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Accidents and IncidentsThis forum is for the discussion of diving Accidents and Incidents. Please read the message at the top of the forum before posting threads or responses. Memorial threads can be posted in the Passings forum.
Please note: The last reply in this thread was more than 5 month(s) ago.
A tragedy to his family, for sure. My condolences go out to them. Let's take a look at what this event really says, however. In our "instant gratification" society, this loss should hardly be a surprise. The "thrill" of watching baited or chummed in sharks is easily outshone by that of seeing one in its natural environment, behaving in a natural way. That's not all that hard to achieve as a scuba diver- and if it's a stellar photo you seek, put in your time! Baiting bears and then "harvesting" them from a tree stand is a far different achievement from a stalk hunt on foot. One is target practice and the other is a time honored practice requiring great skill and dedication. When will folks realize that these "experience" situations only cheat them of a real experience with lasting value?
A tragedy to his family, for sure. My condolences go out to them. Let's take a look at what this event really says, however. In our "instant gratification" society, this loss should hardly be a surprise. The "thrill" of watching baited or chummed in sharks is easily outshone by that of seeing one in its natural environment, behaving in a natural way. That's not all that hard to achieve as a scuba diver- and if it's a stellar photo you seek, put in your time! Baiting bears and then "harvesting" them from a tree stand is a far different achievement from a stalk hunt on foot. One is target practice and the other is a time honored practice requiring great skill and dedication. When will folks realize that these "experience" situations only cheat them of a real experience with lasting value?
To each his own! Thank god we live in free world where you do it your way and someone else will do it theirs, unless your one of those my way or no way? But until some AH politician makes it against the law, dive at your own risk!
I think the vast majority of photographers and videographers I have run into on charter boats, would much rather find an avenue like Abernethy's, where there is a predictable liklihood of some great shark shots in a given day or week--versus the "old fashioned way"--diving thousands of dives to get just one or two close up shots of a big shark......the fact is, there could be a majority of these "shooters" who would never come close to getting the shots they wanted, if not for an Abernethy type charter.
Should they be forced to shoot shark photos at Sea World? Should they go out on dive charters with spearfisherman, hoping that this more old fashioned form of attracting sharks will be seen as more politically correct? Should a law be enacted to save them from themselves?
Personally, if I want to see sharks, it will be on a deep wreck or reef, where they naturally occur because of the big fish there--and no chumming on chumsickle would be used---but in a world where some "moralistic simpleton" thinks that it is OK to protect divers from themselves by outlawing chumsickle dives, then it may be just a small jump for them to decide scuba diving is too dangerous, and that it should be disallowed as well.
Divers need to think for themselves. This is NOT a legislative issue.
This member has said "Thank you." to DanLVolker for this useful post:
Just a quick fact check on what I've gleaned so far from various news reports:
Who: 49-year old Markus Groh
Site: The End of the Map (Bahamas, 5 mi N of Great Isaac)
Depth: 75 ft
Shark: Bull (although without an authoritative source it could have been a misidentified reef shark)
Incident: Bite on calf
Cause of Death: Unknown
One uncorroborated source claims pulmonary edema from rapid ascent post-incident.
==============================
75 feet is a bit deep for a typical shark encounter dive. Anyone know what kind of dive "End of the Map" is?
Last edited by deco_martini; February 26th, 2008 at 02:42 AM.
Cause of Death: DCS, pulmonary edema from rapid ascent post-incident
Has this really been ascertained? I read it might be a possibility, but I have not seen a news report saying he died from a free ascent. I don't think this is a "fact" at this point.
Sounds like the shark didn't do it and maybe the rescue did? Panic kills! Hard choices means the opportunity to make the wrong one is much greater! Even more a matter of choice and self responsibility! We have lost Astronauts and we still go to space by choice! Man will always be man by meeting dangerous challenges for the shake of discovery!
What is it with the Bulls in the Bahamas and calves?
I'm sorry to hear it was pulmonary edema from a panicked (?) ascent, only because it makes the death seem avoidable for some reason...
Uh, you know of others than this one case?
A bite to a calf could be serious, but survivable I'd think. But I don't know much about the artery in that part of the leg - and we don't really know much about this accident.
Quote:
Originally Posted by johnspierce
Has this really been ascertained? I read it might be a possibility, but I have not seen a news report saying he died from a free ascent. I don't think this is a "fact" at this point.
If so, I missed it...
75 ft does sound deep for a shark attack??
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A bite on the calf could still kill. The femoral artery goes all the way down to the feet. Does anyone have a link to a news article saying it was the ascent?
A bite on the calf could still kill. The femoral artery goes all the way down to the feet. Does anyone have a link to a news article saying it was the ascent?
JP
There are several articles linked on wetpixel with pulmonary edema/embolism listed as the cause of death.
But until some AH politician makes it against the law, dive at your own risk!
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