Fatality in Tobermory

[HappyDiversDen]

The Arabia is not a difficult dive ... t'is right the conditions can vary each time you're on it, and the most common problem we see on it is infrequent or inexperienced divers mistaking the sound of air drawn through their first stage for a free flow when the water turns very, very quiet, as it does on occassion.

The 2 most common problems on the Arabia, or any other deep dive?

1 - When low on air ('cause they haven't monitored their instrumentaton), divers tend to swim around and around looking for the ascent line and burn up the rest of their air (ascent on any deep, single tank dive should start at 1000 psi). The Arabia's not an overhead environment, and divers forget they can make a direct ascent to the surface in the unlikely event they run low on air and can't find their buddy.

2 - The dive is beyond their CURRENT experience level, regardless of rating or number of dives logged.

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To the family of this unfortunate accident, may I express the heartfelt condolances of my LDS for their loss. Perhaps it would comfort them to think that "Death is not extinguishing the Light ... it is simply putting out the lamp because the dawn has come."

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[snuggle]

my thoughts go with his familly at this difficult time ..and mcrae ..it would of been nice to just give your condolences instead of your opinion..

 

[divebuddydale]

Don't get me wrong, my condolences go out to the family and his dive buddies. It saddens me when a fellow diver dies.

I just think sometimes we take too many risks (however not in this case).

Dale

 

[canuckdiver]

My condolances also go out to the family.

sometimes these things happen, and it is entirely out of our control, this sounds like one of those situations.

aquabella, if you need anything at all, you also know where I am, ok?

 

[gadget]

Owen Sound article - Quite Informative

 

[Ontario Diver]

My thoughts and deepest feelings go out to the family and friends that are affected.

I never meet Dave but he and I (and others on this board) pursued a love of being underwater. May he be accepted into bright company.

 

[Boogie711]

I guess the question is - what causes a pulmonary oedema of submersion?

For posterity I'll post the text from the Owen Sound Sun Times article:

______________________________________________

Man dies exploring shipwreck


Buildup of fluid in the lungs responsible for 57-year-old diver’s death

Bill Henry

Monday, June 23, 2003 - 08:00

Local news - A relatively inexperienced scuba diver has died exploring the wreck of the Arabia off Tobermory.

A post-mortem Sunday found that David Clarke, 57, of Thames Centre east of London died Friday when his lungs filled with fluid internally.

The unusual condition, known as pulmonary oedema of submersion, has been increasingly attracting attention within the diving community, coroner Dr. George Harpur said Sunday afternoon.

“It’s a phenomenon in which you can acutely develop a problem with too much fluid in your lungs, not from drowning but from inside the body, kind of an internal form of drowning,” he said.

Clarke, a certified diver for just two years, his son and several others were diving from the charter boat The Lark in Fathom Five National Marine Park on Friday.

He was a fit and active man who had made fewer than 30 dives since certification. He was in 110 feet of water at about 6 p.m. when he ran into trouble breathing, Harpur said.

“He wasn’t a terribly experienced diver, but he had been on dives of at least 90 feet in these waters. This was deeper than he’d been before, but he had been in this kind of water.”

Clarke abandoned his breathing equipment as if it were not working, then discarded a second device given to him by his diving buddy. There were no obvious signs of life when he was brought to the surface.

Paramedics were called and arrived at the dive ship on a marine park vessel. Clarke was taken ashore, where he was later pronounced dead by the coroner.

“While he may have been panicked for a short while, (Clarke) died very quickly,” said Harpur, a former military diver and an expert in diving medicine. ”He died of lack of oxygen as a consequence of fluid on the lungs.”

Both discarded breathing units still had an adequate air supply, although an investigation will look at if they malfunctioned, possibly because of the extremely cold water, Harpur said.

Harpur said until the investigation is complete, it’s too soon to circulate information within the diving community which might help avoid similar deaths.

He said it’s unlikely an inquest will be necessary.

“Most of the factors are already recognized and fairly well known,” Harpur said. “There were factors involved that we have already circulated . . . like not making your first dive of the season to 33 metres and making sure that when you do dive to that kind of depth, that you’ve acquired adequate experience before you get there.”

The depth of the water probably played at least a psychological role, although the condition which caused the man’s lungs to fill with fluid is not related to deep water.

“It’s not related to depth at all, it’s related just to being submersed in water. It’s related to the fact that it’s cold and it’s related to the fact that you’re a male over the age of 45,” said Harpur, a master diving instructor and medical advisor to several diving associations.

Clarke’s was the third diving death in Ontario this year, the first in Tobermory. It was also the second recreational diving death. The other was on a commercial diving site.

Divers make about 25,000 to 30,000 dives each year at Fathom Five National Park, about half the annual total of several years ago, Harpur said. He did not know what percentage make deep dives, but said the Arabia is “a very popular site.”

Two divers died last year near Tobermory. Novice diver Scott Jamieson, 33, of Kitchener died almost exactly a year ago. His body was found on the deck of the wreck of the Forest City.

Michel Guerin, 42, of Pickering died in mid-May while diving off Lighthouse Point in Fathom Five Park.

 

[Groundhog246]

A quick search turned up this Pulmonary oedema
Appears to be cold water & pressure related, and possibly affected by higher PPO2 and quite rare.

 

[ScubaJo]

hmm. I can't attach PDF's to this thread...

If anyone is interested in reading up on pulmonary edemas specific to scuba (Groundhog's papers), I have the full texts downloaded. PM me and I can send them to you. A horrible way to learn about such a condition...

 

[Warren_L]

I'm not really familiar with pulmonary edema of submersion, but pulmonary edema is often a result of a heart attach. The pulmonary edema itself can be caused by increased venous pressure forcing fluid into the alveoli in the lungs, effectively drowning the victim. Why would venous pressure increase? Might be because of the heart not pumping properly (or at all) during a heart attack. Blood is moved back to the heart through muscular contractions that squeeze the veins forcing blood through towards the heart, increasing venous pressure should the heart not pump blood out through the arteries. Also, perhaps in cold water the sudden drop in temperature was strong enough to shock the heart into stopping, or perhaps there was some significant arterial contractions that were able to restrict blood flow enough to raise the venous pressure to cause the edema.