Student dead, Lake Norfork, Arkansas
- Thread starter DustyC
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drrich2
Contributor
Interesting, Dusty. From the article you linked:
"Montgomery said in a news release that Malone was among several divers undergoing training with instructor Todd Reed of Jonesboro when the group descended to about 100 feet.
Montgomery says Malone apparently then became confused and swam toward the bottom of the lake. Reed then went after Malone, reaching him at nearly 180 feet below water and bringing him to the surface."
Well, if the group descended to about 100 feet, it wasn't a basic OW or Discover Scuba Diving course. The man was 46, and it reads like he swam toward the bottom, rather than passed out & sank. It was a lake in a temperate climate, inland state so at that depth I'd think it'd be quite cold.
No way to know for sure; I'm guessing narcosis, heading too deep, then...what? Running out of air? Complications of rapid ascent?
Richard.
"Montgomery said in a news release that Malone was among several divers undergoing training with instructor Todd Reed of Jonesboro when the group descended to about 100 feet.
Montgomery says Malone apparently then became confused and swam toward the bottom of the lake. Reed then went after Malone, reaching him at nearly 180 feet below water and bringing him to the surface."
Well, if the group descended to about 100 feet, it wasn't a basic OW or Discover Scuba Diving course. The man was 46, and it reads like he swam toward the bottom, rather than passed out & sank. It was a lake in a temperate climate, inland state so at that depth I'd think it'd be quite cold.
No way to know for sure; I'm guessing narcosis, heading too deep, then...what? Running out of air? Complications of rapid ascent?
Richard.
The Chairman
Chairman of the Board
"Several" and "100 ft" should never be in the same sentence.
diver 85
Contributor
drrich2
Contributor
Did a little Googling; I think the instructor is on staff (listed as a Master Scuba Diver Trainer) with J&T Dive Shop in Arkansas. I was curious as to range of classes they teach. A quick look at the site shows a range of usual recreational classes (e.g.: AOW, Rescue Diver), but the About Us page mentions "We are able to teach people from open water through Assistant Instructor, with a wide array of specialties mixed in there as well."
My purpose in looking this up was to get some idea what range of classes they teach. They're a PADI 5 Star Center, and the PADI AOW course includes a deep dive up to 100 feet deep. I don't want this post to come off as accusatory in any way; my sympathies to the instructor and dive shop, as this tragedy will weigh heavily on them, too.
If the instructor was flown to a hospital and placed in a decompression chamber, I'm guessing the ascent from the substantial depth of rescue may've been rather fast by necessity.
Which brings up a question about common practices. If a diver sees another head to great depth, let's say close to 180 feet deep, and the diver rushes down, grabs the guy & has to bring him up fast, what are the criteria for sending the rescuing diver to a decompression chamber? Is this ever done as a preventive measure, or only when the diver is actively symptomatic?
Richard.
My purpose in looking this up was to get some idea what range of classes they teach. They're a PADI 5 Star Center, and the PADI AOW course includes a deep dive up to 100 feet deep. I don't want this post to come off as accusatory in any way; my sympathies to the instructor and dive shop, as this tragedy will weigh heavily on them, too.
If the instructor was flown to a hospital and placed in a decompression chamber, I'm guessing the ascent from the substantial depth of rescue may've been rather fast by necessity.
Which brings up a question about common practices. If a diver sees another head to great depth, let's say close to 180 feet deep, and the diver rushes down, grabs the guy & has to bring him up fast, what are the criteria for sending the rescuing diver to a decompression chamber? Is this ever done as a preventive measure, or only when the diver is actively symptomatic?
Richard.
drrich2
Contributor
P.S.: Quick note on deductive reasoning. Article indicated the Instructor's name & city. Per Wikipedia per 2010 Census, city has 71,551 people. J&T Dive Shop is located in that city & state, has an instructor on staff with that same name, and the website indicates they dive the lake where this took place. So I can't definitively confirm the above info. applies, but I believed the circumstantial evidence sufficient to justify my post. Odds of a medium city in an inland, fairly rural state having more than one scuba instructor with that name seemed low to me, but let's allow for the possibility.
Bob DBF
Contributor
Just with a profile like that I would bet he was not asymptomatic. There would be no reason to start treatment without symptoms.
NDL at 180' is 5 min, timed from surface to depth to time of ascent. Considering it was a class, my guess it was a slow decent with an unknown time to and at 100' before the transient to 180'. In addition, if the ascent was made faster than the prescribed rate the chances of bends increase.
If dives were made prior to the incident they could increase chances as well.
Bob
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The class being taught was a PADI Deep Diver specialty. As usual, the news reports don't have all of the details and some of what they reported is incorrect.
There were 2 students, the instructor, and an assistant instructor on the dive.
There were 2 students, the instructor, and an assistant instructor on the dive.
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