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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.
The following incident took place today (June 3) at Tunnel Wall near Nassau on Stuart Cove's boat White Bunjie.
At approximately 10:45 am, a female diver was observed descending the wall, which drops from a 35' reef depth to an estimated 6,000'. A dive master retained by the diver/husband attempted to stop her descent at approximately 100', and was seen pushing the DM away and continuing her descent.
An Instructor was alerted and descended to a depth of approximately 170', where he could see a bubble line starting below him. When everyone returned to the boat there were additional underwater searches conducted by Stuart Cove DM/Instructors, and surface searches by unaffiliated DM/Rescue Divers on the boat.
After the requisite debriefing and completeing of witness statements some three hours later, there was still no rescue or recovery of the missing diver. I would estimate the female involved was in her late fourties or early fifties, was not overweight, and appeared in good physical shape. I have no history on her diving background.
Please keep the missing diver, her husband, family and friends in the San Francisco Bay area, the DM and Instructor involved in the initial search, and those involved in subsequent rescue activities in your thoughts.
Out of respect for those involved, names are not being provided. I am sure this information will be released publicly by local officials.
Dan
These 11 members have said "Thank you." to danclem for this useful post:
Our thoughts are with the victim's family and friends. Please provide additional information as it becomes available in case there is anything we can learn from it to reduce the likelihood of similar occurrences.
The following incident took place today (June 3) at Tunnel Wall near Nassau on Stuart Cove's boat White Bunjie.
At approximately 10:45 am, a female diver was observed descending the wall, which drops from a 35' reef depth to an estimated 6,000'. A dive master retained by the diver/husband attempted to stop her descent at approximately 100', and was seen pushing the DM away and continuing her descent.
An Instructor was alerted and descended to a depth of approximately 170', where he could see a bubble line starting below him. When everyone returned to the boat there were additional underwater searches conducted by Stuart Cove DM/Instructors, and surface searches by unaffiliated DM/Rescue Divers on the boat.
After the requisite debriefing and completeing of witness statements some three hours later, there was still no rescue or recovery of the missing diver. I would estimate the female involved was in her late fourties or early fifties, was not overweight, and appeared in good physical shape. I have no history on her diving background.
Please keep the missing diver, her husband, family and friends in the San Francisco Bay area, the DM and Instructor involved in the initial search, and those involved in subsequent rescue activities in your thoughts.
Out of respect for those involved, names are not being provided. I am sure this information will be released publicly by local officials.
Dan
I definitely want to know more about that statement above. Can you shed any light on who said it...and what they meant by it?
A pretty good guess, which is what we are all doing until more facts come out.
100' on a nice wall in clear water not uncommon - it's where I like to be.....
I and many others I am sure will be keeping an eye on this thread as we learn more.
Thoughts and prayers to the Husband, family and friends.
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Friendship...having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them out, just as they are - chaff and grain together - certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping and with the breath of kindness blow away the rest.
"You realize you just became a target for the internet version of the scuba police who will descry your diving practices, your gear, and your personal life. They will proceed to point out your diving faults and your faults as a person." Adurso
Dunno. I recently learned in another thread that a quick bounce dive to 200' to recover a diver is no problem for an instructor that's been in tropical location for more than 6 months...
Today, June 4, involved providing more formal statements. I also asked if there was any up-date on the missing diver, and as of noon today she is still reported missing. I understand from a fellow who gave me a lift back to my hotel that this morning's Bahamian radio news carried a brief report about the incident.
Alohagal- two or three divers apparently witnessed the DM attempting to get the female diver pointed in the correct direction (I was not among them). One was diving with his wife, who was having sinus problems and trouble clearing. He alerted others so he could keep an eye on his wife.
What? Stuart Cove's putting people in the water without the proper bouyancy control and inattentive dive masters...no way! Oh wait, I have video proof of that although it is of a diver either unable to sink, or the DM thought it best to make them positively bouyant and just tow them around as I know for certain that the group or at least 2 people in that group on my video were having issues in their pool training.
Don't get me wrong, as can been seen in my other thread, I've had both good and bad experiences with them in the same trip. So it depends on which instructor/DM you get, as I'm sure is common with a lot of ops.
Soooo, I won't even speculate what happened in this case, I can tell you with absolute certainty that they (Stuart Cove's) will allow new/uncertified divers near that wall. Been there....done that! And in my other thread, the one where my son was low on air and I surfaced with him because the DM was to far ahead....yeah, that was the wall location! But in all fairness, he was not led or allowed to decend that wall, just swim along the edge of it. However, his friend that was with us and also not certified, did crest the edge of that wall before I and the DM motioned to him to return to the top of the wall. That I do not have video proof of because in my log book it say's "always verify equipment before diving" as I had put my batteries in my camera wrong.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not speculating what happened in this case or that anybody did anything wrong, just saying that I know and have experienced first hand that this operation has some issues/protocal/staff to address.
My best to all those involved and truely hope that the cause of this incident weren't due to circumstances similar to those I experienced.
Steve
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My fear of death is nothing compared to my fear of not living!
although it is of a diver either unable to sink, or the DM thought it best to make them positively bouyant and just tow them around as I know for certain that the group or at least 2 people in that group on my video were having issues in their pool training.
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