Reports of Monterey fatality

[Scuba Lawyer]

Back when I was actively teaching if conditions were at all sketchy we would skip the dive and turn it into a lesson on spotting rip currents, timing wave sets, etc... Unfortunately, we would often see classes that travelled a fair distance to get to the dive site and pushed forward with a dive regardless of conditions. Not saying that's what happened here. I wasn't present and have no means to assess what conditions existed. However, I have dove San Carlos Beach and the breakwater many times and have seen classes entering the water that had zero business doing so. I only opened my mouth one time back in the 80's and told an instructor standing on the beach that he really shouldn't be taking his students on a check-out dive that day. He impolitely told me what I could do with my "irrational and unsupported" opinion and took his class out anyway. One of his students broke their ankle on that dive. Not my problem. Now I just silently observe. My condolences to the family of the diver lost at the breakwater. My 2psi

 

[wgw04024]

It's always sad when this happens. With all the reports of how bad the conditions were especially for OW check out divers, I wonder if something like this automatically goes into the courts?

 

[markmud]

Hi All,

If the reports are true, the LDS reported is my LDS of record.

It is a very good LDS.

This LDS is not a mom and pop shop.

My condolences to the family and those involved. And if the report I read is true, my condolences to my greater dive family at this LDS.

Again, if the reports are true, taking OW students in anything but benign conditions seems ludicrous.

I suppose this document (below) should have become the curriculum for the day: https://www.scubaboard.com/community/attachments/calling-the-dive-2009-pdf.563170/
Credit to: @eponym

RIP,
mark mudgett

 

[raftingtigger]

I took a video of the site at 8:22am and it is posted on the Monterey Bay Scuba Divers Open FB page. This was about 30 min prior to the accident.
The tide was VERY high and the waves were hitting the stairs and steps, with a lot of water movement into the corner. An hour and half later when then tide was starting to go down I've been told the entry was much more manageable.

I had a boat dive scheduled, but decided that if the boat didn't go I wasn't beach diving based on what I had seen. I did not see the entry again until much later at VERY low tide (and it was diveable for me) - but the swell on the bay had risen to rather note taking heights while on our last dive and we were all glad to be back on terra firma.

 

[Laurie S.]

My late husband was a former Navy Seal and an MSDT. Back in the 80s, he was teaching an Open Water class at Monterey, looked at the surf conditions, and told his class it was cancelled. There was another instructor there who sent his class out into the mess. Russ' students were complaining to him as to why they couldn't go out. All of a sudden, several of the people in the water were in big trouble. The instructor froze and did nothing. Russ ran out with his DM and managed to save all but one person. The person who drowned was the sister of the instructor. He never dived again. Respect the conditions.

 

[markmud]

Respect the conditions.

Hi Laurie S,

Great story.

As a former professional mariner, please people, always respect the Ocean.

As @Bob DBF has written: "Mother nature is not out to get you, she just doesn't care."

Call the dive, the life you save may be your own.

I had a boat dive scheduled, but decided that if the boat didn't go I wasn't beach diving based on what I had seen.

Hi raftingtigger,

Yeah, the conditions don't look that bad at first glance. But I watched how the water was moving seaward along the wall. A newb or an old guy like me could get in trouble there.

thanks,
m

 

[elgoog]

Yeah, the conditions don't look that bad at first glance. But I watched how the water was moving seaward along the wall. A newb or an old guy like me could get in trouble there.

Her video shows the high tide level but not how big the crashing waves were. It was intense, even for me, and needed some conscious decision making during entry and exit.

 

[wnissen]

The tide was VERY high and the waves were hitting the stairs and steps, with a lot of water movement into the corner. An hour and half later when then tide was starting to go down I've been told the entry was much more manageable.

I think the tide had a lot to do with it. Normally there's a short surf zone with smaller waves reliably crashing toward the beach. After you go up that slight slope, the beach is pretty flat. Yesterday the tide pushed the waves up onto the flat section, and they were big for Breakwater. I took a picture that unfortunately doesn't show the conditions exactly but you can see how all across the beach and along the wall the water was all churned up. Just a lot of movement.

Yeah, the conditions don't look that bad at first glance. But I watched how the water was moving seaward along the wall. A newb or an old guy like me could get in trouble there.

As we were debating whether to thumb the dive, we had ample opportunity to observe people's exits. One guy I saw was like a Mayan statue. He was always pointed into the waves, squatting slightly, almost rooted to the sand.

 

[Bob DBF]

With all the reports of how bad the conditions were especially for OW check out divers, I wonder if something like this automatically goes into the courts?

It won’t automatically go to court as it seems to be an accident rather than a crime, but I can see a wrongful death suit arising, after the family deals with the situation at hand.

This was a matter of poor judgment. Although I have dove in similar conditions off my usual beaches, I don’t dive Monterey enough to make that dive in those conditions. I’d repack the scuba gear, if I had even started to take it out.

I would however, go out in my freedive gear (maybe weight a little light) and assess the conditions for future reference.



Bob

 

[raftingtigger]

... it seems to be an accident rather than a crime..
Bob

Or quite likely a medical event that may or may not have been hastened by the sea conditions. If that is the case then there shouldn't even be a wrongful death suit. Just a tragedy.