought out an english speaking Navy guy who did some DM work. I would not have been comfortable missing the dive briefing in an area I was totally lost in!

This seems so avoidable - from the initial planning to the "when did she enter the water for the last time." What an awful price to pay.

I wonder what caused her to think this dive would be a good idea?

 

[kgallowaypa]

I believe her intent was just to have a friendly dive with the new friend she had met who happened to be Asian as well and was a pilot, the victim was a stewardess so they clicked together and ended up diving the next day, a shame though.

 

[ams511]

Isn't this the same operation that left two divers in the water a few years back?

 

[SC_Hoaty]

I believe her intent was just to have a friendly dive with the new friend she had met who happened to be Asian as well and was a pilot, the victim was a stewardess so they clicked together and ended up diving the next day, a shame though.

Pilots have to know some English for air traffic control. But the victim, it seems, was clueless about what was being said. And another report makes it seem like that buddy team failed before they were both wet.

What a poor decision to try to push on at that point. Such a shame. Such a waste of a young life.

 

[DandyDon]

kgallowaypa thanks for sharing your experiences, here and on your Introduction. You cannot get bent from 10 ft, but yeah there are plenty of other risks. Got to prepare for all you can, and ditching weights in an emergency is too often missed. BTW, maybe only 10% of the Ops I've dived with have looked at my C-card, and I've dived with several. I look to the boat as transportation and hopefully assistance but when I sign that release - I am saying that I am up for whatever I leave the boat for.

I am a Cozumel fan, and we see a lot of newbies posting there - to whom many of us strongly advise them to hire a private DM for the first day. For this poor lady, who did not speak the local language, who may not have understood her rental gear, pounds instead of kilograms, etc. - it would have been more important I think, at least as much as I think I understand the situation.

I've seen half a dozen divers hauled off in ambulances, but they all made it. It really sucks for you to have to witness all this. Good for you in helping as much as you could, but do not accept any guilt or feelings of shortcomings, please. You and the others did the best y'all could in spite of her poor planning and diving. Do let us know if we can support you in some way...

Isn't this the same operation that left two divers in the water a few years back?

Mentioned earlier here. October 2011.

 

[kgallowaypa]

yeah i meant pneumothorax its been a late night heh

 

[peterbj7]

This sounds a most dreadful dive business, interested only in their income and not in the safety of their guests. There should ALWAYS be a competent staff member near the ladder watching people in the water (and, it should go without saying, ready to act as required). Had this happened here there would not have been a fatality. I would like to see them closed down, but prosecuted first.

I might add that the number of divers entering the water is not the point. I have been on well run boats with 40+ active divers, and there were no significant safety concerns. At least one of them was in the area of this boat, but I'm glad to say it wasn't this one.

 

[Black_3000psi]

I was one of the divers on the boat yesterday (The EMT) that did CPR on her on the way back to Miami Beach Marina. This really should not of happened yesterday and we did what we could but she was down for at least half an hour. As far as her mask on her head, I was the diver that motioned her to put her mask back on her face but she did not comprehend until she got to the line behind the boat. I think the dive masters should of been checking everyone's cards especially if there was suspicion beforehand that a coupe other guys noticed on the boat that i later found out. To be honest I didn't think much about the mask incident until I knew what was happening.

This is what I believe happened related to the fatality: About 10-15 minutes into her dive, her regulator must of gotten lodged away from her at some point or something dramatic caused her to panic and intend to bolt for the surface. We found the tank with 2400 psi left and the air still on when we began searching for the missing diver. When she was unable to retrieve her 2nd stage by using technique, she panicked in an attempt to get to the surface. She consciously removed her BC straps with the tank attached and possibly her fins as well in the attempt to reach the surface. Oblivious because of panick however the weight belt was still on her waist that made her sink. She was wearing about 12-14 lbs based on her previous buyoancy and wetsuit mm suit when I used the shears onboard the first aid kit to get access to her chest area for CPR monitoring. Due to fatigue she drowned and remained in between the patch at the North end of Emerald Reef and the the beginning of Rainbow Reef. No signs of trauma or foul play on initial assessment. Upon compressions we found that the victim had distension and edema (Fluid) in the lungs and stomach and that she had taken on water for some time during the incident. Based on the GAP of the victim, she was without oxygen for a minimum of 50 minutes to one hour based on dive time, and search response before the body was discovered.

Also if you guys have any other questions you need me to clarify since I was on the boat yesterday and performed CPR for her en route to the marina I will be glad to clear things up seeing as how nobody else from the boat is here on SB.com. I will edit this post as needed when I get more information or questions.

it was indeed a good thing you did, and the dive community is a better place with you as a part of it. I do how ever have problems with your theory....30 to 40 ft of water, bcd inflated, something panic divers dont do, that to me is not a panic diver, that is I diver that is on the surface floating......removing fins at the ladder is one thing...removing fins in open water? pain in the butt. a panic diver reaching down to remove their fins in open water? um....no. a panic diver taking off their bcd which is keeping them afloat? I dont think so.

 

[kgallowaypa]

it was indeed a good thing you did, and the dive community is a better place with you as a part of it. I do how ever have problems with your theory....30 to 40 ft of water, bcd inflated, something panic divers dont do, that to me is not a panic diver, that is I diver that is on the surface floating......removing fins at the ladder is one thing...removing fins in open water? pain in the butt. a panic diver reaching down to remove their fins in open water? um....no. a panic diver taking off their bcd which is keeping them afloat? I dont think so.

Nobody knows 100% what really happened, all we know is that we found her tank attached to her BC with the reg at 2400 lbs left, no fins or mask on the body recovered just the diver and wetsuit (weight belt was removed before she was placed on boat). I wasn't the person who recovered the body, I was just at the back of the boat when we brought her up and began CPR. They cant rule out everything but I believe a snowball of things made her do what textbook panic might not describe, who knows anymore. But I think it would make sense that she tried to rid herself of everything she thought that was holding her down so when she unlatched the BC, the air left in the bladder plus the tank was positively buoyant so of course it would of floated up to the surface. As far as the fins I am not sure where they went, there are a few other divers who had said she returned to the boat, I wouldn't know as I was under for about an hour underneath the boat searching for any equipment lost during the entry for the mates (Found a titanium knife and a snorkel, go figure)

 

[Black_3000psi]

you are very right, and all of you who aided in the effort are to be commended on your actions. it is always a sad day when the community loses one of its own.....a diver. but think about it, if there was air in her bc at depth then she had achieved neutral buoyancy. getting to the surface would not have been an issue. a panic diver, at any depth, is heading for the surface. I am simply trying to understand what happen...I sincerely hope this does not have a negative affect on those that were there, as can sometimes be the case.