2 more upper keys dive fatalities, 8/6/2011

[boulderjohn]

I'm not sure I would have had the courage in that situation.

As I said earlier, I can't imagine being any part of the scenario as it has been described so far. If a non-diving author came to me after writing this scene into the draft of a novel and wanted advice, I would say that the whole thing is so far-fetched no one would believe it. Consequently, I don't believe we have a truly accurate description of what happened, and I will thus reserve all judgments until I see something that makes some sense.

 

[DoNotDstrb]

Students have to show that they can remove and replace a weight belt, both on the surface and under water. There is nothing stopping you from doing the rest of the class with integrated weights if you choose to, and I know some who choose to.

Interesting.... makes sense since this is what they will likely end up buying.... my experience has been that since most students don't yet own gear and the weight belt exercise is part of the curriculum, the instructor does the whole class with weight belts.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

In one of the news reports reprinted in a post here (sorry, I couldn't find it again...), it states that the survivor said she offered the man her octo and they were sharing air while she tried to deal with his weights, but they both continued to sink. It then says that when she became very low on air, he pushed her away so she could get to the surface on the remaining air.

I put that part above in bold because it really struck me what courage this man had to do this. Would you be brave enough to push away the other diver who had the only air left so that they wouldn't become a victim, too? I'm not sure I would have had the courage in that situation.

And I know that we've all criticised these folks for making newbie mistakes that lead to a tragic accident. But let's take a moment to recognise the bravery of this man. I am amazed!

Trish

I found this part of the story the hardest to believe.

 

[boulderjohn]

I found this part of the story the hardest to believe.

You might be right, but there are several other parts that are pretty darn close on the believability meter.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Students have to show that they can remove and replace a weight belt, both on the surface and under water. There is nothing stopping you from doing the rest of the class with integrated weights if you choose to, and I know some who choose to.

While the vast majority of operators I have worked for nearly always use weight belts in OW certification dives, I believe there is no PADI requirement to "R&R Weights" with a weight belt; R&R weight pouches satisfies the requirement just as well as R&R weight belt.

 

[flowerpower]

I found this part of the story the hardest to believe.

The man was NOT a newbie. He was an experienced diver.

 

[Latitude 59]

Threads like this make us think and process "what if" scenarios which is good. We learn from each other and how others thought processes are alike or different from our own. It made me personally question well, what to do now...my plan "Z" might be to cut the weight pocket for release if there was time, or cut them out of BCD if usual releases are ineffective and I didn't see that mentioned. We learn new ways of looking at things that might in the future help someone else.

 

[reefman]

autopsy report in todays keynoter,,,,,,

http://www.keysnet.com/2011/11/16/396963/autopsies-divers-died-from-saltwater.html


reefman
key largo

 

[mselenaous]

autopsy report in todays keynoter,,,,,,

Autopsies: Divers died from saltwater drowning


reefman
key largo

Text from the link for future reference:

Autopsies: Divers died from saltwater drowning


By KEVIN WADLOW

kwadlow@keynoter.com

Posted - Wednesday, November 16, 2011 11:23 AM EST

Two scuba divers who died together on Crocker Reef in August were victims of accidental saltwater drowning, the Monroe County Medical Examiner's Office concluded.Kevin Moss, 43, of Boca Raton and Judy Boone, 53, of Wellington died when Moss had difficulty and could not surface, according to witness accounts taken by Sheriff's Office investigators. Boone apparently died while trying to render assistance.
It was the first multiple scuba-diving death in Florida Keys waters since three New Jersey divers died after getting lost deep inside the Spiegel Grove shipwreck in March 2007.
Drowning is by far the most common cause of death for scuba divers. A study by the Divers Alert Network of 841 dive deaths over a 10-year period found 61 percent were classified as drownings.
However, experts at a 2010 seminar hosted by the dive-safety group emphasized that dive deaths attributed to drowning often have a trigger, which U.S. Navy Capt. Jim Caruso described in a presentation as a "a critical event that directly resulted in the death."
"The cause of death is most often drowning but that is simply a final common pathway," Caruso reported. "Most diving related deaths are due to 'diver error,' a critical error in judgment, diving beyond one's level of experience [or] training, or violating generally accepted safe diving practices."
The most common trigger is running out air at depth, experts said. That can cause cardiac problems, or lead to an air embolism as the diver surfaces too quickly.
Other fatal dive problems can include entrapment, as in the Spiegel Grove case, or inability to control buoyancy.
In the August incident at Crocker Reef off Islamorada, Moss and Boone were acquaintances visiting the Keys for a dive trip to celebrate the birthday of a mutual friend.
Moss suffered from Parkinson's disease and exhibited some symptoms but reportedly kept in shape and was a certified diver with hundreds of logged dives.
The two were among five people diving from a private boat operated by a local captain. On a second dive to about 50 feet, Moss signaled he was very low on air and could not drop his weights to surface.
Mariann Radwan tried to help Moss by using her second-stage regulator mouthpiece but could not bring him to the surface. Boone, described as a relatively inexperienced diver, then went to assist Moss by sharing her one regulator mouthpiece.
Boone and Moss were not seen again until their bodies were found by Sheriff's Office divers the following day.

 

[DandyDon]

New thread: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/sc...family-sues-over-florida-keys-dive-death.html