What was the Dive Ending Injury in "Men of Honor"?

[Oldbear]

In the 2000 movie ‘Men of Honor’ about Master Chief Petty Officer Carl Brashear,MDV, USN, Ret and played by Cuba Gooding, Jr., there is a fictitious charter played by Robert De Niro, Master Chief Petty Officer Leslie William "Billy" Sunday, MDV, USN. In the movie, the heroic and selflessness actions of Billy Sunday depict him diving to save another diver’s life, yet ending his own diving career due to injuries. These actions inspired Carl to become a Navy Diver.



Since first seeing this movie, I have taken up diving. As I have been studying about DCI and other injuries, I started to wonder, ‘What was Billy Sunday’s dive ending injury and why was its impact so severe that he could never dive again?’ Unfortunately, I will not have access to the movie until I return home to the States in early May.

Does any one know what happened to the Billy Sunday character in the movie ‘Men of Honor’ to prevent him from ever diving again? :bonk:

Thanks SB for the help,

~Michael~

 

[beester]

Uhmmm... alcohol?

 

[FPDocMatt]

Sorry, I know nothing about this particular incident. But I was told by an instructor that he had a student who kept descending way beyond the depth planned (and beyond the depth of his certification), so the instructor dove down quickly to rescue him, injuring his ears in the process. He was dizzy for 6 months following. Fortunately he recovered. I imagine an ear injury from diving after a victim could cause permanent injury resulting in inability to dive ever again.

 

[lv2dive]

IIRC (and I may not be!) Billy got bent (one too many times).


And while the movie was based on a true story - and Carl Brashear was an amazing person for the obstacles through which he tore - the character of Billy Sunday was actually just that - a character - that was a composite of several different men. He was not an actual person.

 

[Allen Herron]

He was injured on the deck of the ship when he saw that a cable or chain was going to hit another crew member. In the movie, he eventually had the injured leg amputated and replaced with a prosthesis that did allow him to continue diving!

 

[lv2dive]

He was injured on the deck of the ship when he saw that a cable or chain was going to hit another crew member. In the movie, he eventually had the injured leg amputated and replaced with a prosthesis that did allow him to continue diving!

That was indeed Brashear's injury... I believe the OP was asking about Sunday's injury.

 

[Teller]

Embolisim.

 

[Oldbear]

Embolisim.

Embolism...hmmm. Most of my training to this point just covers most diving injuries with a single or two paragraphs and has ben primarily geared towards following proper guidlines to prevent such injuries. While I was a medic in the U.S. Army, I never had to deal with one.

Thanks.

~ME~

 

[DevonDiver]

My guess would be a permanent neurological damage caused by bubble formation (bubbles form in/around nerve structure causing irreparable cell/tissue damage)

 

[Davemohio]

Regardless, one of my favorite movies, for numerous reasons.

Cuba Gooding Jr's finest work IMHO.