There was a diving fataility in Brockville today. He was a 40 year old male diving on the Gaskin today.
I haven't heard all of the details as of yet but a person in a group I was suppose to dive with around noon hour saw the diver being brought to shore by the Rowing Club.
Will see if I can find anything else out.
kimmy
August 9th, 2003, 08:10 PM
Go to cbc.ca and it will give the full story.....sad :(
Kimmy
scubasean
August 9th, 2003, 09:29 PM
kimmy once bubbled...
Go to cbc.ca and it will give the full story.....sad :(
Kimmy
I looked for a few min, and it wasn't obvious where to find the article...Can you please post a complete link?
Many thanks!
Sean
Aquabella
August 9th, 2003, 09:33 PM
My condolences to his family and friends.
If you get any more info Taz or anyone, please let us know what happened.
Aquabella
August 9th, 2003, 09:39 PM
Anyone know anything concrete?
taz22
August 9th, 2003, 10:04 PM
Just got in from my night dive and have a little bit more info.
At the time things happened only one charter boat was on the Gaskin ( Above n Below ). The male dive who passed away was french speaking ( sounds like from Montreal instead of Ottawa ) and in his early 40's.
Everyone is pretty tight-lipped about everything at this time. Will wait to see what more comes out of the investigation.
It is sad when something like this happens to one of our own. My prayers and thoughts are with his family!
:(
Kayla
August 9th, 2003, 10:45 PM
.... and prayers are with his family and friends. Dive safe everyone...
Kayla
DivingGal
August 10th, 2003, 08:20 AM
This from the Ottawa Citizen 10-Aug-03
Man dies in scuba mishap
A man is dead following a suba diving accident yesterday at a St Lawrence River shipwreck, Brockville police say.
The diver, whose identity is being withheld pending notification of next-of-kin, was exploring the Robert Gaskin, a wreck located several hundred metres from shore, when the accident occurred.
Police, who attended the scene at about 12 p.m., would release no other details about the mishap.
Unconscious when police retrieved him from the water, the man never responded to revival attempts. He was later pronounced dead at Brockville General Hospital.
Sunk in 1889, the Robert Gaskin - a three-masted wooden schooner 40 meters long - lies in 17 to 21 feet of water. Known as an "intermediate" dive, it attracts scores of novice divers who visit because of its relatively shallow depths.
The wreck can receive as many as 150 divers on any given Saturday, said Mike Johnson, well-seasoned Brockville scuba instructor.
Mr Johnson said he was "disappointed" in the accident, noting that diving-related deaths are relatively rare.
Brockville police continue to investigate the accident.
- - - - - -
Please note "17 to 21 feet of water. " is an incorrect unit of measure... the wreck lies in 17 to 21 meters If using feet, the depth would be approximately 55ft to 68 ft
Kaos
August 10th, 2003, 08:49 PM
I was in Brockville this Saturday but our charter did not include the Robert Gaskin (King, Daryaw and Lille instead). The charter operator however was right beside us when we docked at Sparrow Island. I did hear a few details but all of them are speculation, so I prefer not writing them here since it is just that (speculation).
I do however have two facts, which was confirmed by the charter operator's girlfriend: the victim is male and belonged to a dive club from Trois-Rivieres, Quebec.
And yes, excellent correction DivingGal, it didn't notice when reading the Citizen this morning, the Gaskin starts in 55 of water and not 21 like the article suggests.
ScubaScott
August 11th, 2003, 07:58 AM
... my thoughts go to friends and family.....
Anyone with more info, please post.....
SS
jroy017
August 11th, 2003, 08:26 AM
I was diving on the Gaskin at eleven and the Above and Below boat took our mooring when we left for our next dive, we heard chatter on the VHF but weren't sure what was going on.
My condoleances to the family and freinds of the diver. May he rest in peace.
eagleray2003
August 11th, 2003, 09:32 AM
I was told they were diving on Diver's Paradise's former boat.
