I read the blog, and then read a thoughtful response to it on TDS from jahjahwarrior.
The Deco Stop
(In case you are not a member of TDS, here is the entire post. *mods, if you want to delete the entire post, and just leave the link, no worries*)
"Re: Fatality at Ginnie 8/8/13
Robert, I took the time to read your article in the Huffington Post.
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/robert-...b_3775817.html "
"While it is a nice article, needless to say, I think you are just a little bit off, on several points. "
"First, you did a poor job of objectively showing the safety of our sport. 10 divers might die in caves a year on average, but you could have taken another line or two to show the real facts. Historical averages longer than a few years back are wildly skewed by the lack of training and high number of untrained divers in the early days of cave diving. I'm trying to remember a year in the last 6 years in which 10 certified cave divers died in caves, but I can't. "
"Secondly, where is buddy diving an "unwavering protocol"? Based on the high number of solo divers I see, along with the large number of posts asking about and discussing solo diving on the forums, I am sure your definition of unwavering is different than that in the dictionary. I'd say buddy diving is a good practice, or just ignore it in the article. "
"Third, your understanding of assumptions, fact, and the ME or Police? The ME and Police weren't on the dive. They collect facts from people who were. The people who were have posted their facts. Anything you read from the ME or Police, other than the exact organ that killed him, such as his lungs, or his heart, will come from the people who have already posted what they've told those people. We know the mistake that was made, far better than the ME or Police ever could, I'm sure, given the fact that almost everyone who isn't a tech diver thinks we all breathe "oxygen tanks." "
"Fourth, what makes you believe a person's attitude isn't linked to their actions? If, as your article suggests, we take a hypothetical situation of a person who gets in a vehicle crash, we are definitely going to ask about that person's attitude. Were they someone who liked to text and drive? Did they refuse to put on their glasses and drove the wrong way down a road? Did the person have a habit of speeding? Did they have many tickets? In technical diving, just like in driving, there are accidents, and there are accidents waiting to happen. A brand new tire that blows, is an accident. A person who takes corners too fast and doesn't check his tire pressure is an accident waiting to happen. "
"We get it that you are upset that people said things about your friend that could be considered rude. I agree, and many others do, in the use of tact when talking about the deceased. But when someone deliberately makes multiple mistakes that they were trained not to make, and ignores several people's requests to not take a deliberate action that results in their death, we have every right to ask if the person tended to ignore good advice and think they were able to survive without following precautions."
"We also aren't trying to denigrate the fact that he was a vivacious personality that everyone loved. A lot of cave divers have that personality. It feeds our sport, and we need it. It's awesome to see someone who loves cave diving! We loved that about Carlos, and his love of diving leaves behind quite the legacy. It's impressive, and we respect that. "
"The bottom line is, by pointing out that Carlos broke rules, we aren't blaming his diving skills. We aren't here to make his line shorter. We are paying careful attention to the role that attitude has in making decisions, and reassessing our own feelings of immortality. We are all double checking our gas, we are all checking our team's gas. We've made our lines longer. We are trying to live our lives as intensely as Carlos, but to avoid the mistake that he made. One thing is sure, his mistake will prevent other's mistakes by reminding us that the danger of gas, one of the guidelines of accident analysis, is still very real, and none of us are immune."
