Diver Indicted in 2003 GBR mishap

[Ayisha]

Those are some serious accusations. Have they been documented by police?

 

[Doubles]

....Also he has changed his story several times about Mrs Watson knocking his mask off and regulator out of his mouth as she was "swept away".

I have read the "...swept away" comment in more than one story. Unless he was holding on to some object like a boat or anchor line, they would both be drifting at close to the same rate.

-s

 

[RS]

unbelievable.

Serious, ya think? (meaning I agree.)

 

[rigdiver]

I'm a Rescue Diver living in Townsville, Queensland. I've dived the Yongala a number of times...

The word around town is that Mr Watson was seen by a witness from a different boat (Jazz III) holding Mrs Watson in a bear hug with her face close to his chest for several minutes. It has been asserted that Mr Watson had turned off Mrs Watson's air and held her close to prevent her from spitting her reg out. It is alleged Mr Watson had not realised there were divers from another boat on the wreck, and he did not realise they could see him (vis was only about 12 metres).

The DM that rescued Mrs Watson said that her mask and regulator were still in place, and if she had simply passed out, she would still be breathing. An autopsy revealed no obstruction in her airways and only very little water was found on her lungs.

In the Townsville Bulletin today, an article reporting on the inquest has stated that there have been a number of inconsistencies with regard to Mr Watson's claim he could not go down to rescue his wife because he was having severe barotrauma. However, two separate medical assessments by a Townsivlle Doctor and a New Zealand doctor suggests his ear trauma was no more than mild. Also he has changed his story several times about Mrs Watson knocking his mask off and regulator out of his mouth as she was "swept away".

I must say I am hesitant to give this man the assumption of innocence until proven guilty.... I know if my husband were to suffer any trouble under water, I would certainly put myself in severe danger before I would just let him sink away from me.

If it looked so odd why didn't the other divers get closer to see what was going on?

 

[MikeFerrara]

I don't know but...

If your ears are blocked and you are unable to equalize (common) it will certainly prevent you from descending. I doctor wouldn't be able to tell much by examination because NOT descending prevents damage.

It's a mistake to assume that being a rescue diver means that the diver is experience or skilled. Shall we review what level of performance (dive skills and rescue skills) training standards really require to obtain rescue certification...not much other than lots of kneeling.

Divers are seperated OFTEN and it's probably the norm rather than the exception for the victems of diving accidents to have been seperated and to be found alone.

Remaining together and in contact midwater (especially during ascents and descents) is one of the skills most lacking in new divers and buddy seperations at those times are particularly common. Just sit and watch all the divers popping up alone at any dive site. Better yet grab just about any two divers at random and ask them to do a timmed free ascent and stay together...a test that many (if not most) divers will fail big time.

Might this site have been a little much for a new diver?

Who know what the guy did but I don't have any trouble believeing that niether were very skilled divers and it sure isn't hard to believe that that lack of skill could result in a fatality...it happens.

 

[String]

"Rescue Diver" just means the person has done at least 24 dives, of those at least 13 of them would have been in training themselves with an instructor".
It doesn't mean they have any experience of real world diving - in theory a rescue diver may only have done 11 dives to 6m in a quarry without being part of a course.

(and of course, no doctor after the event is ever going to find medical reason that a diver couldnt descend, ears, sinus and other things are usually temporary and providing you dont force the descent leave NO lasting damage (thats the whole point of not forcing things))

 

[MikeFerrara]

"Rescue Diver" just means the person has done at least 24 dives, of those at least 13 of them would have been in training themselves with an instructor".
It doesn't mean they have any experience of real world diving - in theory a rescue diver may only have done 11 dives to 6m in a quarry without being part of a course.

My PADI instructors manual (have they changed it?) says

"To qualify for PADI rescue diver training, an individual must:
1, Be certified as a PADI Advanced open Water Diver or have an equivalent rating. "Equivalence" is defined as proof of certification beyond entry level (at least two certifications total), and proof of 20 or more logged dives documenting experience in deep diving and underwater navigation.
2, Be 12 years of age or older."

As I read that, there is no min required number of dives if the diver is a PAD AOW diver. The requirement for 20 dives is only mentioned in the definition of "equivalence" of PADI AOW. You could start rescue training with as few as 9 dives all being training dives in PADI classes (OW and AOW). Most of the rescue class is on the surface so it doesn't really add much in the way of diving.

 

[MikeFerrara]

From my post above...

I saw a man and whoman wrestling on the wing of a submerged plane. When they left the wing (facing up and kicking toward the surface) they sunk several more feet down to the silty bottom and the whole place blew out in a monster silt cloud. When they finally did begine to ascend they tried to do a moon-shoot. Somewhere in all this they abandoned their young son who was diving with them.

Do you think he was trying to kill her? Maybe the two of them were teaming up to try to kill their young son? Or maybe they just couldn't dive worth a darn?

 

[String]

As I read that, there is no min required number of dives if the diver is a PAD AOW diver. The requirement for 20 dives is only mentioned in the definition of "equivalence" of PADI AOW. You could start rescue training with as few as 9 dives all being training dives in PADI classes (OW and AOW). Most of the rescue class is on the surface so it doesn't really add much in the way of diving.

I read it that way but asked a course director who stated to me at least it was 20 dives for AOW or(the comma ends the statement). Only going by what i was told as i did query it last year as i thought the wording was a little bit confusing.

In either case, best case scenario here you have a guy with minimum 11 unsupervised dives (all of which could have been guided!) so not overly relevent.

 

[MikeFerrara]

In either case, best case scenario here you have a guy with minimum 11 unsupervised dives (all of which could have been guided!) so not overly relevent.

Agreed.