Does anyone know for sure what boat they were on?
thrive
August 11th, 2003, 10:21 AM
A doctor of Three-Rivers dies by making diving
Canadian Press
Brockville, Ontario
A doctor of Three-Rivers is deceased Saturday during deep-sea diving to explore a wreck in water of the St. Lawrence river to the height of Brockville, in Ontario.
Close relations of the victim confirmed with the Canadian Press that it would be about Jean Garceau, a general practitioner of about fifty years which had a deprived private clinic with Three-Rivers.
Unconscious when the police officers fished out it, Mr. Garceau could not be revived in spite of the operations tried to save the life to him.
Jean Garceau took part in an excursion in the debris of the Robert Gaskin, the wreck of a bâteau of forty meters length which ran to several hundred meters of bank in 1889, but only six meters of depth.
D M I
August 11th, 2003, 10:57 AM
Yo!
Some guy out of Quebec embolized at begining of dive. Loaded with gear ie video camera etc, Had OMS double bladder wings that were full when he bumbed into Mike Kendals boat. He was diving off of the old boat from that Dive shop in Brockville.
Apparently his buddy said he tried to hold him down but couldn't so he let him go and finished the dive. The guy had 2800 psi left in his tank! They were apparently accidents waiting to happen...even Hellen Cooper refused to take them out, go figure.
D M I
jroy017
August 11th, 2003, 11:09 AM
Are you talking about a different diver or did the diver from Trois Riviere die of an embolie?
D M I
August 11th, 2003, 11:22 AM
Same guy. there was only one accident this past weekend.
ScubaRider
August 11th, 2003, 01:18 PM
My condolences to the family and friends of the diver!:(
taz22
August 11th, 2003, 01:28 PM
Brockville Police Inspector Adrian Geraghty said Jean Garceau, a 51 year old diver from Trois Rivieres, Quebec, was pronounced dead at Brockville General Hospital Saturday following an 11.30am mishap while diving a historic wreck 500 meters off Brockville's Centeen Park.
City Police Sergeant Peter Buell said Sunday the diving accident happened while Garceau was exploring the Robert Gaskin, a barge that sank in 1889 while trying to raise a rail ferry.
Blue Wave owner Michel Chartier of Montreal rushed Garceau back to shore on a faster boat in the area, where he was picked up by paramedics at Blockhouse Island.
The paramedics tried desperately to revive the man using CPR as they rushed him to Brockville General Hospital.
A post mortem was expected to be conducted Monday at an Ottawa Hospital.
Chartier said Sunday that he had been chatting with operators of two other dive boats on the surface when someone yelled "diver face down" and noticed Garceau floating in the water about 20 feet away.
Chartier and another charter operator, Mike Kendall, dove into the water and turned the man over.
"He was unconscious, his eyes were wide open, and his pupils dilated" said Chartier. I took his mask off and started mouth to mouth resuscitation"
Meanwhile Kendall grabbed Carceau's arm and a guide line attached to his boat New Wave. Others on board began hauling in the line, dragging the three men over to the boat.
They pulled the victim in and Chartier continued CPR and mouth to mouth.
It was decided that they would take Under Where, the fastest of the three baots anchored at the dive site, back to Blockhouse Island and 911 was called, alerting rescue officials of the need for an ambulance.
A friend of Garceau who had been diving with him told Chartier the doctor had descended and indicated by tapping his chest he was having trouble breathing. The doctor then switched from his standard regulator to his octopus. That didn't work. He wasn't getting enough air, so he switched back to his regulator, Chartier said.
They said his eyes went really big and he leaned backward, said Chartier.
The doctor's dive vest then inflated , carrying him quickly to the surface.
The diving buddy who witnessed the incident saw he went to the surface, thought he was OK, and continued the dive, said Chartier. It was only later he discovered the truth.
The doctor was using his own equipment, said Chartier.
Chartier said he was still shaken by the episode, but he was thankful for help from both Kendall and the owner of Under Where.
