Woman rescued near San Clemente Island - California

[Power Scuba]

Was she a drysuit diver? Makes me wonder if her neck seal was too tight.

No, Tracy, she was a wet suit diver. Her hood was probably well-fitted as well as she had dove with it multiple dives on prior trips.

I wonder if the blood/foam escaping could have been from a mild lung over expansion?

No report of a lung over-expansion from UCSD Hillcrest to the patient... and yes, I can't believe they would have released her the next day if there was any indication of an over-expansion. One witness who saw her going down reported "dance-like moves" from her in the first atmosphere (which caused said witness to believe the victim was just "fooling around". (I now believe this was the victim in the throes of drowning.) The same witness said the victim suddenly went limp, rag-doll-like, and adopted a head-down position until she struck the bottom head-first.

When she was brought aboard the dive boat she was bleeding heavily from her mouth, which caused me to initially believe it could be an over-expansion situation. In retrospect, I believe this blood was caused by her hitting the bottom headfirst. (Lung over-expansion should have caused pinkish, frothy blood, yes? Hers was dark red.)

As for the unconsciousness, I have a few ideas. Seizure, neck seal too tight causing a vagal episode ( decreased blood pressure), and an arrythmia, which could have corrected itself quickly so that it wouldn't be seen on EKG.

No one knows if she lost consciousness on the swim step and fell in before she was ready, came-to underwater and drowned -or- if she entered the water with an empty BC (and perhaps no reg in her mouth), immediately went down, panicked, and drowned, -or- something else. As I've mentioned before, no one saw her at the exact moment she went into the water (though there were people around), so unless she ever regains memory of that time window, we may never know exactly what happened.

Thanks for your thoughts!

Bill

 

[T.C.]

When she was brought aboard the dive boat she was bleeding heavily from her mouth, which caused me to initially believe it could be an over-expansion situation. In retrospect, I believe this blood was caused by her hitting the bottom headfirst. (Lung over-expansion should have caused pinkish, frothy blood, yes? Hers was dark red.)

One thing I've learned from combat is that head wounds bleed like crazy. Dark blood indicates veinous blood, not a lung injury.

unless she ever regains memory of that time window, we may never know exactly what happened.

Thanks to your club, we have the chance to hear her side. Anywhere else, this would just be a Lessons for Life article.

 

[Power Scuba]

FOLLOWUP: Here is an article covering the incident currently featured in Alert Diver Online and Alert Diver magazine: Click here for the article

Bill

 

[jake11]

Thank God for a positive outcome!

 

[Storker]

I'm a little confused. The initial report was about a 40-year woman. The article in Alert Diver Online apparently has a man figuring as the victim.

Assuming it's the same incident (the course of events are similar), has this been done to further anonymize the victim? Or are there other reasons?

 

[Power Scuba]

Assuming it's the same incident (the course of events are similar), has this been done to further anonymize the victim?

Yes, Storker.