More deaths at Saipan's Grotto

I read in today's online Saipan Tribune that there were two more deaths at the Grotto over the weekend. Anyone have details? Was there a tour operator taking people out there in bad conditions, or were they on their own?

http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1&newsID=48913

Victims were not identified and as usual, the Tribune did not name the operator, if one was involved.

Ron

Hi Ron,

I heard it was a DM from Plumeria and an inexperienced student - my sources say the student ran out of air in the Bat Cave and the instructor died at the surface after looking for the student. More news should be on MCV tonight - if you're not on Saipan, I can post tomorrow what's on the news tonight.

Barky

Details:

http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1&newsID=48942

Hi again Ron,

OK, here's what I got yesterday - one diver, the student, was in an Advanced class at the Grotto. The student panicked and started shooting to the surface. The instructor went after her and tried to tug the student back down, but the instructor ended up getting carried to the surface, too. They both got embolisms and died from that.

Horrible, whatever happened.

Barky

I've heard both versions, too. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Saipanman:

I've heard both versions, too. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Click to expand...

Yesterday zanzibar (still missing) and now this...my heart goes out to the families.

The other tragedy here is that I don't think there will be proper reporting or investigation of these deaths. Having lived on Saipan, I know that these types of incidents initially get covered (very poorly) by the two papers there, then the authorities conduct a half-baked investigation, all this done by non-native speakers of English.

Barky -- is that you Ms. G? Saipanman -- look out for me the week of Aug 6-12, will be dropping by so let's go diving.

Can't wait, marpacifica. See you soon!

Here's today's Variety story on the deaths - it's as bizarrely reported as Mar predicted, and who the heck knows what's right in it (the story suggests that one of the divers was found dead on the floor of the Grotto, then came back to life long enough to let the other divers know she wasn't ok; then she died again - if that's what happened, we've got something bigger going on here than a diving tragedy).

http://www.mvariety.com/localpage/lnews31.htm

Mar - You know who I am! Perhaps I'll change my name to arnoldcat.

Anyway, all this raises I think two big questions about diving in Saipan:

1. Who should dive at the Grotto? It's the site where people die - deep, with places that induce panic in a lot of divers, and one of the only places you really can't get out of easily if something goes wrong. It's also the site people come to Saipan to dive. Should only very small groups be taken to the Grotto? Should only people who are already advanced certified dive there? Should we accept a number of deaths every year as the price for thousands enjoying this site harmlessly?

2. If you're leading dives, how far should you go to try to save someone else? If the instructor had let the student shoot to the surface and hadn't gone after her, what would have happened (would she have been sued? fired? what?). Could the instructor have saved the student and saved herself?

Barky

well, the article, though poorly written, basically lays out the events as follows:

student is seen acting "panicky"

the instructor comes to her aid

student ascends too fast and instructor tries to keep her from doing it

both are seen ascending together

student's body is found at the bottom with no reg in her mouth

instructor is found later