How does a diver get left behind?

[lerpy]

Yes. I forgot to mention the point about how if anyone does surface in the channel they need to be picked up immediately and that it would slow the process of getting the diver out of harm's way and that you guys do occasionally maneuver with a diver on the ladder.

Indeed, if someone comes up in the channel, we will grab you. If there is a laker approaching, we will grab your bag and drag you while you are still under if needed. 99.9 percent are pretty good and stay on the wall in the narrows. This past season someone came up when diving the America, had drifted off and was floating in the channel, lake approaching but far enough off we had time to go snag him. Although I am sure the captain of the laker saw what was happening and was cursing.

I know of one occasion where a diver sent a bag up in the middle of the channel in the narrows and a laker was approaching. Maritime law was followed and the laker went full stop. Apparently the lecture from the Coast Guard ( which were on scene by the time the diver surfaced) and the following fine stung a little, better than a I laker on top of you though.

 

[LowVizWiz]

The more complex the process the more like it is that it won't be followed. Roll calls are ok as long as you don't have 2 Bobs, 3 Johns or 4 Marks. So if it only works some of the time is not a good SOP.

@Wookie, what do you think of head counts? IMO they are simple, can be done quickly and do not rely on the diver.

 

[jhnmdahl]

Half of it is having a foolproof system, such as a head count, and the other half is having someone responsible for doing it who won't cut corners (usually the boat captain). Put these two things together, and you won't have people left behind accidentally anymore.

 

[markmud]

Hello Wookie,

Thanks for having rules and enforcing them. When my safety is concerned, I appreciate rules at the expense of fun.

I was solo diving at Santa Cruz Island off a live aboard dive boat. It was windy (about 50 knots). We were tucked in tight on the lee side of the island in a little cove. In that situation, the wind always gusts around your vessel causing your vessel to swing on its mooring. We were two-point moored, bow and stern. The vessels uses Bruce type anchors with heavy and long shots of chain.

I wanted to end my dive. So, I dead reckoned my way back to the stern anchor while u/w. I recognized the geography and sea life. But no anchor or anchor line. I looked up and should have seen the boat. No boat. I surfaced and looked north and south and did not see the boat.

My mind raced. I had scoped out the above water terrain before diving as a contingency. I had told the DM that I was diving. I told the charter master and his daughter (a homicide detective--you know, a cop should be responsible) that I was solo diving. I had two cutting tools. A wet wetsuit. No food and no potable water. There was a beach north of me that would have been safe from high tide and there was limited vegetation before towering cliffs. I thought I might have to shelter on the beach, find wood for a fire, dry out my wetsuit, and prepare for a cold night in March along the California Coast.

As I was working my head around for a 360 degree search I found the boat about a 1/3 nm offshore. It was anchored off the bow anchor with all hands manning the rail looking for me! Nice feeling! They waved at me. Then I heard the outboard engine from the zodiac, it was about a 50 yards away. Cool!

Finding no boat where the boat should be is not a nice feeling.

There is no excuse for leaving a diver at a dive site; notwithstanding, the unusual situation where the captain can't keep the boat positioned as happened with me.

markm
Former Tug Boat Captain

 

[Jax]

@Wookie, what do you think of head counts? IMO they are simple, can be done quickly and do not rely on the diver.

Horrible. People moving, too easy to count someone twice, diver gets on the wrong boat, etc.

Only by an eye to eye confirmation of ID and checking off of a premade checklist can you be sure.

 

[letterboy]

The more complex the process the more like it is that it won't be followed. Roll calls are ok as long as you don't have 2 Bobs, 3 Johns or 4 Marks. So if it only works some of the time is not a good SOP.

@Wookie, what do you think of head counts? IMO they are simple, can be done quickly and do not rely on the diver.

If I recall a previous post by Wookie, he and at least one other staff member by name look at each diver in the eyes before checking them off the list as being back. Something about a quick look to see if they believe there may be an issue with dcs etc.

 

[JohnnyC]

Diving in Abu Dhabi this past week they did a roll call with your name. DM came up to you, asked you your name, and checked you off the list. It seemed to work well. By making you supply your own name and only your own name, they did a full check of all divers on board before the captain started the engines.

 

[KevinNM]

If I recall a previous post by Wookie, he and at least one other staff member by name look at each diver in the eyes before checking them off the list as being back. Something about a quick look to see if they believe there may be an issue with dcs etc.

You get checked in and out of the water by the DM and crew. After the dive is done the captain walks around and finds everyone personally. He also asks you how you are feeling or words to that effect IIRC.

 

[Diving Dubai]

Well done @Wookie for bringing this up.

I run club dives every month and yes I can confirm divers are bloody useless. When they come back on the boat they want to visit the bathroom, chat to their buddy, sort their kit whatever.

We record each divers stats. So tank size, mix, pressure and time in. At the end we want to know the time out, max depth, gas pressure out. This requires who ever is doing the stats to chat to each diver.

Everyone gets to do stats but that doesn't mean they think. Nope instead of handing in their stats they go off and do their thing. We use small boats (16-20 PoB max for two nights) so there's not many places to hide. I'll hold my hand up and say I'm just as bad on my own boats. It gets done but not in the most efficient manner. We know if someone's not there or over due on their dive time but we the divers could make it so much easier

On liveaboards I can't recall roll calls - either its been a small group with a DM or there have been set gear positions - some used a tag fixed to your kit for the duration and they physically check each kit is back - which kinda works if you have a dive deck that allows this

But yeah. us divers could make the boat crew's life o whole lot easier

 

[boulderjohn]

It just occurred to me that a memorable incident on ScubaBoard included a skipper's decision not to leave divers behind when he had to have been sorely tempted to do so. The incident took place on a drift dive in Cozumel, with the boat following the bubbles of the divers. Had he left them, they would have surfaced with the DM's DSMB, within sight of the shore, and with the potential to be picked up by another boat alerted by radio.

Why would he had left? Well, he had two groups--the DM and paying customers as well as a group constituted by his boss (the shop owner), her boyfriend, and a DM (fellow employee). That group had attempted a bounce dive to 300 feet, and it had not gone well. The boss and the DM were in obvious early stages of bad DCS and needed to get to the chamber as soon as possible. The skipper wold not leave his divers, though, and eventually the owner died of DCS, and the last I heard, the DM will never walk again.