Drowning at Lake Rawlings

[captschwartz]

First, the dive team had just finished their 1st training dive of the day and eating lunch away from the entry point of the dive site. All gear was broken down and dive tanks where in the stagging area to be be filled. A dive team member herd some activity down at the dock. He walked down to the dock, at that time there was notification of something was wrong with a diver. Once, the information was relayed to the Dive Team members of what was going on and possible location, 2 dive team members swam to area where the boyfriend had pointed to, incase they could reach the victim from the surface, due to the shallowness of the water. At that time you where diving and looking for the victim with another diver which was a team diver. The swimmers above the water had located her and advised you and all divers to go down in that area. Yourself and a dive team member with another diver brought the victim to the surface. Then proceeded to the dock, where other team members assisted with CPR..The dive team acted professionally and did everything they could. The victim was located less than 10 minutes after being notified. Divers had put their gear together and in the water and at the last seen area. about the same time you arrived in the area, that the team members told everyone to go to. The dive team vehicles are not a liscenced EMS vehicle, so ALS equipment and drugs are not available. Several dive team members continued CPR and ALS skills from the site to the hospital for 1 hour 45 minutes..the team appreciates your help with everything that you did. But, I think before critisizing, everyone needs to know the circumstances. Additional information, the couple had problems from the begining, with weight belts, clearing etc. Which, I will not go into. Again, this was an unfortunate accident, proper training would have prevented this, with more dives and with a dive buddy that had more experience..

 

[letterboy]

Thanks for the Clarification CPT Schwartz.

I appreciate hearing your side of the story.

 

[wopsushi]

I appologize if I have offended anyone, but I dont believe there was much we could have done anyways. I do hope that the providing agency learned alot from this experience and maybe have given some consideration on how to better equip and train their personnel. this could go on for ever, and so can the excuses and I am not going to go into it again. Again I applologize.

 

[ChainSaw0069]

It sounds like the team did great. Is there anymore update to the incident. All the Rawlings staff will say is that there was a drowning. The girl had a working regulator and half a tank of air and it is " under investigation"

 

[MissChelleyDives]

I am also wondering if there is any official report of the investigation into this unfortunate incident. If anyone knows please post it here. I came to the end of the posts here and I am surprised that there is not more here on the outcome of this investigation. Any idea about how much longer until the investigation is complete if it is not already?

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

I am also wondering if there is any official report of the investigation into this unfortunate incident. If anyone knows please post it here.

There is almost never a report for public review posted. What you will see here are newspaper articles and first hand accounts followed by speculation about what either went wrong or might have went wrong, followed by a discussion of how one might prevent those things. While the discussion in many cases will not solve what really happened, it gets other divers thinking about the what ifs and how they might avoid them or solve them if they find themselves in such a position.

 

[MissChelleyDives]

:daisy::daisy:Actually, I found the answer to my own question as I was at Lake Rawlings today and was informed that this is still an ongoing investigation. Therefore of course the outcome has not been "officially reported". I definitely am not refering to any speculation posted here. After all what is really to be learned from speculation. However, if anyone does knows of any other links to news stories regarding this case that haven't been already posted above, I am asking for them to be posted here. Maybe we can learn more from and about this incident as time goes by. If we learn from what really happened then she may not have died in vain. Thanks everyone!

 

[DiverRider]

As I have said before, my sympathy goes out to the families of the victim of this tragedy. The dive team on site did what they could as far as what I can tell from the postings. I will not opinionate further.
This is only my opinion but I believe experience and training are key factors here. I'm currently in the Keys getting my AOW and the instructor made us redo our OW diving skills as a check to see how proficient we were. After having just an OW cert for 25 years I took for granted the skills I learned back then. I'm happy to report the two of us, being tested, had no problems while the instructor watched our every move. She is an instructor that tests outside of the box and wants to know who she is giving an AOW cert to. It is my belief that these skills should be demonstrated not just once during an OW cert but multiple times to ensure the trainee have the skills to cope with an emergency. Again this is only my opinion and do not wish to upset anyone with my thoughts.
Today I get to use my Nitrox cert along with doing my deep dive and am looking forward to doing it the right way. I went to Mexico and they took me to 90’ on an OW cert and had multiple issues which made me abort my second dive for that day. The risk was too high after that. At least I realized that.
I hope to get my Wreck specialty done while here but I’m not going to rush it just to get the “course under my belt”, I want it done right.

Plan your dive and dive your plan!!! Be safe everyone!

~J~

 

[Dean_63]

It has been almost seven months since this devastating loss...while others may have moved on with their lives and forgotten about Sharon Holmes,the young lady who lost her life that dreadful day in June...trust me, I have not forgotten and will never forget. I live with this loss every single day of my life....and I do not want her name tainted, so, I hope you all understand why I am bringing this subject back to life...there was a comment made that has eaten away at me since I read it a few months back regarding "diver impairment". On behalf of Sharon Holmes and her family, I want to set the record straight on this...Sharon WAS NOT intoxicated nor had she taken any drugs...I know this to be fact.

A grieving family member

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

The only thing he said about the lady is that perhaps she was unprepared and did not know that she was not prepared. I think that is a fair statement. She was either unprepared or prepared but an able to respond. We know that because for whatever reason she was unable to respond in a way that allowed her to live.

It has been almost seven months since this devastating loss...while others may have moved on with their lives and forgotten about Sharon Holmes,the young lady who lost her life that dreadful day in June...trust me, I have not forgotten and will never forget. I live with this loss every single day of my life....and I do not want her name tainted, so, I hope you all understand why I am bringing this subject back to life...there was a comment made that has eaten away at me since I read it a few months back regarding "diver impairment". On behalf of Sharon Holmes and her family, I want to set the record straight on this...Sharon WAS NOT intoxicated nor had she taken any drugs...I know this to be fact.

A grieving family member

Dean, I am sorry for you loss. I would guess that you will never forget her and that she will always remain in your heart. I am sure she was a fine woman in every sense of the word and worthy of your love and respect.

I am not sure if your post is reaction to what I said above. And if it is, I am sorry. It was not meant to taint her reputation. I scanned the thread, perhaps I am overlooking another comment with which you take issue

As for divers becoming impaired, you don't have to drink or do drugs to become impaired. A heart attack, stroke, cramps, being narced (effects of breathing air under presssure under water), water up your nose, panic or any number of things can make someone become impaired or unable to act if you will.