Death of Truk Dive Guide Nuwa

[KathyV]

Truk Stop Hotel & Truk Lagoon Dive Center

We are sad to announce that ‘Nuwa’ one of Truk Lagoon’s most respected and trusted dive guides passed away last night in the local hyperbaric chamber following a dive related incident.


How very sad.

 

[RJP]

Very sad. There is also a condolences thread in the "Passings" forum...

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/passings/506498-truk-lagoon-wreck-diver-guide-nuwa.html#post7407690

 

[Peter69_56]

Anyone yet aware of the circumstances?

 

[Kevrumbo]

(Abridged summary from non-detailed preliminary accounts on Facebook private message):

Nuwa was certified in Advanced Nitrox/Decompression Procedures on Open Circuit Scuba.

He was diving with Rebreather Divers, guiding them for nearly a week.

Friday morning 08 May: Dive on San Francisco Maru (51m average depth), routine deco dive with no problems; the afternoon dive was the Shotan Maru (48m ave). He was with two divers, and they apparently completed their own normally required mandatory deco stops.

Nuwa surfaced and complained of weakness and couldn't climb ladder; Crew & divers helped him into the skiff and he passed out; they cut his wetsuit off and administered oxygen during return boat ride to Truk Stop Hotel Pier, and was rushed to the hospital in & out of consciousness. He was then taken to the recompression chamber and about 3 hours into his treatment he died in the chamber.

 

[RJP]

I hate seeing OC guides anywhere - but especially deep pentration stuff in Truk - guiding RB divers.

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

I hate seeing OC guides anywhere

Why? Just curious - RB guiding on OC I think I understand that.

But isn't an OC guide like a DM that is showing someone the ropes on a reef or artificial reef and making money? I can not imagine that being a bad thing...
Unless you are specifically talking Technical diving and folks that engage in that activity should be qualified to do their own dives?

 

[C Dub]

AN/DP doesn't include trimix? So am I right in assuming he was doing these dives only on air and nitrox ?

 

[Kevrumbo]

(Abridged summary from non-detailed preliminary accounts on Facebook private message):

Nuwa was certified in Advanced Nitrox/Decompression Procedures on Open Circuit Scuba.

He was diving with Rebreather Divers, guiding them for nearly a week.

Friday morning 08 May: Dive on San Francisco Maru (51m average depth), routine deco dive with no problems; the afternoon dive was the Shotan Maru (48m ave). He was with two divers, and they apparently completed their own normally required mandatory deco stops.

Nuwa surfaced and complained of weakness and couldn't climb ladder; Crew & divers helped him into the skiff and he passed out; they cut his wetsuit off and administered oxygen during return boat ride to Truk Stop Hotel Pier, and was rushed to the hospital in & out of consciousness. He was then taken to the recompression chamber and about 3 hours into his treatment he died in the chamber.

The point is that until there is a definitive account on what the precipitating events along with previous dive & medical history were to cause such a grave condition upon surfacing, only a differential diagnosis of DCS/AGE arising from an obscure or unknown cause ("idiopathic") based on the preliminary account summary above can be rendered at this time (i.e. "Rule Out Acute Idiopathic Decompression Sickness/Arterial Gas Embolism within normal recreational technical decompression diving practices).

Anything else beyond that is speculation (Heart PFO? Venous to arterial bloodvessel shunt of inert N2 gas bubble emboli?). The only other diving causes & hyperbaric pathologies that probably can be dismissed are emergency ascent bypassing all deco stops, and/or an Oxygen Toxicity event at depth. . .

 

[RJP]

AN/DP doesn't include trimix? So am I right in assuming he was doing these dives only on air and nitrox ?

Trimix in Truk is a fortune... and while I don't mind spending money on diving, I've never felt the need to dive TMx in nearly 100 dives there. (Including multiple dives on the two wrecks mentioned.)

---------- Post added May 12th, 2015 at 06:49 PM ----------

Why? Just curious - RB guiding on OC I think I understand that.

But isn't an OC guide like a DM that is showing someone the ropes on a reef or artificial reef and making money? I can not imagine that being a bad thing...
Unless you are specifically talking Technical diving and folks that engage in that activity should be qualified to do their own dives?

They are not "showing divers the ropes" they are usually guiding the dive from beginning to end. It's too tempting for a non-RB diver to overstay their welcome at depth.

What happens in Truk is a RB customer says to a guide "On this dive I'd like to drop down to the sand, swim in through the torpedo hole, tour the lower engine room, get a bunch of photos of the air compressor, maybe see the machinists shop, come up to 40m, tour the holds, get some pictures of the shells and torpedos, check out the crew's quarters, look for that carpet anemone, spend some time in the wheelhouse, get a lot of pictures coming up the mast, and then finish the dive on the kingpost...." That customer is not considering that while their RB is giving them the best mix at every depth, the guide is diving 24% until their deco stop. The guide wants a good tip - and has done that dive 1,000 times - so they'll push it.

I'm not saying OC guides shouldn't guide RB divers... just that I get very nervous when I see it.

 

[ajduplessis]

51m on EAN24 in good conditions for the seasoned diver is no biggy IMO. The time spend at 51m is also not long before they start going shallower.

I am not sure the diver in question completed all the required stops, but this is pure speculation. I hope they can retrieve data from his DC or BT?