Exploding scuba tank kills one - Florida

[DandyDon]

From St. Pete man dies after scuba tank explodes | TBO.com

TAMPA A St. Petersburg man died Sunday morning when a scuba tank he was carrying exploded.

The man was carrying the scuba tank to his car at about 6:50 a.m. when it exploded, according to St. Petersburg Fire Rescue Lt. Joel Granata.

The force of the explosion blew out the front door and windows of Apt. 6, located within an apartment complex at 5875 37th Ave. N. The explosion also sent debris flying as far away as 75 feet. Some of that debris blew out the windows of cars parked nearby.

Granata said the man was taken to St. Petersburg General Hospital, and he was confirmed dead shortly after 8 a.m. Granata did not have the man's name.

Two other people were in the apartment when the tank exploded, but were not injured. Granata said those witnesses said the man was carrying the tank to a car, readying for a scuba diving trip today, when it went off.

There were also several other scuba tanks in the apartment.

Investigators will try to determine why this particular tank exploded, Granata said.

 

[ScubaTigress]

Very sad I wonder what actually happened to set of the tank though???

 

[adurso]

That sounds more like a different explosive.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Agreed. Al tanks kinda just split in the weakest spot from the photos I've seen of them going. That sounds more like a bomb. Drop a tank and knock the valve off and it becomes a missile. Steel tanks I don't know if they'd blow like that or not.

 

[fdarden]

I hope we are able to follow up on this and understand what happened. Until then i will be gingerly carrying my HP100's around with a new found respect. Last time I remember hearing about a tank exploding was at our LDS but that was a filling accident. There was a casualty with that accident as well.. Very sad. Condolences to the friends and family of this poor guy.

 

[DMDavid]

I agree, I hope that more information will be available.



FB-Florida Scuba Diver

 

[DandyDon]

Saw a few other stories but the wording of some was really poor about where the explosion happened exactly: inside the apartment, outside, at the car, etc. It seems that he had carried it outside and the explosion blew him back thru the door of the apartment.

Wouldn't it have to be Oxygen to explode like that...??

 

[cool_hardware52]

Saw a few other stories but the wording of some was really poor about where the explosion happened exactly: inside the apartment, outside, at the car, etc. It seems that he had carried it outside and the explosion blew him back thru the door of the apartment.

Wouldn't it have to be Oxygen to explode like that...??

No, there is more than enough energy in the compressed gas alone to do the damage described.

Tobin

 

[Thalassamania]

There's more than enough energy there, when tanks go it is usually one of two ways: either the valve comes out and the the tank turns into a very energetic ballistically unstable projectile or the side of the cylinder rips open an the cylinder turns into a single piece of shrapnel.

 

[DandyDon]

There's more than enough energy there, when tanks go it is usually one of two ways: either the valve comes out and the the tank turns into a very energetic ballistically unstable projectile or the side of the cylinder rips open an the cylinder turns into a single piece of shrapnel.

As poor as the news stories are written, either of those could be the case. Maybe a local dive can find out more for us, specially why it exploded?