Tobermory Fatality this weekend

[jd50i]

As I understand it, a stroke is a poor example because they happen to skinny people too. Other than "family history of strokes", the risk factors are the same as for heart attack, and if you aren't an overweight diabetic with high cholesterol and BP of multiple hundreds, you may have no reason to be smart enough to stop diving.

Am I glad to hear this.

 

[schumifan]

Heard rumours of the event over here but no details. I can only think that with 80+ divers there and no 'leaks' I would think there has been a debrief. Can understand the silence expected of the pro team but nothing even from the guests. Sad situation nonetheless.

 

[Stoo]

Sorry for my absence... I was out diving! @LDScoob sent me a PM last week. As you may have suspected, she is a new diver, and understandably, somewhat shaken by the turn of events. I think she reached out to me since I am familiar with the area and old. Not likely because of the wisdom.

As she suggested, and I have heard this "almost" directly from the Coroner, the victim in this accident almost certainly suffered a heart attack. As @LDScoob pointed out, he was obese, appeared to be unfit, and was new to our "refreshing" water, so new to being wrapped up in thick neoprene. Listening to her describe what happened, it sounded like everyone did the best they could for the victim.

In my experience, accidents that originate from a medical situation rarely make the news, any more than when some golfer drops dead from a hear attack on the 13th. While it's a horrible situation for those directly involved, to the rest of the world, it's hardly news.

The shop involved, Float and Flag, had a large group of people and staff up. I think they had charted 5 boats, and also had shore dives going on. The shop itself had one FB post about the weekend, but it was posted prior to the accident. It was removed by the next day. There was one other post on a staff member's personal FB with FnF tagged, but it wasn't a shop post.

With a group that size, spread all over the lake, and factoring in that the victim was unknown to pretty much everyone else (excluding @LDScoob who was, I believe, friends with the victims wife.) I suspect that this event barely made a ripple in most peoples' day.

I do know for a fact, that the owner of the shop was quite shaken by the events. He spoke to another friend of mine in person about it, and apparently it was pretty obvious that he was very upset, which is understandable.

So as much as I hate to say this, this "accident" sounds like it was just waiting for the right occasion to happen. Once again, a reminder that when the excrement hits the oscillator, fitness matters.

 

[jstrang]

Sorry for my absence... I was out diving!

Stu. Thanks for the update.

My condolences to the crew, fellow divers on the boat and most importantly the family.

In this age of need to know everything I think we sometimes forget there is a family involved who may not want the graphic details of what happened for all of us internet divers to dissect.

Hopefully the lesson to be learned here is that diving is a stressful sport on our cardiac system. Regular fitness training should be something all
Divers are doing three times weekly.

 

[Stoo]

Can you dive the Caroline Rose from shore? Or was it a boat dive? Looking at a map of the site it looks like (a) you cannot get to the shore near Driftwood Cove and (b) looks like a bit of a swim to the wreck

You nailed it. The swim would be maybe 150 meters or so, but shore access is tough. Until this spring, most of the land on the southern end of the bay was privately owned. There’s a gorgeous stone house there and a Lane that runs perhaps 10 km to the highway. The land wa acquired by the National Park and Bruce Trail Conservancy resentfully. Assuming you could drive down the road, you’d still need to hump your gear down a cliff to the shore. I’ve seen water toys and a 4-wheeler there in the past, so I suspect there’s a way down.

FWIW it’s a kinda crappy dive but if you’re going to do it, take a boat.

As an aside, I think I’m possibly one of perhaps three people who dove it when it was intact. In my case, it was the day after it sunk and I helped the tow captain clean a bunch of stuff off it. A few days later, a nor’easter literally rolled the wreck about 200 yards inland, smashing it to pieces. Too bad, she was a nice little schooner, that had been the focus of an engraving on the back of an earlier version of the Canadian $100 bill.

 

[LDScoob]

Heard rumours of the event over here but no details. I can only think that with 80+ divers there and no 'leaks' I would think there has been a debrief. Can understand the silence expected of the pro team but nothing even from the guests. Sad situation nonetheless.

I know I was a bit cryptic in my messages prior. I'm still processing this incident and don't know how much is appropriate to share.

This was my first ever boat dive, and first diving trip since certifying last September.

My friend's death was announced at the BBQ on Saturday night. Understandably we were not up to attending it so I cannot speak to the debrief. I can assure you there has been no attempt to cover up what happened, and this amazing group of divers from Float and Flag have rallied around my friend who lost her husband and their partner. I was at the funeral this Saturday, they know the dive community supports them and is compassionate to them in their time of loss. I think no one knows what to say publicly, I don't know what to say publicly.

I don't want to blame my friend for what happened, he didn't intend to die that day. He didn't intend for us all to come up from the dive to the sight of him receiving CPR on the boat deck. He had always wanted to dive in Tobermory; his father and uncle were divers when they were younger.

It's a horrible situation all around, what was supposed to be the 10th year of Tobermory Take Over, biggest ever (PADI officials were there!) which had an excellent track record of safety and it ended up being severely curtailed; with a medical incident and a death. I understand why Float and Flag took down posts and stopped posting. To celebrate the trip further would have felt tacky to them while we were dealing with this loss. I believe it was removed out of respect not to hide anything.

Many people bowed out of the boat dive arranged for Sunday morning as they weren't emotionally able to manage diving safely. I credit these people; they did not allow the desire to get their 'moneys worth' on the trip or get as much diving time as possible in spite of the circumstances which ensured this incident did not snowball.

We have been offered opportunity to get back into diving when we feel ready, likely with a pool session and some shore dives at gullivers.

I definitely agree the take home from this is to do accurate self evaluation of our own health status and suitability to continue diving. I'll be getting on the spin bike and possibly even getting a health check up from a doctor with experience in the stresses of diving as I am pushing 40.

I suspect no police report was released to the media as there were no errors in activating EMS/Calling coast guard/Recalling divers/Reporting to Coast guard to submit statements/no equipment errors or malfunctions etc. The investigation resulted in nothing newsworthy to report.

 

[LDScoob]

Thanks Stu, talking it over with you was very helpful for processing. I moved away from the Burlington area and am a bit isolated from the bigger group who are supporting my friends.

I will be looking to connect with divers in my area/up towards tobermory who wouldn't mind mentoring once I'm ready to get back to this. I live near Collingwood/Wasaga Beach.

 

[DBPacific]

As @LDScoob pointed out, he was obese, appeared to be unfit, and was new to our "refreshing" water, so new to being wrapped up in thick neoprene.

I almost called off my first dive in cold water and thick neoprene. Just trying to put on my BCD was incredibly difficult and almost sent me into a panic attack at being so constricted for the first time. I can certainly see how that might escalate into something much worse. I hope friends and family can heal as time passes.

 

[scubadiver888]

I was in Tobermory last weekend. @Stoo pretty much nailed it. I feel bad for the friends and family. It is never an easy thing to deal with.

The only thing I will add is that the people directly involved seemed to not want to talk about it. I'm guessing they are still processing. The people who worked there but not directly involved were okay to talk to me. So I don't think there was a debriefing and any attempt to hush it up. As Stoo pointed out, Tobermory is a big place and a lot of people probably didn't know it even happened.

People involved aren't talking because they are still dealing with it. I'm sure, like when I'm involved in an incident, I talk to my friends or colleagues. I don't talk to random strangers in the area. Essentially, the people involved are working on getting closure... just not with you.

 

[rhwestfall]

Cover up? I'd say not likely at all. Similarly, there was a scuba death here Ft. Erie/Buffalo last Saturday. The only news of it was what was posted by DandyDon.....

Little to no chatter about it...