The Robert Gaskin is one of the more popular dive sites in the area, which has seen an increasing amount of dive activity in recent years. The improved clarity if water in the 1000 Islands region, due mainly to zebra mussels, has made the area a prime diving location for those interested in exploring historic wrecks.
Buell, a former police diver, said the Gaskin is considered a comparatively easy dive among wrecks in the area.
"From experience diving it is one of the more relaxing, recreational dives, Buell said.
Fat_Tony
August 11th, 2003, 01:55 PM
My condolences to the family and friends of the diver.
Did I miss something or did his buddy not surface with him? Your buddy is having problems breathing so you are going to let him surface on his own and continue on your dive?
Thanks,
Paul
taz22
August 11th, 2003, 02:04 PM
Fat_Tony once bubbled...
My condolences to the family and friends of the diver.
Did I miss something or did his buddy not surface with him? Your buddy is having problems breathing so you are going to let him surface on his own and continue on your dive?
Thanks,
Paul
A good question Paul!
I was wondering that and why his buddy didn't offer him his octopus. If the victims 1 stage failed, using his own octopus wouldn't help.
Certainly seems that the buddy system failed on this dive. I don't think I could ever just let my buddy go to the surface without wanting to go up with him and check and make sure he was ok.
I am also wondering why they decided take the diver to Blockhouse Island instead of Centeen Park. Centeen is closer and Park Street ends right at the water there and it is closer to the Hospital and has less traffic.
rollins
August 11th, 2003, 03:01 PM
taz22 once bubbled...
If the victims 1 stage failed, using his own octopus wouldn't help.
Is that what happens when you have a 1-st stage failure - it can manifest itself as "out-of-air"? Would that be from a stuck piston or some such thing? Just curious...
This is a tragic event, the Gaskin is such a great dive.
taz22
August 11th, 2003, 03:17 PM
rollins once bubbled...
Is that what happens when you have a 1-st stage failure - it can manifest itself as "out-of-air"? Would that be from a stuck piston or some such thing? Just curious...
This is a tragic event, the Gaskin is such a great dive.
Everything depends on the type of regulator that is used as you know there are some many types know-a-days it is hard to keep track of them all.
We will have to wait until the investigation is complete to find out what happened. I was just speculating that if he wasn't getting air from his 2nd stage and his oct, why did his buddy not offer up his oct or the diver simply reach and grab for it if he wasn't getting air from either of his own.
I have heard of one situaton where a divers pressure gauge was not working and he thought he had plenty of air but his tank was empty and he had to use his dive buddies oct to get back to the surface.
diver_paula
August 11th, 2003, 03:39 PM
I had a first time experience while diving in Kingston earlier this year. I was buddied up with someone I didn't know so I'm glad we are both good communicators. I was just thinking that perhaps something similar happened to the doctor.
Dive #1 - We had the same size tanks (lp stl 95s) and consumed air at about the same rate.
Dive #2 - same tanks again. About 20 minutes into the dive she's giving me the out of air signal. I immediately gave her my octo thinking 'what's with this?'. Then we looked at her pressure gauge and saw that it still had 2000 psi. So she stuck her reg. back in her mouth. No go and back onto the octo. We quickly realized her tank wasn't fully on. Neither of us had experienced that given it took 20 minutes for the tank to not deliver enough air for her.
No matter what, my thoughts are with his friends, family and buddy.
Paula
acoustic diver
August 11th, 2003, 03:39 PM
taz22 once bubbled...
Just got in from my night dive and have a little bit more info.
At the time things happened only one charter boat was on the Gaskin ( Above n Below ). The male dive who passed away was french speaking ( sounds like from Montreal instead of Ottawa ) and in his early 40's.
Everyone is pretty tight-lipped about everything at this time. Will wait to see what more comes out of the investigation.
It is sad when something like this happens to one of our own. My prayers and thoughts are with his family!
