Wilmington Incident - 16 Oct

[Black Jack]

We were out on the water yesterday nearby, heard the radio traffic with the Flying Fish, and saw the Coast Guard arrive. We simply did not know who the diver was or what the final outcome was. A very sad day and I'll say a prayer for the family.

Ed

 

[Grish]

Does anyone have any links to news articles to confirm this? That is very sad indeed...

Been with her family and friends since yesterday. Consider this confirmation. Devastating loss.

 

[Scubasw]

Here's the article. Second diver dies in area off the Wrightsville Beach coast | StarNewsOnline.com.

My condolences to her family and friends having just lost my friend 2 days before on the same site.

 

[RonFrank]

Absolutely no info on this accident. However these are deeper dives 100+ feet. Amy was an owner of the dive Op, so I assume an accomplished diver. She reportedly ran out of air at 110'. This is speculation, or hearsay, but fits what little I have read. We may never learn more depending.

My thoughts go out to family and friends.

 

[BethW]

These were two great diving friends of ours both with wide experience. I have been diving at this location with the Flying Fish and we would have to dig a 5-10 foot hole in the sand to get past 105'.
Speculations are a rumorous indignations,

 

[RonFrank]

From the Starnews.

"Mellor said dives searching for that type of fossil usually take divers to depths of more than 100 feet. An autopsy report on her cause of death is expected mid-week.

On Thursday afternoon, 59-year-old Donald Zantop, a veterinarian from Maryland, also died in the same area after a 70-minute dive. An autopsy concluded the cause of his death was an air embolism, or an air bubble trapped in a blood vessel."

Feel free to add any facts. 105' vs. 110' feet is not much of a stretch as tides can do that easily. Like I said, this is what I read, and may be incorrect.

 

[Grish]

Absolutely no info on this accident. However these are deeper dives 100+ feet. Amy was an owner of the dive Op, so I assume an accomplished diver. She reportedly ran out of air at 110'. This is speculation, or hearsay, but fits what little I have read. We may never learn more depending.

My thoughts go out to family and friends.

Amy was alone at the time that something - we don't know what - happened that caused her to bail out of her gear and come up. We know she headed back to the anchor with plenty of air, and last seen she was close to the anchor line and not in distress. Then there's a gap.

I'm hesitant to give more than that out of respect to her loved ones. I can say that the people who tried their best to keep her alive were people who loved her dearly and I know without a doubt that there isn't a thing they could have done differently to have a different result.

I'll miss her terribly, but my heart is broken for her husband and kids.

 

[rlskill1]

This is terrible! I heard part of the call on ch16 yesterday! I had hoped for better news.

 

[Hatul]

70 minute dive to 100 feet would require a deco stop even with Nitrox and preplanning the gas supply. Was the veterinarian diving doubles?

 

[ahava]

70 minute dive to 100 feet would require a deco stop even with Nitrox and preplanning the gas supply. Was the veterinarian diving doubles?

There is a post (Fatality off Bald Head) that has all that info. But yes, He was a experienced tech diver.