Diver missing at Cove 2, West Seattle
- Thread starter Gdog
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I really don't understand why the police closed the coves to divers. We could've put sufficient talent in the water to find this guy ... or his body. Instead they closed the cove and suspended the search because it got dark. Haven't these guys ever heard of dive lights? Sheesh ... by morning, this fellow's body could be a mile from the scene, in 300 feet of water.
It's a recovery effort ... not a crime scene. Let people who are qualified to do so help! Lord knows we've got enough of 'em frequenting Cove 2 on a daily basis ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
It's a recovery effort ... not a crime scene. Let people who are qualified to do so help! Lord knows we've got enough of 'em frequenting Cove 2 on a daily basis ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
OP
Gdog
Contributor
Agreed. There may have been sufficient number of skilled divers to at least help locate at the site when it occurred.
My guess is that they don't want to be involved in trying to decide who is actually competent to search. But it is a shame . . . we have trained trimix divers who would be happy to help, with good lights, and the ability to maintain the visibility for further searching, AND scooters. This reminds me of when Michael Kane's crew retrieved the bodies from the sunken boat off the LA coast -- there is some talent and experience available around here that actually exceeds what the "official" divers can muster.
Coast Guard, crews search for missing West Seattle diver - KCPQ
They have found the body and are now recovering it.
They have found the body and are now recovering it.
lamont
Contributor
The seattle fire dive team were operating off of incorrect info and was searching in the wrong area. They believed the last time he was seen was around 50 feet, and he was found significantly deeper.
I believe they dropped 3 teams in the water for 2 dives, and called it on nitrogen loading per their SOP, they did not call it on darkness. It is true that we're better equipped and arguably better trained for the searching part, but I can't really fault them.
And I suppose I'm burying the lede here, but the body was found by a pair of divers, and we did go back with scooters and blew a bag to mark him. Body recovery was in progress when we left cove 2. So he'll get closure (and I believe this is public information -- WSB is reporting the police as confirming it and hour ago).
I believe they dropped 3 teams in the water for 2 dives, and called it on nitrogen loading per their SOP, they did not call it on darkness. It is true that we're better equipped and arguably better trained for the searching part, but I can't really fault them.
And I suppose I'm burying the lede here, but the body was found by a pair of divers, and we did go back with scooters and blew a bag to mark him. Body recovery was in progress when we left cove 2. So he'll get closure (and I believe this is public information -- WSB is reporting the police as confirming it and hour ago).
lamont
Contributor
Okay, some update details.
The diver was reported missing around 11am. The fire dept(?) dive team searched for multiple hours. The info that they had been given was that the separation occurred during some kind of rapid ascent starting at around 60 feet on the boundary cable (near the penguin). The dive was an AOW course dive to ~100-ish down to the log beams.
We got into the water around 5pm and searched with scooters all around the dive area shallower than about 85 feet. As we were getting out from that dive, a pair of divers surfaced and reported that they had found him. They had found him deeper (110-120-ish maybe?) down by the log beams. This was a pair of recreational single tank divers. They had attempted to pull him shallower, one of them had a rapid ascent and was, I believe, taken conscious to the chamber and we have no information on that diver yet.
We dropped back down and found the diver around 105 in between the two deeper sets of log pilings. We blew a bag and clipped it off to the diver, then ascended.
The diver was on his back, still had all his gear (tanks, fins, etc), had no reg in his mouth, had only a little bit of water in his mask and a tiny bit of blood in the mask. One backup light was clipped to his harness and turned on.
One takeaway is that the initial information coming from his team was likely wrong. He was probably lost at depth at ~100-ish and there was probably confusion over seeing him at 60 (I have no doubt that one of the divers thought they saw him at 60, but that gets to eyewitness reports being poor quality -- which goes for everything i'm writing up right now, too), lack of blood in the mask makes me think he drowned at depth. We don't know the state of his gas though (did not check his SPG) and obviously accurate cause of death has to wait on the coroner. I was skeptical on the surface at the report of last seeing him at 60 though and I was unsurprised that he was found down at 100+. He could have drifted back down to 120 and happened to wind up right near where the class left from, but my occam's razor suggests that the accident all happend roughly where he was found.
The diver was reported missing around 11am. The fire dept(?) dive team searched for multiple hours. The info that they had been given was that the separation occurred during some kind of rapid ascent starting at around 60 feet on the boundary cable (near the penguin). The dive was an AOW course dive to ~100-ish down to the log beams.
We got into the water around 5pm and searched with scooters all around the dive area shallower than about 85 feet. As we were getting out from that dive, a pair of divers surfaced and reported that they had found him. They had found him deeper (110-120-ish maybe?) down by the log beams. This was a pair of recreational single tank divers. They had attempted to pull him shallower, one of them had a rapid ascent and was, I believe, taken conscious to the chamber and we have no information on that diver yet.
We dropped back down and found the diver around 105 in between the two deeper sets of log pilings. We blew a bag and clipped it off to the diver, then ascended.
The diver was on his back, still had all his gear (tanks, fins, etc), had no reg in his mouth, had only a little bit of water in his mask and a tiny bit of blood in the mask. One backup light was clipped to his harness and turned on.
One takeaway is that the initial information coming from his team was likely wrong. He was probably lost at depth at ~100-ish and there was probably confusion over seeing him at 60 (I have no doubt that one of the divers thought they saw him at 60, but that gets to eyewitness reports being poor quality -- which goes for everything i'm writing up right now, too), lack of blood in the mask makes me think he drowned at depth. We don't know the state of his gas though (did not check his SPG) and obviously accurate cause of death has to wait on the coroner. I was skeptical on the surface at the report of last seeing him at 60 though and I was unsurprised that he was found down at 100+. He could have drifted back down to 120 and happened to wind up right near where the class left from, but my occam's razor suggests that the accident all happend roughly where he was found.
Coast Guard, crews search for missing West Seattle diver - KCPQ
Body of West Seattle diver recovered
Friends continued to search for the diver after police divers left
8:44 p.m. PST, February 19, 2012
SEATTLE
How very courageous of the friends to continue the search after the police divers departed. God's Comfort and Peace to these dedicated friends.
Body of West Seattle diver recovered
Friends continued to search for the diver after police divers left
8:44 p.m. PST, February 19, 2012
SEATTLE
How very courageous of the friends to continue the search after the police divers departed. God's Comfort and Peace to these dedicated friends.
ianr33
Contributor
Another thread on this here.
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/accidents-incidents/411528-diver-missing-cove-2-west-seattle.html
Threads merged
Rick
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/accidents-incidents/411528-diver-missing-cove-2-west-seattle.html
A ScubaBoard Staff Message...
Rick
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