Scuabamau diving accident

[TEERLKAY]

We quoted Kevin's original post because we wanted to say “Thank you” and “Job well done” to Kevin. Now that some more details have come out about the dive, and after re-reading the original post, we can’t imagine how Kevin could have DONE ANY BETTER.
He certainly doesn’t deserve any of the crap he had to deal with. Heath deserves a pass – can’t imagine the physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual pain he is going through – remember Heath many people are praying for you too.

Keep the prayers, positive energy, and donations coming.

TR & LK

Hi All- This note is hard to write. Opal, Gabi Loco and another guest diver where hurt on a dive that should not have taken place.
First of all Opal is in the hospital as you read, unconscious and paralyzed and on a respirator. Gabi now has feelings in his legs after the chamber ride. The guest diver so far is recovering well after his ride. I am sure there will be more scheduled.
There are four divers going in the chamber with Opal to help her breath while she does her first ride. It is not good.

Ok you want to know what happened. They went to three hundred feet on air. No one knows why right now. They tried to do an in water re-compression before going back to the hospital. I know, I know. Don't need to hear what should have been done here. Save it for the dive medicine forum. We all know they should have ripped to the hospital.

There are devastated people right now on the island, divers wondering whats going on I'm sure.

The hurt divers are what are the concern right now. I am writing this to try and quell rumors before they start. I will post more as I get first hand reports from the island.

They need prayerful thought right now please. Thanks, until later, Kevin. Opal is in Gods' hands right now.

 

[gypsyjim]

Even if Kevin's original post may have contained errors (certainly not the first accident report on SB to have some), his post effectively alerted friends of Opal, Gabi and Scubamau, and it helped lead to the fund raising efforts for the victims w/o DAN.

This has been an emotional time for all, and I for one can not even begin to imagine the pain that Heath has been going threw on many levels.

 

[mstevens]

That is sad. I knew they were not together anymore but I thought that they were working together at SM. Pity they made a great couple.

Wow.

There are far, far, far more important issues in this thread than whether someone made a cute couple.

 

[mstevens]

Even if Kevin's original post may have contained errors

For all the crap he's caught, I think his original post, which only reported the divers' current medical condition, an attempted dive to 300 feet on air, and attempt at in-water recompression did not contain anything at all that's been reliably refuted. He abstained from speculation, which is not something that can be said of hundreds of subsequent posts. It seems, even reading it in retrospect with additional information from other sources, as if he limited his reports to objective facts and omitted anything that wasn't later verified.

I've never met Kevin, but it's long been clear to me that he holds the staff at that shop dear. He managed to post a much more factual and even-keeled message than many people would have been capable of.

 

[Craig66]

Wow.

There are far, far, far more important issues in this thread than whether someone made a cute couple.

Oh for Pete's sake get off your soap box. First off the word cute was never used and whilst this is not the focus of the issue itself I did not realize that we had arrived at that place in time and society where the parting of ways of a couple was so routine, expected and mundane that it no longer had meaning. Thanks for correcting me. I will be sure to check with you in the future regarding the validity of my posts.


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

 

[HammerHead05]

Rather than jump into the typical speculation, here is some information that may actually help our fellow divers who were injured in this incident.


From: Jim-Terry Lucas [mailto:dfwscuba@hotmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, September 08, 2011 1:35 PM
To: Aaron @ Tacoma Scuba
Subject: FW: Cozumel Divers



I know that we have a lot of divers that dive in Cozumel. Some of you might even dive with Scuba Mau. There was a terrible diving accident on Sept 3rd and I am sending this out to not only let you all know of the need for assistance BUT the dangers of downwelling. I had never thought about it much until I read this this morning.

If you want to help our fellow divers, you can. The circumstances of the accident are very eye opening either way.

Thank you for your time!
Terry

Jimmy and Terry Lucas
DFW Scuba Shop Inc
5200 Airport Fwy, Suite G
Haltom City, TX 76117
p: 817-838-5300 f: 682-647-0185
DFW Scuba Shop Inc


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Thu, 8 Sep 2011 11:28:07 -0500
From: affordabletrips@gmail.com
To: joyce@bluemagicscuba.com; cozumelradio@ymail.com; cozumelme@gmail.com; salesmgr@elcozumeleno.com; kingmamoy@live.com; dive@casadelmarcozumel
Subject: Cozumel Divers




To all our diving friends -


Do you have an extra $10 or more?
PLEASE consider donating to these two dive professionals in Cozumel. If it were one of our guys I would want everyone to help out. Paypal link at end of page


Gabi and Opal were diving on Saturday with another friend. They didn't have any customers along. They got caught in a downwelling and that took them to 300 feet. By the time they got out of it they were all low on air and had to share one tank to ascend. They didn't do any decompression stops For fear of totally running out of air.



We've all read reports of getting caught in a down draft. Heck, Scott and John got caught in an upwelling followed by a downwelling. It's just a good thing they were on a reef and not out over a wall. This limited their depths dramatically.



Anyway, if you can, please send whatever you can for Gabi and Opal. This incident has literally gripped this community.



Best to all - looking forward to seeing most of you this fall.



Paddi






Accident updateby Karen Roy Vissage on Thursday, September 8, 2011 at 12:31am

Hello All.

This is an update and request for help from Scuba Mau.

I just want everyone to know that the following letter was written on behalf of our friends and family at Scuba Mau and the families and loved ones of Opal, Gabi and Heath.

Everyone, Opal's mom, her brothers, Gabi and Heath and the management of the dive shop have all approved the letter.

Thank for letting me relay it to you all.

Jen



To all the friends of Opal Cohn Torelli, Gabriel Silva (Gabi Loco) of ScubaMau and Heath Hood.

