Very Interesting Article.

[TomBomb]

Well i read this yesterday and I wanted to show it to the rest of the diving community. I know its long but if you start just finish it because its very intersting.


Heres the Link. Dave Shaw | Outside Online (http://outside.away.com/outside/features/200508/dave-shaw-1.html)

[300bar]

Very impressive reading,well worth the time spend.

[diversteve]

More info:

Tragedy at Bushman's Cave (Boesmansgat) [Archive] - ScubaBoard (http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-83634.html)
Underwater Videographer Podcast: Dave Shaw Story [Archive] - ScubaBoard (http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-219214.html)
More info on Dave Shaw's Rebreather? [Archive] - ScubaBoard (http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-205939.html)
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/technical-diving-specialties/236959-800-feet-moon.html
Amazing Dive article on Dave Shaw [Archive] - ScubaBoard (http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-230128.html)

And a short video segment originally shown on ABC News: http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=2963971

[ibj40]

I remember reading that when it first came out. A wonderful testiment to Shaw and his desire to bring back the body, however an unfortunate turn of events that doubles up the tragedy.

[tcpip95]

Really fascinating story. Tim Zimmerman did a really great job writing that piece too. Thanks.

[Walter]

An attempt at recovering a body at that depth should not have been made.

[ivobj]

Really fantastic reading, also impressing is watching the video from his helmet camera.

[Scuba Do]

Well written piece. Fascinating story.

[mikemill]

Great read. Sad to hear about the result though.


An attempt at recovering a body at that depth should not have been made.

Why not? The diver's family wanted it and the recovery team obviously believed they had the skills needed to do the recovery. It also seems as though Shaw knew the very real dangers of it, accepted those risks, and made the decision to face those risks.

Just because an endeavor fails doesn't mean it shouldn't have been attempted. Sometimes our morals require us to do something.

[Garrobo]

Just shows that anyone can make a mistake.

[TomBomb]

Hey guys thanks for taking the time to read the article. I just thought it was interesting and wanted to show it to people.

[Coldwater_Canuck]

An attempt at recovering a body at that depth should not have been made.
Well ya, but the same thing could probably be said about any of his dives. These dare-devil divers only do things that "should not have been done". I'm sure many people said the same thing about using a rebreather to that depth.

In reading that, it didn't sound as though it was impossible and he probably would have succeeded it if it weren't for the body floating (or had he realized that the body would float to the surface on its own). He knew the risks, made a mistake, and it cost him his life. RIP.

[TomBomb]

hey i just wanted to thank you guys for actually reading it. I know its long but its worth the time.

[Stoy D Dabbs]

You can go to youtube and search: The Last Dive of David Shaw

YouTube - The Last Dive of David Shaw (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF4iFJ-G74o)

Very Sad.

[PrISM]

I read this article a few weeks back. Pretty amazing.

[Buoyant1]

Great article, great story, Go get the book "Raising the Dead" bt Philip Finch, it goes a little more in depth.

[Gene_Hobbs]

If anyone is really interested, the paper reviewing the fatality is online:

Mitchell SJ, Cronjé FJ, Meintjes WAJ, Britz HC. Fatal respiratory failure during a “technical” rebreather dive at extreme pressure. (http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/asma/asem/2007/00000078/00000002/art00001) Aviat Space Environ Med 2007; 78:81-86.

Simon also presented this fatality along with a step by step review of the video at the DAN Tech Conference last year while talking about diving and respiration. That can be downloaded here (http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/research/conference/2008TechnicalDiving/Physiology_Workshop.aspx).

[masterof0]

For those interested, this article are excerpts from the book "Diving into Darkness." This book is just as compelling a story as the article and will suck you in. If you have ever read "Shadow Divers" or "The Last Dive" and have enjoyed those books, then you will definitely enjoy this book.

[webjr]

One of the network tv news magazines did a documentary that was very good. I cant remember which one but I know it wasn't Nightline. Insider? This was about four years ago... I DVR'ed it and burnt it to DVD. I'm sure I still have it somewhere. I recall looking for an online version but never found it anywhere. I wonder if someone could convert it to mp3 and post it somewhere without stiring up too much trouble with the copyright police?

HMMM.......

[Rhone Man]

I read some book reviews about another book that was released in the UK last year relating David Shaw's death which was a great deal more critical about Shaw and Don Shirley, their motives and the operation.

The gist of it seemed to be that they were asking for trouble for all the wrong reasons, and they ended up getting what they asked for.

I didn't buy the book.

[Rhone Man]

The other amazing thing I remember about Dave Shaw (don't know if it is in this article), is that I think the dive that he died on was only his 400th dive. Although a world class diver, he really hadn't been doing it very long at all.