Hearing about Kimber has really shaken me up

[wb416]

I don't understand the problem with speculation, but I'm doing my best to comply here on SB. OTOH Pete, your statement looks very much like speculation to me. "It was a diving accident." "It wasn't a diving accident." We don't know. Making either statement without additional information not available on SB, is pure speculation.

Nor do I, as long as it's constructive and realistic.

To Fairybasset, I would say to use any accident/incident to re-evaluate your personal diving, and make any necessary adjustments, whether or not they are related to the incident. I re-evaluated my approach to wreck diving after a local tragedy a few years back and proceeded much more methodically in my training and experience building. Did it stop me? No... but I did chose a disciplined approach.

If the incident has "spooked" you enough to "question" your diving, then don't hesitate to take time away... for your sake and those of your buddies.... no room for second-guessing or taking your eye off the ball.

As to Kimber, she has publically shared volumes through posts throughout the internet, in person, and via a website regarding her medical trials and tribulations. If one was to speculate as to the cause, my bets would not be on the diving, although it may be incidentally related.

My thoughts are for strength and a speedy recovery and return to your children Kimber!

 

[fairybasslet]

I initially had a bit of a thought like you did. Mine was kinda like "OMG her kids"! I too am a single mother of two small children, and my thought was maybe I SHOULDN'T put myself at risk because they NEED me, and I WANT to be with them until they're ready to "leave the nest". That was the KNEE JERK thought.

Thank you Kristi. As a single mom, that was exactly my reaction too, and why this fear overtook me. My son already lost his dad. I really don't want to make him an orphan.

I don't want to regret not diving, so I'll continue. Without a doubt.

Me too.

 

[DennisW]

Ellen,

Your reaction was one that is normal and expected for a person who cares about their children.

I didn't have the same reaction. Why? I care for my children, very much, so that isn't why.

I am a very conservative diver, I don't dive a lot and when I do, I usually dive shallow. The probablilities are fairly low that I'll ever get DCS. I do know though, that the probability is not zero. It can happen to anyone on any dive, even if you follow all of the rules.

 

[almitywife]

a few months ago i raised the question with TGirl about her diving and being a parent, specifically her deep dives (we dont have kids).

at the time TGirl told me that she continued her training/education, was careful, she dived with operators that she trusted and always planned her dives.... words of advice for all of us.

for my local forum i weekly have to report about diving accidents and deaths... it gets depressing but it has yet stopped me from diving. i may be a bit more careful about my dives - i choose the less challenging dive sites maybe but for me that also means i enjoy my diving with less stress. for me, my divng isnt about being challenged-its about relaxing and enjoying what i see/do.

cheers

 

[pilot fish]

Hearing about Tekgirl, did not know her, and Bigjetdriver, did not know him, has given me much to think about. How could it not? While I did not know them I saw their posts on the Board and considered both to be very qualified divers. How it affect me is, I think, if it happened to them, it can certainly happen to me. Will it make me give up diving? No, but it will make me more cautious and it reafirms my need to stay within my limits.

 

[stardiver]

I started thinking, maybe I should give up diving. I know I won't, but the thought crossed my mind. Do any of you have this reaction? I know this is really kind of a silly question. I mean, when I hear about a car accident, I don't think about giving up driving. Same with plane crashes.
(Thinking about you Kimber and wishing you a full recovery.)

I don't spend much time on dive forums, but I got an email from a mutual friend about Kimber. (No, I do NOT have a clue what happened besides the info you already have.) I met Kimber and her children back in her early diving days, right after she was first certified and moved to Waterless Hell. She spent her honeymoon weekend at a local quarry one weekend when many of Mickey's friends were having a Dive-N-Dine, and I was teaching a nitrox class. I was shocked and saddened to hear this news and am praying for her recovery, and for her children.

To respond to your thoughts on giving up diving, I can only remind you of your OW class when you learned about risk assessment. You learned to evaluate a dive with respect to your training and abilities, and then to decide whether or not you are qualified to make the dive. Then, you decide whether or not you want, at that opportunity, to make the dive. Later, in your tech training, you added an additional thread to these thoughts: is this dive an appropriate challenge and do I have the skills to meet it? You make the best decision you can, and live with it. You learn to trust your decision-making, and to accept the consequences.

So far, for most of us most of the time, the consequences are favorable. It's just as easy to make an unfavorable decision while driving a car or crossing the street. It's just as easy to be the victim of someone else's bad decision through no fault of ours - and just as easy to be the victim of something gone way wrong in our bodies.

From what I see of the posts here, all of you love life and love diving, and thus far have shown good decision-making skills. Go with your gut, and go diving.

Praying for Kimber and kiddos,

*

 

[ItsBruce]

I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned the "If I Should Die While Diving" thread. If not, everyone should read it. As for me, if I should die or be incapacitated while diving, I would like the matter discussed far and wide. First, if it was dive related, discussion may help prevent injuries to others. Second, in the event anyone on the board really cares about me enough to feel badly, discussion may make them feel better ... even if it is speculation. Discussion reduces the feeling of helplessness.

 

[DandyDon]

I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned the "If I Should Die While Diving" thread. If not, everyone should read it. As for me, if I should die or be incapacitated while diving, I would like the matter discussed far and wide. First, if it was dive related, discussion may help prevent injuries to others. Second, in the event anyone on the board really cares about me enough to feel badly, discussion may make them feel better ... even if it is speculation. Discussion reduces the feeling of helplessness.

Yep. "If I should die while diving." here I'm printing this out with a couple of special notes for my family.

I don't know Kimber's feelings on this, but we have read of the family's. I have no problem respecting their request, and Kimber is not just a diver, she's one of ours.

She's also not dead, looking forward to her posting again soon.

 

[almitywife]

She's also not dead, looking forward to her posting again soon.

thanks for saying what i didnt know how to approach - Kimber IS a fighter and IS going to get better and when she comes back she gonna whip some people's butts (inc mine!)

 

[Downeast Diving]

I started thinking, maybe I should give up diving. I know I won't, but the thought crossed my mind. Do any of you have this reaction? I know this is really kind of a silly question. I mean, when I hear about a car accident, I don't think about giving up driving. Same with plane crashes.
(Thinking about you Kimber and wishing you a full recovery.)

For many reasons already mentioned, and a few of my own... no.

Dennis--