Semi-Closed Rebreather Death in Cocos

[bubblefree]

Am hearing reports of a semi closed rebreather (Draegar Unit) death on a liveaboard in Cocos Island sometime over the past few weeks. Has anyone heard of the incident and is there any more information?

Thanks

 

[Taxgeek]

Am hearing reports of a semi closed rebreather (Draegar Unit) death on a liveaboard in Cocos Island sometime over the past few weeks. Has anyone heard of the incident and is there any more information?

Thanks

Nope, but now I've got all my ears open! Would it be rude to email the Sea Hunter office? (have been in email contact with them recently)

Taxgeek

 

[jepuskar]

If you have to ask others if your actions my be rude, chances are....they ARE.

What reports? You seem to know specifics, I would hope from good sources...so share the sources.

 

[bubblefree]

Taxgeek, It looks like you are going to Cocos with them. I don't think it would be out of order to find out if they were involved or not. I have dived with the Sea Hunter and was actually very impressed with the safety of their operation, so I am hoping it wasn't them.

Jepuskar, I have no idea if my sources wish to be known or not, so I will presume not. All I know is that there is information that a female died on a liveaboard in Cocos recently and she was using a Draegar SCR. These are UNSUBSTANTIATED reports and as such should not be taken as fact. The source of the information was not on the trip but knows someone who was there.

If this turns out to be true my interest is in finding out details as I would like to go to Cocos in the future and want to ensure that whatever operator I choose has a good safety record and that we learn what happened here to avoid the same mistakes in the future.

 

[DEEPTEK]

Turns out see was revived with CPR and O2. They had to cut the trip short and return early as she was not in stable condition. She entered the water without her supply gas turned on.

 

[random868]

Turns out see was revived with CPR and O2. They had to cut the trip short and return early as she was not in stable condition. She entered the water without her supply gas turned on.

I just returned from a two week trip on the Sea Hunter to both Malpelos and Cocos islands. The trip was an all-rebreather trip, meaning that everyone dove rebreathers most if not all dives. I had heard and discussed the previous weeks accident with the crew of the Sea Hunter. The lady, an excperienced SCR diver, had in fact neglected to turn her air on and upon discovering her mistake performed an emergency ascent. During this ascent she embolized. Unable to treat her on-site, aside from the oxygen and other usual support, they returned to Puntarenas on the mainland, which is 36 hours away. The lady was able to walk off the boat under her own power, but she is still unwell. I don't know the long term prognosis for her and I didn't press the crew for more information.

The Sea Hunter has the most professional crew I have ever had the pleasure of diving with and the entire time I dove with them--under some very challenging conditions--I never worried about my safety or that of the other divers. Keep in mind that Cocos is very advanced diving, while still remaining within recreational limits. Currents are strong and unpredictable and there are big critters (sharks) everywhere (which is why we go ther!). It is not for inexperienced divers and even if you are experienced accidents can happen in those conditions. Matter of fact, another diver on the Aggressor, which was anchored about half a mile away from us, had a heart attack on their second day of diving. They too had to return immediately return to port. It was disheartening to see and hear of so many accidents while we were there.

Regardless of the risks, both islands presented the best diving I have ever done and again, if you dive with the Sea Hunter group, you couldn't be with a more professional outfit.

 

[Taxgeek]

Very good to hear, Random, thank you for posting that.

I hope the woman recovers fully!

Taxgeek

 

[Tom725]

Excuse my ignorance of rebrathers, how deep could she have gone before she realized her air was not on????

 

[BigJetDriver]

Tom,

It is not truly a question of how deep. The loop will insure that you have gas to go in and out of your lungs. The scrubber will keep carbon dioxide build-up from warning you that you have to breathe. As the oxygen level slowly sinks, you just gently go to sleep.

As a precaution, all rebreather divers are warned that you must do a two to three minute pre-breathe on the unit BEFORE you get in the water. During this time, you check your read-outs for ppO2 level. If there is a problem, and you don't check your read-outs, it is easier for us to help you when you go face down in the gunnel, as opposed to face down on the reef.

This is very tragic. I hope the lady recovers fully and completely.

 

[Charlie99]

It is not truly a question of how deep. The loop will insure that you have gas to go in and out of your lungs. The scrubber will keep carbon dioxide build-up from warning you that you have to breathe. As the oxygen level slowly sinks, you just gently go to sleep.

As a precaution, all rebreather divers are warned that you must do a two to three minute pre-breathe on the unit BEFORE you get in the water. During this time, you check your read-outs for ppO2 level.

Although Draeger sells an optional ppO2 meter, the Draeger semi-closed rebreathers I've seen didn't have a ppO2 readout. I guess the only indications a diver would get is that they wouldn't get the periodic bubbles that come out when the counterlung hits max on exhalation; or if they went deep enough that the counterlung volume hit bottom during an inhale, the demand reg wouldn't supply a burst of gas.

I wouldn't trust my life to a little pinhole orifice with no gauges to monitor, but a lot of divers do.