Lake Mead Death

[finluca]

Just heard about this, don't know any details.

BOULDER CITY, Nev. (AP) — Coroner's officials in Las Vegas say toxicology tests results could take weeks in the investigation of a 48-year-old Utah scuba diving instructor's death during the weekend at Lake Mead.
National Park Service spokeswoman Christie Vanover says Xavier Fleuranceau (ZAYV'-yur floo-ran-SOH') of Santaquin, Utah, was with three other people at a depth of 350 feet in the Black Canyon area on Saturday when he ran out of air.
Fleuranceau's dive partner shared a spare air tank as the two began to ascend before Fleuranceau separated from a safety line.
He performed a free ascent without gas while the other divers ascended using normal decompression.
Fleuranceau was found face-down in the water and paramedics declared him dead at 1:46 p.m.
Vanover says Park Service investigators are checking the dive equipment for malfunctions.

 

[heavierthanlead]

Some additional info, here.

Park service probes death of deep diver at Lake Mead - News - ReviewJournal.com


The "pair of documentaries" mentioned in the article, in which he had technical involvement, appear to be Jill Heinerth's We Are Water and Ben's Vortex

Park service probes death of deep diver at Lake Mead

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Posted: Oct. 4, 2012 | 11:02 a.m.
The National Park Service is investigating the death of a dive instructor from Utah during a deep-water dive in Lake Mead Saturday.
Witnesses told the park service that technical dive instructor Xavier Fleuranceau, 48, ran out of air while diving with a group at depths of around 350 feet.
His dive partner shared a spare tank as the two began to ascend. At some point, witnesses said, Fleuranceau separated from the safety line and attempted an emergency ascent.
At 12:47 p.m. Saturday, rangers received a marine-band radio distress call about a diver floating face down in the water, said Christie Vanover, spokeswoman for the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.
Emergency responders from the park service and Nevada Department of Wildlife could not revive the man.
Vanover said the incident occurred at the mouth of Black Canyon, just north of Hoover Dam, in one of the deepest parts of Lake Mead.
Earlier, the same group dove down to see the wreckage of a World War II-era B-29 bomber that crashed and sank into the lake's Overton Arm in 1948.
This was no leisurely recreational dive. Anything below 130 feet is generally considered technical diving, which requires additional training in decompression techniques and other skills and often involves the use of special gas mixtures instead of compressed air for breathing.
Witnesses said Fleuranceau was an instructor in the use of such mixed gases.
The Clark County coroner's office said the man was from Santaquin, Utah, south of Provo. A man by the same name is credited with composing the scores for a pair of documentaries about water and scuba diving.
Vanover said Fleuranceau's dive equipment is being inspected as part of the investigation.
His cause of death is pending the results of an autopsy.

 

[Scott]

I have briefly chatted with one witness, only to offer thanks for “laying it on the line” to help and express sorrow at the loss of a friend.
The news reports are the same general information that is circulating through our dive community.
I know everyone is still riding the wave of mixed emotions. Xavier was a friend, fellow instructor, great father and loved life. I along with many others will miss him.

To correct the news report in the OP. They were diving trimix and while they report Xavier as an instructor these were not training dives.

 

[Canyondreamer]

I was shocked when I heard of this from my dive shop where my son and I recently met with Xavier and his dive partner in an intro to tech-diving. He was charismatic, enthusiastic and emphasized how we would love tech diving like he did, by signing up for formal classes with him (the first of which would conclude in Lake Mead). My son and I Immediately took a liking to Xavier and were intrigued and considered it. At the time we both had just become SSI master Divers, but had only been certified a year, and while we both got an appetite for learning (and yearning) to dive deeper, we also (wisely) concluded that we needed more recreational experience before starting to tackle even beginner tech diving. Our intend was to assess where we were after another year and see if we felt ready, and if so sign up for Xavier's classes.

Hearing the story, I have to suspect an acute medical issue arose making for this outcome - little else makes sense.

And now he is gone. What a loss for his family and for the diving community in Utah.

 

[ianr33]

How the heck do you "run out of air" with 3 other divers around you. Something doesn't add up there.

 

[Drewpy]

My condolences to family and friends..but 350 ft with a spare air and 3 other buddies?

Something is not right...

 

[InTheDrink]

I'd imagine spare air this is the journo's interpretation rather than the facts.

 

[wedivebc]

I'd imagine spare air this is the journo's interpretation rather than the facts.

I would agree. I knew Xavier and can say he knew what he was doing and had a very healthy respect for the rules and protocols of tech diving.
There is a lot of speculation running around this and other forums some of it based on poorly worded reporting. Believe me Xavier was not at 350ft with a spare air device.

 

[ianr33]

More details on TheDecostop The Deco Stop

 

[boulderjohn]

More details on TheDecostop The Deco Stop

To summarize for those who are not able to read that, this was a carefully planned technical dive by people who really knew what they were doing. They were using proper equipment, proper gas mixes, and proper planning. The details of what happened are very strange and will need more explanation that will hopefully come after both an examination of the equipment and the autopsy. I will wait for that further explanation before trying to repeat those details.