:(
To get the story straight, not as the boat matters, Above n Below were not even at the scene. Yes they were on the Gaskin earlier in the morning but at the time were on the Lillie Parsons. The diver was on the boat called Blue Wave which used to belong to Diver's Paradise. Other boats on the scene were Newave and Underwhere?. The diver was from Quebec somewhere and so far the info we are getting was a medical condition only diving related because he was diving. All anyone should be concerned with right now is the diver's family and friends. The boat operators can not do anything for a diver 60' below the surface and a buoyant ascent as such pretty much stops boat operators from doing anything on the surface except arrange transportation
taz22
August 11th, 2003, 03:50 PM
acoustic diver once bubbled...
To get the story straight, not as the boat matters, Above n Below were not even at the scene. Yes they were on the Gaskin earlier in the morning but at the time were on the Lillie Parsons. The diver was on the boat called Blue Wave which used to belong to Diver's Paradise. Other boats on the scene were Newave and Underwhere?. The diver was from Quebec somewhere and so far the info we are getting was a medical condition only diving related because he was diving. All anyone should be concerned with right now is the diver's family and friends. The boat operators can not do anything for a diver 60' below the surface and a buoyant ascent as such pretty much stops boat operators from doing anything on the surface except arrange transportation
I think if you read the Brockville Newspaper Story it does indicate the boats that were at the dive site at the time. I don't think I gave any inidcation that it was Jymi's fault or anything like that.
Information when something like this happens tends to be sketchy at best. I was simply passing along what I had heard and feel that the newspaper story, if you read it, has clarified the information presented in earlier posts.
crispos
August 11th, 2003, 04:07 PM
My condolences to the family and friends of that diver, and sympathies for those who had to deal with the crisis. I hope they will piece together what happened. I hope the authorities make their report public so we can learn how to avoid these things. The Ontario Coroner's office told me a few weeks ago during the course of my research into dive fatalities that unless there is a full inquest, these dive accident investigations are kept out of the public domain. We are left wondering why and how.
Bubble Boy
August 11th, 2003, 04:28 PM
taz22 once bubbled...
I am also wondering why they decided take the diver to Blockhouse Island instead of Centeen Park. Centeen is closer and Park Street ends right at the water there and it is closer to the Hospital and has less traffic.
Tazz, First you spread rumours about the charter boat it was off of and now you are questioning the course of actions that Tom and Mike chose to deliver the victim to EMS. Where are you coming from? How long do you think it would take them to get to Blockhourse from the Gaskin? Do you think the ambulance response time in Brockville is so good that they would be at Centeen Park when the boat arrived from the Gaskin? How would you move the victim from the boat up the 9 plus feet to the upper level? Dropping a basket would take longer than going to Blockhouse. Lets not question the rescue attempts!
My thoughts are with the family and friends of the victim as well as all those involved with the rescue attempts and the other divers that witnessed this tragic event.
on my way wanda
August 11th, 2003, 04:33 PM
My condoleances to the family and friends.
D M I
August 11th, 2003, 04:41 PM
Hello Again
I was just talking to my good friend Mike Kendal about this entire unfortunate mishap. It is believed that the Doctor may have been on some type of medication as police did find unone amounts of self prescribed medication in his hotel room afterwards and wether this was hart or asma medication is still to be determined. His BCD was inflated and his tanks were just under full letting all on board to believe that maybe a hart attack took place at depth leading to an embolism at the surface. When the diver reached the surface his reg was out of his mouth and mask off. Mike quickly noticed that the diver was face down with no response jumped in and dragged him back over to the boat were cpr was administered and a fast exit was immediately exorcised to shore. His buddy should of called his own dive and safely surfaced to make sure his partner was in good health. Lets leave it at this.
D M I
D M I
August 13th, 2003, 05:56 PM
Hello 08/13/03
I Learned today that the doctor who died on the weekend sufferd a hart attack. This diver and his partner should of had more sence, as he was suffering from a small micro hole in his hart and was under hart pressure regulating medication. He and his partner had no business diving under these conditions. I hope that this will be lesson to all to stay out of the water when you are ill.
