Fifteen Years Today Oct 12.

[JS1scuba]

October 12 1992

Fifteen Years Today

For the past 14 years or so I have written a memorial for two young men who died a horrific death while doing what they loved-diving. Some have grown tired of seeing the XXX Years Today post and have expressed it loudly. Yet others appreciate the reminder. For me it is a vivid reminder of where I have been, how far I have come, and what more I still have to do.

I step back in time to a fateful Columbus day weekend in 1992 when we had gathered in Philadelphia for the NAUI International Conference on Underwater Education (ICUE) at a special session we had organized to discuss the concerns and problems of this new thing emerging-Technical Diving.

1992 was not a good year. We had experienced more than 10 fatalities – Alachua Sink, FL, Andrea Doria, Nantucket, Arundo, NJ, Chester Polling, MA, Devil's Ear, FL, La Jolla Canyon, CA., In addition to the US fatalities there were fatalities as well in Europe. There were also some injuries, June 92, the U_Who _ DCI blowup, Aug 92, Andrea Doria, DCI blowup, Lake Jocasse, NC o2 tox, but survived. And there were about to be two more fatalities within hours of our gathering.

I assembled a panel sponsored by my (then) magazine Sub Aqua and my colleague Michael Menduno’s magazine (then) AquaCorps. The panel included many of the divers and trainers who were in the forefront of this new technical diving movement. Menduno, Chowdhury, Garvin, Hendrick, Bielenda, Deans, Betts, Bohrer, Butler, Hamilton, Mount, Emmerman, Gilliam, Lander, Cush, and myself as organizer. The audience (over 250 and standing room only) were the seasoned and the novice diver. Some with decades of diving experience, others with just months. We discussed issues that were important to life and the survival underwater. This was Saturday. October 10, 1992. (Interestingly I briefly met the woman who would become my wife that day).

During the next day small groups got together to discuss issues and explore more of what we talked about. We were happy with the work we had done and planned to continue to work with each other in the future as this was just the beginning of our work. We went home in the hopes that we may have learned just one thing that will save us or will save just one other.

It was a rainy weekend in Philadelphia. But we were warm and comfortable wrapped around by the city of freedom, independence and hope. But it was a Sunday and while we were finishing our meetings others were out diving. The dive season on the East Coast was still active, especially for the hard core wreck divers.

As we sipped our coffee during brunch in the hotel there were screams of fear and terror. Two young men, a father and son team 235 feet below the surface of the New Jersey Atlantic ocean struggled to live. While they gasped for breath, we were living life. While a father tried to save his son, we were planning our next adventure. And while the valiant crew and the people onboard the Seeker tried to breathe life back into them we were probably thinking that the work we had done this weekend was good.

Barb Lander, (one of our panelists) left the conference Saturday night to be on that trip. A registered nurse, she saw the death of one and the soon death of the other first hand. Another panelist, Cathie Cush, who had lost her long time lover that summer was best friends with the woman who has just lost her husband and son. Except we didn't know this happened until we got home that evening and the phones were ringing. The news hit home.

I did not know the two men who died. I had heard their names and may have met them once but that need not matter. By default they were friends. I did not have to know them to know some of how they felt about life. Since that weekend in 1992 I have lost way too many friends to diving. Some acquaintances, some very dear friends. Some that make me wonder why we continue to do these dives and others that just make me wonder. The big ones to me, Steve Berman, Tony Maffatone, Rod Farb and Steve Donothan. I’ve also seen many divers get hurt, decompression sickness, oxygen toxicity, gas embolism. Most survive with little to no permanent damage, some still struggle each day to get back to a normal life. Each one cuts a part out of my heart and each one leaves an indelible mark etched in my soul that requires, that mandates, that I continue to survive and succeed at my pathway of being the best I can be at this craft.