We want to thank all of you for your calls, thoughts and prayers for Opal and Gabi and Heath during this very difficult time.



Many of you in the dive community may already be aware of the serious dive accident that took place on Saturday, September 3rd in Cozumel, involving Opal, Gabi Loco and Heath Hood. The accident resulted in serious decompression injuries for all three and the most gravely injured was Opal. Currently, Opal is in intensive critical care at San Miguel Hospital and is paralyzed and sedated, unable to breathe on her own, and is intubated and breathing via a ventilator. Because Opal did not have any type of insurance, costs are quickly mounting and her medical care here in Cozumel is very limited. Most urgently, Opal needs to be transferred to a hospital in the U.S. in the next 12 – 48 hours. Because she has been intubated for the last 5 days, it will be medically necessary to move her immediately to a facility that can perform a tracheotomy, as the intubation is becoming increasingly unstable and her life is at serious risk.



Divemaster Gabi Loco, is also in very serious condition and at this report is unable to walk and has no movement in his legs. Our dear friend, Gabi is the father of three and is unable to work. He also does not have insurance and needs hyperbaric treatments for the next 2-3 months and physical therapy to be able to walk again.



Fortunately for Heath, he has full coverage health care and D.A.N. insurance that will fully cover his expenses.



We have set up a Pay Pal accounts for Opal and Gabi and ALL donations raised will go directly to all their medical expenses including the hyperbaric chamber expenses, hospital bills, doctor bills, and transportation costs. Additionally, the cost to move Opal to a U.S. hospital is approximately $20,000 USD. PLEASE…time is of the essence. Please donate any amount to help toward these staggering medical costs. Right now, it is URGENT that Opal be moved to a U.S. facility as soon as possible. She is becoming increasingly unstable and time is of the essence.



We have set up two Pay Pal accounts for the benefit of Opal and Gabi.

For OPAL please donate to: MedicalCare4Opal@gmail.com

For Gabi please donate to: MedicalCare4Gabi@gmail.com.



We are saddened and devastated by what has happened to our very dear friends and are asking you to please help us help them. Please forward this on to your friends and family in the dive community. We are a strong but resilient community, yet, words cannot express enough from the families of Opal, Gabi and Heath their deepest appreciation. We will continue to update everyone here and also on ScubaMau Facebook page. Please feel free to post from your heart.

PLEASE keep them in your prayers!

With much love,

Scuba Mau

 

[boulderjohn]

Rather than jump into the typical speculation, here is some information that may actually help our fellow divers who were injured in this incident.

I am not sure how it will help to repeat the earlier misinformation about the downwelling. If your purpose was to tell us about the Paypal accounts, that is fine, but it is already well known and the subject of a sticky at the top of this forum.

If you are not aware of it, many people are concerned about the incorrect information of the downwelling and its continued spread throughout the dive world.

 

[Diogenesdemar]

I think . . . no make that, I'm sure . . . Hammerhead05 was trying to "actually help our fellow divers who were injured in this incident" by doing something positive to assist with their present needs.

I'm not sure what posts belong where . . . accidents and incidents, or Urgent update, or this thread . . . but mostly I'm appreciative of those who are supporting these injured divers, especially those who doing so have the appropriate misgivings about the causes but have not forgotten the human suffering that first needs to be addressed. I too have my reservations and judgments, which I can quite easily shelve for another time after these folks receive the full support and assistance that this community is willing to provide. To those who have nothing but judgments at this time, you are truly impoverished in the most important sense of that word -- I hope you too receive help.

Thank you Hammerhead05 and others.

 

[boulderjohn]

I think . . . no make that, I'm sure . . . Hammerhead05 was trying to "actually help our fellow divers who were injured in this incident" by doing something positive to assist with their present needs.
.

I, too, am sure he and others meant well. On the other hand, when there are mass emails going out that say the following:

"...I am sending this out to not only let you all know of the need for assistance BUT the dangers of downwelling. I had never thought about it much until I read this this morning.

If you want to help our fellow divers, you can. The circumstances of the accident are very eye opening either way"​

a potentially harmful myth is being perpetuated.

There is nothing wrong with an appeal for help for the injured. but there is no need to add incorrect and harmful information to that appeal.

 

[Crush]

I, too, am sure he and others meant well. On the other hand, when there are mass emails going out that say the following:

"...I am sending this out to not only let you all know of the need for assistance BUT the dangers of downwelling. I had never thought about it much until I read this this morning.

If you want to help our fellow divers, you can. The circumstances of the accident are very eye opening either way"​

a potentially harmful myth is being perpetuated.

There is nothing wrong with an appeal for help for the injured. but there is no need to add incorrect and harmful information to that appeal.

To wit, see http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/cozumel/395192-scuabamau-diving-accident-13.html#post6037632 (emphasis added):

OK so let me start by saying my name is Heath and i am the 3rd diver involved in the accident. I was there unlike kevin who seems to be spreading rumors as to what happened and was not even on the island ( so Kevin shut the F*** UP! and stop spreading hearsay and rumors ) I was there for the entire dive that has put the three of us in the hospital and has the three of us taking rides in the chamber twice a day. the three of us were caught in a down current that pushed us down deeper than we had ever planed on going and by the time we recovered we had to buddy breath off of one tank all the way to the surface and were not able to make any stops due to the lack of air.

I know none of you know me but at this point Opal and Gabi are both in bad shape and don't need rumors being spread about what might have happened but they do need to be in your prayers.

The theory that the down-welling affected only of of the three divers (Opal), resulting in Gabi having to descend to save her, has now been widely discredited in this forum in favour of nitrogen narcosis (Opal) and injury by misadventure (all three). Many of us are appalled by the attempt to shift responsibility from the divers to Mother Nature.