San Diego Dive Fatality 9-29-09

[crispix]

Second incident this week -- just saw this on SDNN:

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SAN DIEGO (CNS) - Lifeguards searched for a missing scuba diver off the coast of Point Loma for about an hour today before finding him, lifeless and missing his breathing apparatus, about 65 feet underwater, authorities reported.

The 26-year-old man was diving from a charter boat with five other people in the ocean west of Sunset Cliffs when he somehow got separated from his scuba equipment and his companions about 12:30 p.m., city lifeguard Lt. Andy Lerum said.

A Coast Guard vessel and lifeguard divers went to the area and searched for the missing man, and the underwater team found him shortly after 1:30 p.m., Lerum said.

They brought the diver, who had no vital signs, to the surface and performed CPR while transporting him to the city’s lifeguard headquarters on Mission Bay.

The lifesaving attempts were continuing after the personnel got the man to the Quivira Basin station, Lerum said.

The victim’s name was not immediately available.

Read more: Scuba diver found dead off Point Loma

 

[Texasdivechick]

That sucks. Having never dived off the Cali coast, I have no idea about the conditions at the reported dive site.
Question: How does a diver become "separated from his scuba equipment?" I can understand if a mask or fin was missing, but his regs, tank, BC????

 

[VooDooGasMan]

i've seen mike nelson get seperated from his gear several times in those waters

happy diving

 

[AfterDark]

It always makes me wonder why divers take off their BC's? Even with an empty tank the BC can be inflated orally. Even in a OOA situation the BC can be used to help get to the surface and keep a diver afloat after they get there.

 

[Teamcasa]

More from:
Diver Dies Off Sunset Cliffs | NBC San Diego

Rescuers were called out on Tuesday afternoon to find a missing diver, but they were too late to save him, officials said.
A distress call was picked up from a charter dive vessel out of Mission Bay about 12:30 p.m. Dive teams quickly assembled and rescuers began searching above and below the water a mile off the Point Loma natural landmark.
"The story was that one of the divers onboard D&D came to the surface, somehow became disconnected with his dive tank and then submerged and went missing," said San Diego City Lifeguard Lt. Andy Lerum.
The diver was brought back to the surface, and he was rushed by boat to a dock in the Quivira Basin, where emergency responders could be seen performing CPR, to no avail.
Lifeguards said the victim may be just 26 years old, but there are other reports that he was 47 years old.

 

[crispix]

I have no idea what happened or if this is even relevant, but I've dived from small boats like zodiacs and pangas where I have had to remove my BC before getting back into the boat, and the order of things is super important: keep reg in mouth, inflate BC, remove weights, put weights in boat. Attach BC to boat (with clips, etc.), remove BC. Make sure you are buoyant without BC, then remove reg from mouth. Keep fins on and kick up into the boat.

Removing a BC while still wearing a weight belt is a scary thought.

 

[fisheater]

From that brief description posted above, it sounds like it could be a case of a panicked diver reaching the surface and, while still in panic mode, rejecting equipment. MOF on steroids.

 

[ItsBruce]

My guess would have been that the diver removed his bcd to get into the boat but failed to remove his weights. That would explain (1) why he was separated from his gear, and (2) why he sank. (If he was wearing a wetsuit, he would have floated pretty well unless he was also wearing weight.) However, if the boat was a 5 person charter, I'm not clear why he might have needed to remove gear to board. In any event, very sad.

 

[Texasdivechick]

Well, I guess I learn something new everyday. I've never had to remove anything other than fins when boarding a boat. Not speculating that this is what happened but it's something that I've never even thought about before. Regardless if this is the case or not it's something I will remember it if I ever need to follow this type of procedure. I hope we find out more information soon.

 

[bane51031]

Possibly had an entanglement and removed? Hard too say curious here....