Perth incident

[Manjula Ellepola]

Quick-thinking Perth diver Nick Burke saves mate Matt Henderson after underwater oxygen drama | The West Australian

 

[tridacna]

This piece must be up for the “2018 most mistakes in one article” award. I’m still wondering what an “oxygen mask” is.

 

[Diver0001]

Good link. Thanks.

 

[KeithG]

Oxygen mask: the video shows that the OOA diver ripping off a full face mask.

My question is why did they make a panic ascent?

 

[Diver0001]

This piece must be up for the “2018 most mistakes in one article” award. I’m still wondering what an “oxygen mask” is.

We're more than used to the press making mistakes in the details.

Watch the video because THAT is a good example of how OOA situations unfold in the real world. If you are an instructor or a diver at any level then put yourself there with these guys..... It's a very instructive bit of video.

R..

 

[Diver0001]

Oxygen mask: the video shows that the OOA diver ripping off a full face mask.

My question is why did they make a panic ascent?

The divers made a couple of mistakes. In my OW course I teach students what I call my ABC rule.

A = air. In an emergency the highest priority is to make sure everyone has a working regulator. They did this.
B = buoyancy. Once everyone has a working regulator then it's time to get back to diving. The divers should get back to a state where nobody is sinking and nobody is making an uncontrolled ascent (these divers missed B)
C = communication. Once everyone has a working regulator and is back to diving THEN we communicate about what to do. These divers started communicating on the surface. That's a little late to my way of thinking.

R..

 

[KeithG]

The divers made a couple of mistakes. In my OW course I teach students what I call my ABC rule.

A = air. In an emergency the highest priority is to make sure everyone has a working regulator. They did this.
B = buoyancy. Once everyone has a working regulator then it's time to get back to diving. The divers should get back to a state where nobody is sinking and nobody is making an uncontrolled ascent (these divers missed B)
C = communication. Once everyone has a working regulator and is back to diving THEN we communicate about what to do. These divers started communicating on the surface. That's a little late to my way of thinking.

R..

Agreed. Once the OOA diver was on his buddy's alternate then the "emergency" is over.

It would be interesting to understand what lead to the OOA. There is a reference to "the air was coming out of his pressure gauge fast". I do not understand how this could this lead to a sudden OOA.

Where other mistakes made which lead to the OOA?

 

[Diver0001]

Agreed. Once the OOA diver was on his buddy's alternate then the "emergency" is over.

It would be interesting to understand what lead to the OOA. There is a reference to "the air was coming out of his pressure gauge fast". I do not understand how this could this lead to a sudden OOA.

Where other mistakes made which lead to the OOA?

True. Avoidance is MUCH better than cure. I have the same questions.

 

[KeithG]

True. Avoidance is MUCH better than cure. I have the same questions.

I am also curious how this could lead to the need for a chamber ride.

I am not a deco diver, so from a rec diver perspective their ascent speed would be similar to a CESA. Have I forgotten something? How does this lead to a chamber ride?

 

[Seaweed Doc]

I am also curious how this could lead to the need for a chamber ride.

I am not a deco diver, so from a rec diver perspective their ascent speed would be similar to a CESA. Have I forgotten something? How does this lead to a chamber ride?

The article mentions an ascent from 30 m and a dive of 30 minutes. That makes me think this was probably a dive requiring deco stops that they missed. I'm assuming their max depth was over 90 feet and they were at depth most of the time.

CESA can get you bent, but the alternative of death by drowning is usually not the preferred choice.