Catalina Diver died today w/ Instructor

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Something that popped into my head here is that even with the close proximity to assistance by first class medical and evacuation teams the results of the accident were calamatious.

If I consider our very remote location, at least 130 odd miles from any kind of medical assistance, (and certainly not of the calibre of big city hospitals etc) on a rutted gravel road (3-4 hours driving usually) in the event of an accident, the time to medical help can "turn it" into a calamity. Certainly helicopter evacuation would only be able to happen from the medical facility not on site.

I think maybe divers in general are outdoors type folk who often actively seek remote sites and new areas to explore, and in the event of an emergency this "remoteness" could be an added issue.
Something else to consider, I guess, especially if the diver is still largely inexperienced.

[DandyDon]

I think maybe divers in general are outdoors type folk who often actively seek remote sites and new areas to explore, and in the event of an emergency this "remoteness" could be an added issue.

Certainly true. I know two who would have died had it not been for DAN emergency evacuation benefits, and even then both cases were still close calls.

One was a member of a our group, diving the first day in Cozumel, passed out at the hotel after the third dive. Coz has pretty good medical facilities for divers but she was non-responsive. The next morning, we decided that Hurricane Dean was not going to veer off and the group started breaking up to leave. A plane was sent from Miami, flying around H.Dean to pick her up and get her out on the third or fourth day, returning her to Miami where she remained in ICU for several days. Survived, but it was close.

Later that year, a member of our group on a liveaboard on the far side of the Bahamas had a heart attack on the first days dive. He survived to get back to the boat, but the closet port was Exuma - not approachable until high tide. Luckily a speed boat from a nearby yacht came to our aid and delivered him to the harbor for minimum medical assistance until he could be flown out that night. I never learned why they flew him to Nassau rather than Florida, but he was finally flown to Ft. Lauderdale late the next day. Survived, but it was close.

Neither of these were all that remote, but obstacles came up, things went wrong. I've not dived anywhere but tourist destinations around North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, but the further I get from Miami, Houston, NYC, LA - the more I think about what we can do if caca hits the fan. Much further out and I don't think either of those survivors would still with us. Stay healthy, get check ups, go prepared for the worse.

I've got less than 400 dives but have seen 6 divers leave by ambulance so far.

[Leejnd]

Something that popped into my head here is that even with the close proximity to assistance by first class medical and evacuation teams the results of the accident were calamatious.

If I consider our very remote location, at least 130 odd miles from any kind of medical assistance, (and certainly not of the calibre of big city hospitals etc) on a rutted gravel road (3-4 hours driving usually) in the event of an accident, the time to medical help can "turn it" into a calamity. Certainly helicopter evacuation would only be able to happen from the medical facility not on site.

I think maybe divers in general are outdoors type folk who often actively seek remote sites and new areas to explore, and in the event of an emergency this "remoteness" could be an added issue.
Something else to consider, I guess, especially if the diver is still largely inexperienced.

Your post made me think about the fact that, even with the best possible care for a dive accident available close at hand (the Catalina dive chamber - I've been there, been inside it, and know that it is one of the best chamber facilities around) this diver did not survive. It's chilling.

I've been diving in some pretty remote locations, where competent medical care, much less a chamber, aren't always nearby. Rangiroa, Marquesas Islands, La Bufadora, Bali, and I just got back from Galapagos. When I'm diving in places like that, I have thought to myself that I need to be even MORE careful than usual, and I dive in the most conservative manner possible, because if I push a limit and my body reacts unexpectedly I might not have any nearby options for treatment.

But when I'm diving at home, I often have thought to myself how fortunate I am to know that the BEST dive medicine is right here, close at hand, should something go wrong.

Yet here in this situation, with a diver who I believe (based on the reports I have read in here...note that I don't know this for a fact, just basing this on what I've read) surfaced alive, and yet even with almost immediate and extremely competent dive medicine, did not survive.

It reinforces that I need to not dive any LESS conservatively when I'm home, than I do when I'm somewhere remote. I can't let my known access to chambers and expert treatment lull me in to a false sense of security. Because as this incident seems to illustrate, it doesn't always work.

[Teamcasa]

Moderator's Comments:

Take the PADI training isuue here..

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/adv...padi-joke.html

[Teamcasa]

As the saying goes, practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.

I prefer this version to go along with your's:
"Practice doesn't make perfect. Practice makes permanent."

[Steve50]

I prefer this version to go along with your's:
"Practice doesn't make perfect. Practice makes permanent."

Practice extends temporary...

[Cave Diver]

Moderator's Comments:

Dive injury treatment discussion is here: Dive Injury Treatment-Split from Catalina Diver Death

[neopluredon]

just my 2 cents

i have posted in a different and i think my experience could possibly be the same as with the woman who died. at around 60-70 feet, during a rapid descent i felt i was being drowned by the air emitted by my regulator and my lungs were not relaxed... i thought i was having an asthma attack but never felt my lungs rough nor did it sound like whistling... i hyperventilated but then glad to have enough consciousness to have stopped, ascended a bit, and breathed slowly. my chest felt relaxed after 5 breathes and swam further... at that time, i was about to pus the panic button as i had experienced the worst visibility in my diving life and the worst buddy... i could've shot up by then.

anyway, my condolences to the parties involved

[drbill]

just my 2 cents

i have posted in a different and i think my experience could possibly be the same as with the woman who died. at around 60-70 feet, during a rapid descent i felt i was being drowned by the air emitted by my regulator and my lungs were not relaxed... i thought i was having an asthma attack but never felt my lungs rough nor did it sound like whistling... i hyperventilated but then glad to have enough consciousness to have stopped, ascended a bit, and breathed slowly. my chest felt relaxed after 5 breathes and swam further... at that time, i was about to pus the panic button as i had experienced the worst visibility in my diving life and the worst buddy... i could've shot up by then.

anyway, my condolences to the parties involved

Just so readers of this thread understand where I'm coming from re: speculation, I consider this post to be a positive one in the sense that it offers a possible explanation to the actual situation based on the known facts and is therefore an example of what I feel is informed speculation rather than a WAG.

[merxlin]

..............Tragedies can happen even when no one screws up. ...........

A sad but unfortunate truth.