Diver lost 15 Jan 2013 Cozumel

[fishi]

don't know how Dave and other Divemasters get in the water with new people each day not knowing what kind of divers they are. It's got to be the toughest job in the world.

That's easy. You don't take a newb to a site like Palancar Caves. A dive site with overhead structures is a bad choice for a newb. A dive site with a 60' hard bottom is a much better choice. I do agree with a lot of what you said, but when putting people in the water (and hopefully taking them out) is your business you need to take on some of the responsibility too. It's not all up to the diver the dive op has some choices to make too.

 

[Mike]

Three different references I found online rate the site as intermediate.

 

[MMM]

With this official confirmation in the media, I am going to request that another moderator (besides myself, since I started and am in the thread) move this to the accidents and incidents forum where special rules apply with respect to speculation, hypothesis, staying on topic and tone. Not that there is much problem with what has been posted thus far but I want to ensure it stays appropriate.

 

[Christi]

With this official confirmation in the media, I am going to request that another moderator (besides myself, since I started and am in the thread) move this to the accidents and incidents forum where special rules apply with respect to speculation, hypothesis, staying on topic and tone. Not that there is much problem with what has been posted thus far but I want to ensure it stays appropriate.

Thank you! I agree with you - it's time. This is terribly sad Prayers remain with family, friends, the crew, and search teams. RIP Leslie :angel:

 

[diversteve]

---

---

A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

moved to A&I

---

 

[morecowbells]

I am not trying to knock PADI, but I have reaped far more useful infomation about handling diving mishaps and emergencies on this forum than my PADI OW training. As a healthcare professional I am required to work XYZ hours a year and fulfill a designated amount of time completing continuing education hours. I have often wondered why certifying dive agencies do not have these requirements. Last year when in Cozumel I got separated from my dive group and buddy. I was a moron who was obsessed with taking a photo of a salad plate sized turtle behind a coral head when the currents became quite strong on Torrementos Reef. My husband was pulled away along with the rest of the divers, despite his under water maraca, I did not hear a thing. When I realized I was completely alone, it was single handed the most terrifying event of my life. I honestly think the only reason I didn't totally panic was because I read about a similar incident on the A & I forum before our trip. We all met up on the surface, but I was shaken up for several hours. Lesson learned. 1) Always respect the buddy system. 2) Nothing works as well as the old school wrench as a tank banger for getting ones attention 3) I never thought I could fill my mask up with tears.

My thoughts and prayers not only go out to the family of this lady, but everyone affected by this. I hope we can learn from what happened, and perhaps it will save lives down the road.

 

[Mike]

Problem is a divemaster has limitations on how much control he has over a group of divers. Add current or darkness and the control reduces even more. A pair of divers can also easily swim away from the group or dawdle too long in a drift environment and basically almost eliminating any control a DM has over them once out of range of visibility. The safer measure a dive master can take is ensure divers are diving in pairs and are keeping situational awareness of each other and therefore able to deal with a problem themselves on the micro level while the dive master watches over the group on the macro level. I've witnessed more than one good dive master signal to two divers who are ignoring buddy protocol, motioning with index fingers of both hands giving the get closer to each other signal. With divers keeping watch on their buddy the dive master basically cuts the gross number of divers he has in his group to watch over by 50 percent. I've also witness more than one diver being pissed off after the dive at their perception of the DM "repromanding" or "correcting" them under water.

 

[Dom Perignon]

Found this other story. No additional details.



----------
Devora’ mar a una turista
(martes, enero 15, 2013 )
aquiencozumel.blogspot.ca/2013/01/devora-mar-una-turista.html

Buceaba con guías de Dive Paradise, cuando una corriente la alejó del grupo; fracasa operativo de búsqueda.

Una turista de nacionalidad estadounidense se perdió mientras buceaba por la zona arrecifal “Palancar”, por lo que prestadores de servicios acuáticos, diversas casas de buceo y autoridades de la Naval y Capitanía de Puerto se unieron para la búsqueda por cielo, mar y tierra.

A muy temprana hora de ayer, la turista de nombre Lashle Tamara, de 43 años, originaria de Estados Unidos, quien vacaciona en isla con su familia y estaban hospedados en el hotel Cozumel and Resort, ya que llegaron para practicar el buceo, por lo que alrededor de las 10:30 horas con guías de la casa Dive Paradise a bordo de la lancha Calipso se fueron a la zona sur donde se sumergieron en el arrecife Paraíso.

Al finalizar el tour salieron a la superficie y se percataron que Lashle, no estaba con ellos, por lo que autoridades marítimas implementaron un amplio operativo por mar, tierra y aire, con la esperanza de encontrar sana y salva a la turista, la cual había buceado con un grupo de amigos en unas cavernas de la zona sur de la isla.

Buzos expertos que estaban por el lugar aseguraron que las corrientes por el arrecife “Palancar” son cambiantes, lo que originó presuntamente que la turista se desviara, por lo que las autoridades marítimas, como el Sector Naval de Cozumel y Capitanía de Puerto, implementaron una búsqueda por mar, tierra y aire, con la firme esperanza de hallar viva a la turista.

Agregaron que conforme pasan las horas, la probabilidad de encontrarla con vida es muy escasa, se presume que pudo haber quedado atrapada en las cavernas o fue jalada por la corriente, por lo que al cierre de esta edición a las 18:30 horas el operativo continuaba, a fin de dar con su paradero y esperan que esté aún con vida.

 

[MMM]

Mi espanol no es bueno. I can make out the gist of this but if you would care to do a rough translation, that would be appreciated since mine would be poor, at best. Thanks.

Found this other story. No additional details..

 

[Ron Lee]

Last year when in Cozumel I got separated from my dive group and buddy. ...... When I realized I was completely alone, it was single handed the most terrifying event of my life. I honestly think the only reason I didn't totally panic was because I read about a similar incident on the A & I forum before our trip. We all met up on the surface, but I was shaken up for several hours. Lesson learned. 1) Always respect the buddy system. 2) Nothing works as well as the old school wrench as a tank banger for getting ones attention 3) I never thought I could fill my mask up with tears.

CowBells, I will give you my non-PADI sanctioned comment:

1) Rescue diver training is perhaps the best that I ever took.
2) Self-reliance. Do your research but aspects of solo diving are part of this. You should never be afraid of looking at baby trunkfish or yellowtail damselfish and looking up to see no one around. Whether you swim in the current direction for a minute or so or go to the surface is your choice. Just become comfortable if/when you become separated from your buddy.