Incident at Dutch Springs 21 May

[scawt]

Unconscious diver surfaces and is taken away in ambulance while medics were performing CPR and using an AED.
Does anyone have any more info on this incident?
Thanks
Scott



Mods. Please add this to my initial post. I cant. Thanks

Here are two articles based on the accident at dutch springs. Could you please add these to your your topic for everyone to see on the 1st page or close this one and reopen a new topic with these at the top for everyone to see that is interested in thr article so they need not scan through 5 pages of post's speculating.

Thanks

http://hellertown.patch.com/articles/dutch-springs-fatality-under-investigation

http://easton.patch.com/articles/boy-16-dead-after-diving-at-dutch-springs-saturday

 

[Rescue Diver68]

Information told to me by someone who was there:

21 yr old diving with his father OOA at the airplane. Surfaced on dad's octo. Could not stay at surface and sank under. No pulse, no breathing.

 

[iztok]

Oh no ditching the weights is hard to practice but it is important to remember.

 

[scawt]

Thanks. We were there and kept hearing conflicting information on site. Just wanted to see if anyone had verified information.
We were told he was 16, was at the base of the island by the plane at 60 ft but ascended via the plane but did not take his dads octo and was basically a cesa. All hearsay and not verified.

He went back under after surfacing and his father went back under to get him. We saw that much.
We saw most of the rescue but dont have details if what happened under the water.
Wondering how it turned out after the ambulance left. They left with sirens blazing so I hope that is a good sign.
Any other info?

Scott

 

[divenutny]

I heard later yesterday, indirectly from his dad, he did not survive. My condolenances to his family. I understood he was 16, not 21. ****ty end to a good day.

 

[coach_izzy]

Wow! Terribly sad news. I love Dutch Springs and it was one of favorite hangout places when I lived in the East Coast and the weather forced boats to cancel trips (quite ofter may I add).

If I'm not mistaken, the airplane (the cesna) was at 30 feet, has it been moved?

Regardless, it is irrelevant now and my condolences to the family.

 

[Scott L]

Oh no ditching the weights is hard to practice but it is important to remember.

Yep. Also, orally injecting gas into the BCD. Probaly over-weighted if so negative while OOA...

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Another thing that is vital in many such scenarios is the ability of the buddy to support a diver at the surface while they or the buddy dumps the divers weights. How many of you were taught this vital skill in OW class? A drowning occurred at Dutch two years ago because a diver had an issue at the surface and for whatever reason could not dump their weights. Even more tragic was that the buddy did not know how, did not know how to support a diver at the surface, was not taught this basic rescue skill in their OW class and as a result was trying to hold the diver up by her octo. She drowned 4ft from the surface.

I'd also like to know what conditions were and how far away was the divers buddy. Just got home from teaching an UW Nav class and conducting a buoyancy and trim workshop with another diver. Water temp - 60 -65, depths to 19 ft, vis 2-4 feet clear, shadows at 5 -7 ft, nothing beyond that. Number of dives over the weekend -6, number of separations - 0. Usual position of buddy pairs -elbow to elbow or maybe an arm length in the better spots. Had the vis been a lot better position would have been no more than two arm lengths (3-5 feet).

 

[jar546]

Was there until late afternoon, heard, nor saw anything about this. Nothing in the local online newspapers or tv stations. I hope this is nothing more than here-say.

 

[CharlesFoster00]

I had just come out of the water when this occurred. I can't vouch for the current condition of the victim, but he was taken away in an ambulance. The incident occurred shortly before 4pm. I did hear several things second-hand, and they seem generally consistent with the narrative that's evolving in this thread. My sympathies and prayers go out to all involved.