Living and Dying and Diving

[halocline]

meaning that you don't have a choice to live beyond that day, and scuba diving would be a romantic way to go.

Yeah sure, drowning and suffocating sounds real romantic. Geez......

People very occasionally die in diving accidents, it's a horrible thing, leave it at that.

 

[TMHeimer]

Not to make light at all of those who have perished while diving but.... Forgive me for saying that IMHO this is a pretty silly subject. Of course--drowning is probably at least ONE of the worst ways to go. How many others can we think of offhand? I don't believe I am at all prone to suicidal tendencies (at least not presently--I suppose anyone can be-- given the right circumstances), but I figure there are probably a lot easier ways to end one's life than drowning, jumping off a bridge or shooting one's self.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

... most people who die while diving are not committing suicide ... at least, not intentionally. And although drowning is the ultimate cause of death, the circumstances leading to that drowning are varied. Some folks go unconscious first ... rebreather divers whose O2 level falls too low, for example. That's a pretty peaceful way to go. Others know for a rather long time that they're going to die ... people lost in caves or other overheads who know they're going to run out of air before they get out. Depending on the personality of the diver, that can be a terrifyingly slow way to die. For the recreational diver, perhaps the most common event leading up to drowning is panic ... a loss of ability to rationally address the problem that ultimately leads to death. I can't imagine that's a very pleasant way to go.

In almost all of these cases, the death was easily preventable ... if the diver had maintained an awareness of what was going on that ultimately led to the problem that caused it, or had made better decisions either before or during the dive.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Randy g]

I lost a good friend and tech dive buddy last July while on a shallow dive with my wife and I. He jumped 3rd and was supposed to follow Kate. He never showed up at the anchor and must have had either a heart attack or stroke upon jumping in. Drowning is the reason due to medical complications. The family never released the autopsy report info. Bad part about the whole thing is the family (non divers) blamed me even though he was a totally redundant, doubles, bailout, ect, solo diver, good part was he did not suffer more than a minute or two before passing. Compared to something like cancer and the long road to death from it, drowning isn't that bad a way to go imho.

 

[ScubaSteve1962]

Being one of those that made the statement that if I had to die I'd rather it be doing something that I love. When I wake up in the morning I'm not thinking about 1001 Ways To Die but rather how to enjoy the rest of my life, which may be over in next minute, or the next 50 years! This thread kind of reminds me of a sermon I once heard. (The deacon asked the pastor if today was your last day on earth, what would you do. The pastor described what he would do on that day. The deacon replied "but pastor that's one of your typical days" The pastor replied "that's right because today could be my last day, I don't know that so I'm going to live everyday to enjoy it!") That being said, yes it would be nice to say goodbye to your love ones on your last day, so do it every chance you get because one of those times is going to be the last! When I go diving I have know plans to run out of air, but it happens, I have know plans to get lost in a cave, but it happens, I also could have an aneurysm , a heart attack, (these things do happen to healthy people). Look at all the people that hate their job, but die on the job, or on their way to it. I can't speak for others. but since I'm okay with death, I don't think I would panic if I ran out of air, or got lost in a cave. I would be trying my damnedest to make it to the surface, I wouldn't give up until the last breath, but panicking would not help the situation.

---------- Post added January 26th, 2013 at 09:32 AM ----------

I lost a good friend and tech dive buddy last July while on a shallow dive with my wife and I. He jumped 3rd and was supposed to follow Kate. He never showed up at the anchor and must have had either a heart attack or stroke upon jumping in. Drowning is the reason due to medical complications. The family never released the autopsy report info. Bad part about the whole thing is the family (non divers) blamed me even though he was a totally redundant, doubles, bailout, ect, solo diver, good part was he did not suffer more than a minute or two before passing. Compared to something like cancer and the long road to death from it, drowning isn't that bad a way to go imho.

Sorry for your loss, but what was their reasoning behind the blame?

 

[razorbackdiver]

While I also understand the sentiment behind "dying while diving as something you loved doing" I also think it's a strange thought. The people on the boat or shore will not have a good day. Your buddy or possibly crew may wonder what they could have done better to try to save you. You may not be found. All kind of problems with dying while diving. Much better to go peacefully while you sleep after a very long life, well past the time you eventually have quit diving.

I hope that no matter how I die, the people around me do not consider it a good day. But that's just me.

 

[oldschoolto]

When I go...I'm gone, It's the people that I leave behind knowing that I lived a FULL life filled with love and adventure...

Little story... When I was 9-10 years old I mowed the lawn of a old guy down the street... Half way done He would bring out lemonade and a snack.. We'd talk about stuff... I heard way to many times from him, If or Should have or I wanted too... At that point in life, All of 10 yrs old, I made a promise to myself that I would NEVER not do something that I wanted to... I don't have a bucket list...

This poem says it all...

Some men roam the heavens... And some men sail the seas... BUT MOST MEN, sit by the fireside wishing they were free...

Jim...

 

[Rhone Man]

If I was going to commit suicide I would probably do it by diving, partly because I love it and partly because it would look like a convincing accident preventing any fuss over my life insurance policies. I wouldn't do it by drowning though - at least not ostensibly - I would just go deep, deep and deeper on air and by about 300 feet I'd be so narced I'd just slip into oblivion.

But I agree with Bob's basic sentiment: for most deaths whilst diving I suspect it was a deeply terrifying and very unpleasant experience. I remember reading in one of Gary Gentile's books a quip from a wreck diver's funeral, where a husband says to his wife: If I die whilst diving, for God's sake don't let some idiot say "at least he died doing something he loved - I'll have died in a cold, dark hole, absolutely terrified!"

 

[billt4sf]

If I die doing something I love doing, I guarantee you I can think of a better one than diving.

And probably a greater chance of dying while doing it! Esp. if there are lots of candles on the birthday cake, and not much in the way of recent vigorous exercise. (I am thinking of Nelson Rockefeller. )

 

[DivemasterDennis]

Debbie and I have addressed and resolved this issue by planning our funeral arrangements to include the interment of our ashes in an artificial reef off the coast of Florida. But before that occurs we hope to have many many more years of safe and incident free diving. There is no need to tempt fate through poor planning or macabre thoughts of death. We each know we will rest in the sea we love, in a safe and non-polluting fashion. On the other hand, sometimes the "sirens of the deep" do seem to want me to just descend and never stop.....
DivemasterDennis