Happy Diving
D M I
deep_ocean
August 14th, 2003, 08:26 AM
First of all, my condolences to the close ones of the diver and all involved.
Secondly, I don't think anyone is "spreading rumors". We heard about the accident and whatever information was available, people just posted here. The fact that Taz was "wondering" why the diver was taken one way and not another didn't imply anything - just a question.
What puzzles me the most is the complete lack of responsibility (if what we've heard is true) on the diver's buddy's part.
How can you assume the all is well, if your buddy is experiencing difficulties breathing at depth?
How can you allow him to surface by himself?
Again, this is only based on the information presented on this forum.
Safe diving
deep_ocean
HappyDiversDen
August 15th, 2003, 07:27 PM
Buddy rules RULE, that's why we teach 'em ...
it's not the answer that enlightens, it's the question, and attaching blame doesn't do anything positive for us ...
No matter, he's safely in the arms of his Maker now. Goes to show folks, just like getting into a car, you can never take any dive, or drive, for granted ... not even the Gaskin.
May his family find some peace that he passed from this world doing what he chose to do.
Garceau & daughters
February 13th, 2007, 10:02 PM
Hello DMI,
I'm Valerie the daughter of the diver who died in Brookville Ontario august 9, 2003.
I just found the site and the forum that discussed about my dad.
If you are still a user of the site and want to know the real cause of my dad's death just email me my nickname is garceau & daughters
Diver Rick
February 19th, 2007, 09:02 PM
In response to the invitation, I wrote to the victim's daughter and she replied. She told me the details of her father's tragic death, and asked me to post her message for her. Below is her response. We've heard it many times here before, although discussion and sharing of information is always helpful, all the uninformed speculation is not helpful. When you read this, all those messages about not sharing air etc, that goes on so soon after the incident will seem pretty silly. Although it’s almost four years later, here are the facts. It’s unfortunate that we aren't able to get this kind of information more contemporaneous to the events, but that’s the way it is.
It would appear that the only other lesson for us divers from this incident are the hazards of diving with unseen medical problems.
I would personally like to thank Valérie and the Garceau family for sharing this with us.
Hi Diver Rick,
thank you for writing to me, I just found the Scubaboard site and the forum discussing about my father death in 2003.
(by the way, sorry for my english I'm french canadian)
This is some info about my dad's accident:
(Can you please post it on scubaboard where users of this site could see the information? I'm new to the scubaboard and don't know how to use it well for now, and a lot of people are writing to me to know more since I've add a news on the forum. Many thanks if you do so and tell me when and where you transfer the information.)
My father was really Jean Garceau a doctor in Trois-Rivières, Québec almost 52 years old, very good health condition. He was a lover of water sports and was doing windsurfing too.
Two weeks before the accident, my father was windsurfing at the cottage (there’s a lake) and he made a bad fall, he fell on his stomach, which cut his breath. He told us that he made a bad fall and hurt his side. But nothing alarming. Two weeks later he went to Brookville, to dive and died.
We learned by the autopsy that his spleen burst (ruptured) because of the pressure of the water. His spleen ruptured because when he fell on the windsurfing board it injured his spleen, and in 2 weeks the spleen had a lot of inflammation and was very fragile, but we didn't know that and he didn't know that even if he was a doctor because it's internal and there is no way to see that. If he did not went diving, he wouldn't be dead, if he would have dive 2 months after the fall from the windsurfing board he would be ok. But that's life. So it was a health condition that caused his death.
I still cannot believe he's dead; we (family) were not in Brockville with him. I have the feeling that someday he will come back from Brookville! He left behind my mom, and his 3 daughters, me Valerie 25 at the time, Alexandrine 18 at the time and Anne Laurence 13 at the time.
I hope this information will help some divers. If you have any other questions you know where to find me.
Valérie Garceau
Pathfinder
February 22nd, 2007, 02:04 PM
Thank you Valerie, and thank you Rick for getting those facts out. It may have taken several years but it's helpful to see all the speculation get put to rest.
Condolences once again to you and your family Valerie.
