RIP Solo Diver

[r4e]

Just forwarding something I noticed in divingaccidents group:

Published On Mon Jun 27 2011EmailPrint
Rss Article Aleysha Haniff Staff Reporter

A Thornhill man taking part in a diving certification test was found dead in a quarry north of Lindsay.

The man, 49, was diving in a water-filled quarry Sunday on Talbot River Rd., northeast of Kirkfield, provincial police said. He was participating in a certification dive to receive his solo diving certificate.

His body was discovered at about 12:30 p.m., police said.

A post-mortem exam was scheduled for Monday.

 

[DennisS]

I've heard people complain about dive training getting worse over the years, but I never thought it would kill you during the class. Here's another recent course death

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ac...one-student-dead-one-missing-lake-pupuke.html

 

[DevonDiver]

Eric, the point is that a fatal error happened on a course of training, designed to equip the individual with the necessary skills to safely solo dive.

That end result, didn't seem to occur. It's a tragedy. That said, there are probably some interesting and informative learning points to gain from the event. However, none of us can actually make headway with investigating those points until further details might become available.

Until that time, we only know that 'something' went wrong on a course specifically designed to prevent that 'something'.

 

[300bar]

I just came back from a solo dive.

RIP brother.


Unfortunatly some can't keep thier (funny) opinions to them selves.

 

[AfterDark]

The title or the thread is wrong, he wasn't a solo diver, he failed the course.

 

[r4e]

The title or the thread is wrong, he wasn't a solo diver, he failed the course.

I think he did his best, but, with a bad outcome.

 

[Stoo]

The title or the thread is wrong, he wasn't a solo diver, he failed the course.

This happened about 40 miles from my house. Rumour has it (and I emphasize that it is entirely that... somebody who was there told someone, who told 15 other people and then I heard it...) that this was a health issue, possibly a heart attack. As a Coroner friend calls these... "Died while diving, not from diving."

Again, all hear-say... but it seems to be persistent, if that means anything.

 

[DennisS]

I like that, died while diving not from diving. Golfers die on the course but it isn't a golfing death that needs to be analysed and speculated upon by a bunch of golfers that were not even in the same state. They just died, probably from a heart attack, not from using a #3 wood instead of a 9 iron.

 

[DevonDiver]

The issue remains; if he had a buddy, he might have been rescued and resuscitated. Unanticipated medical conditions can be a death sentence to the solo diver.

 

[Stoo]

The issue remains; if he had a buddy, he might have been rescued and resuscitated. Unanticipated medical conditions can be a death sentence to the solo diver.

It was this exact situation that I mentioned when I was "justifying" by solo diving on this board years ago. I said something about if my health ever deteriorated to the point where it might be necessary for a buddy to haul my a$$ in, then it would be time to stop solo diving. But it would also be time to give up diving with a buddy!

No matter how enthusiastically someone defends the merits of either solo or buddy diving, I don't think I've heard someone say, "Well, my cardiac health is so bad, there's a good chance I'm going to to have a heart attack on this dive.. so I guess I'd better have a buddy with me!"

As an aside, I tend to dive more conservatively when I am on my own. There's no pressure from someone else (spoken or otherwise) to go deeper/stay longer/penetrate something...