As go on dive boats now and watch new tech divers who don’t really know who I am or where I have been I interact less and less with them. I watch and listen to them as they discuss dive plans and profiles with a cavalier attitude. I listen to some of the wildest statements of fact and shake my head in wonder. I might ask how long they have been diving only to find they have only accumulated a pile of equipment and a lot of certification cards, but never really have dived. It gives me a moment of pause. Today’s diver scares me. Just like early tech divers like myself scared those who came before us. Note that of the panelists I listed above, all are still alive Some of us are still active in technical diving. I’ve been at the tech game since 1990.

15 years later, analysis, two books written, a documentary filmed, and a feature film about to be produced, and more friends and acquaintances have passed away. We know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this stuff is dangerous -- that the ocean is an alien environment and we are just guests, and while equipment rarely fails, we know that men and women fail at the point when they can no longer perform. Many of you who are reading this know that some will be left behind. Not because we want them to but because the sea will take them. If you don’t, then, this is the time for the wake up call.

This past year there have been accidents and fatalities. There will be more. But as we throw out the names of people who have died while diving and as we try to pick apart accidents in the search for more information. As we “demand” information in the un-earned right to have it when an incident occurs, take a moment and realize that the last time you came back from a dive you were lucky.

Some say luck begins with preparedness, others may say it's skill, but at the end of that day your name was not on that list. And while you may continue to argue about which way is better and which way is right use some common sense and help yourself and the people who love you. If you know it's stupid just don't do it. If you know your prep just was not what it should be scrub the dive. If you do jump in and become one more name to add to the list, someday after the pain has subsided among those that knew you, someone may remember that fateful day.


In Memoriam for Chris Rouse Sr. and Chris Rouse Jr. October 12 1992


Godspeed


Joel Silverstein, 2007

[NetDoc]

Thanks for sharing this Joel.

[Missdirected]

Joel, thanks for taking the time to share this.

[Kayla]

Thanks for sharing this. Was just thinking about that this morning, I'm glad that someone was able to put it into words so perfectly. Sending my thoughts and prayers to all of those involved.

[JimLap]

Thanks Joel. I was just reading about them today. I have the book (The Last Dive for those who don't know) and for some reason when I had to take my vehicle in for some routine service I grabbed it off the shelf to read while waiting. I've gotten some stuff from you and am new to tech. I read shadow divers, fatal depth and dark descent before my first tech class. I weighed the risks, talked about them with my better half, and asked my self if I was willing to take the chances, invest the time and money, and answered yes. I'm glad I did. Chris and Chrissy are from my state. The other side but still. Every time I gear up I ask myself if it's worth it. So far the answer has been yes. For me as for all those who have gone before me and I'm just starting this there is something about the deeper, darker, more challenging aspects. I'm going to Bonaire in February, I'd rather be going to Scapa Flow or even the NC or NJ coast. But the missus likes it warm and in order to do the dives I like to do I need to sometimes go places she likes more. Thanks for the post. Unfortunately those who have fallen will not be the last. But some of us will keep doing what we do in order to feel alive and continue to push not the envelope, but ourselves. We not only dream but we turn those dreams into reality.

[scubak]

Thanks Joel, Very Much...
Kirsten

[grumpymedic]

Joel,
Thanks for sharing with us. I am humbled by those that have given their lives doing something they love. I also would like to thank you for all you have done to personally further our sport. Dive safe!

Rex

[clgsamson]

Wow...talk about coincidence, I was in the bookstore yesterday and I saw "Shadow divers" while scanning some book shelves. Thank you for sharing, Joel....

[HilaryRN71]

Thank you, Joel. I for one...hope that you continue to remind us of the losses. It is a memorial to those lost..and reminds us of the fragility of life. The past few weeks have been sad ones here in FL. This sport brings us all (as the community) together in the best and worst of times. Thank you again for poignant words and for sharing.

[drbill]

Likewise, thanks Joel. I think it is good to be reminded of these things and near the anniversary date is an appropriate time to do so.

Although I do dives that most would consider technical (or stupid), most of my dives are scientific in nature or focused on my future education efforts. Over the past 46 years, I too have seen friends die who were engaged in these endeavors and made the simple mistake of being over confident. It could happen to any of us. It is therefore good to be reminded, to be brought back to reality.