Diving incident at Eagles Nest Sink

[KDAD]

Flood the suit and be hypothermic on deco and die anyways?

No.

I can see that being a problem for a diver facing long deco and factor in to their decision making.

 

[Steve_C]

I have only had 4 dry suit dives. Two part of a dry suit course. Two part of AOW. Both were some time ago. But I still remember being told that in an emergency you can burp air at a seal. Isn't that part of standard training in a dry suit?

 

[The Chairman]

For me, the drawback to a finger in the neck would be getting TOO negative. You don't want to make it impossible to swim out after you flood. Only allow just enough in to get neutral and swim down.

 

[kelemvor]

I have only had 4 dry suit dives. Two part of a dry suit course. Two part of AOW. Both were some time ago. But I still remember being told that in an emergency you can burp air at a seal. Isn't that part of standard training in a dry suit?

It was also covered in my drysuit class.

Pete, maybe you should reconsider and take a drysuit class?

 

[CuzzA]

Sometimes it is the little things that can make a big difference. Thanks for sharing Pete.

It reminds me of when just after getting certified I was thinking about all the ways I could die and asking my instructor about this and that. One question was "What if sharp steel on a wreck or a Baracuda shears one of my hoses?" His reply, "Just crimp the hose like you would a garden hose."

I thought to myself, "Wow, duh, what a simple solution." Haven't forgot it.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

First time my dry suit flooded, I could feel that something wasn't quite right. I was warm, so I didn't accept the idea during my hour long dive in 55 degree water that I was wet. But then I was pouring water out of my suit. A brand new undergarment insulates incredibly well from my experience. Can't speak to when that decreases.

 

[Dan]

Revised Scenario below tying in the observations above as well as Dsix36's own harrowing experience:

Low visibility egress from Revelation, Diver2 trailing behind never sees Diver1 successfully negotiate the restriction ahead in normal CCR backmount & bailout tanks configuration. Diver2 goes open circuit on his bailout 95cf cylinder, decides to d'off his CCR and the other bailout 95cf tank in order to pass the restriction, has problems managing his extreme positive buoyancy, and in a zero visibility silt-out loses sight & contact with his dropped CCR & 95cf bailout tank. Diver1 finds him on the guideline exiting above out past the restriction, and they make the difficult & critical decision to abort a search down in the silt cloud for the dropped 95cf bailout cylinder. (Per Charlie Roberson's statement #11 above, the Recovery Team found the CCR in apparent operational order with the loop closed, and a full 95cf bailout cylinder at the Restriction to Revelation in the Room of Dreams).

Towed via the single back-up scooter, they make it back with difficulty because of Diver2's very positive buoyancy, through the Downstream Tunnel to the vertical shaft leading up to the Pit Restriction, with three 95cf cylinders clipped to Diver1, two of which are nearly exhausted supplying open circuit gas to Diver2. As last resort they look for the AL80 safety at 270ffw, "but was not easily seen on the way out" (per Charlie Roberson's statement #8) and don't find it. They ascend the narrow vertical shaft and exit at the far end of the Pit Restriction and drop the two empty 95cf bailout cylinders (found later by the Recovery Team, see statement #9 above).

They now have only one remaining 95cf cylinder which is likely at half tank pressure at best, which Diver2 breathes open circuit on the long hose, and Diver1 has already plugged into via QC6 (see statement #6) as offboard diluent supply -his own onboard diluent cylinder long ago emptied during the stressful extended return through the Downstream Tunnel. They have five minutes of gas left to negotiate the massive broken Boulder Field of the Pit Restriction, before scootering onward to find the AL80 safety tanks just before the Lockwood Tunnel jump . . .but ultimately get delayed or lost with deteriorating visibility & silt-out and tragically they perish.

Map:
EAGLE'S NEST - Association of Underwater Explorers

Dsix36's survivor's experience:
Diving incident at Eagles Nest Sink

I think this is the best scenario of what possibly happened there.

 

[The Chairman]

But I still remember being told that in an emergency you can burp air at a seal.

It was also covered in my drysuit class.

OK, having rolled my eyes twice: Does it hurt to have it repeated on a forum? Was that your first thought when you read about the guy on the ceiling?

FWIW, my first dry suit dive was during my intro to cave class in Peacock. I asked my instructor about taking the class after our first dive. First, he was surprised that this was my first dry suit dive (even though I had told him that I had never been in a dry suit during Cavern) and second he could think of no reason for me to take the class after seeing me in the water. I have a couple of dozen dry suit dives and I can tell you one thing: I don't like dry suits and avoid them as much as possible.

We don't know why the rebreather, along with the other equipment like lights were abandoned at this point. We may never know. Maybe buoyancy played no significant role until after death? It's my opinion that discussing the possibilities and the various solutions are healthy for the community and individuals. Not every instructor covers everything. Quite often the holes are filled during these discussions. That's a good thing.

 

[PfcAJ]

So, two deaths is preferable over getting cold? Yeah, I disagree especially since I do three hour dives in the same temps with NO exposure protection.

Pete I think you're talking a bit outside of your experience here. This isn't a 30min deco at ginnie springs. It's hours and hours.

Your personal level of "bioprene" isn't really a factor.

 

[PfcAJ]

Many undergarments will still keep you fairly warm even wet..and we are talking Florida springs, not really cold water. Would DCS be a bigger concern than it would have already been? Yes of course.

Chris what's the longest exposure you've had in Fl?