So, recently my team made an almost fatal error when we failed to turn the dive before getting into a silt out and lost diver situation. The team consisted of three divers. Two CCR and one OC. All of us full cave, trimix, dpv, etc. CCR with over 300 hours each on our units, OC diver on sidemount 130's. Not very familiar with the cave we were diving, we asked a nearby "local" diver for advice and he provided what seemed like clear directions. We followed the plan and scootered to the dropoff point then swam upstream where we enter the offshoot which headed downstream. Our initial plan was to exit upstream of our scooters and drift down to pick them up. Maybe 400 feet into this side tunnel I came to a restriction and had difficuly getting thru with my backmount CCR and two sidemounted 80's. This is where I should have turned the dive, and this is where either of my teammates should have questioned my sanity and mental state. Not knowing what was after the restriction, not expecting it to be that tight, not being briefed from the "local" that the passage further on does not widen, but instead narrows to sidemount only, or at least backmount without stages, all of this did not enter my mind and apparently none of my teammates either. So we continued on. Two hundred feet further I had to squeeze into the silt to get thru a passage and was sure my buddies could not see my light or fins. Now I discoverd I was at the end of this line BUT there ahead of me is a line with a line arrow. I tied a spool on and made the jump. Continuing on I came to the end of this line as well, but could see the gold line a short distance away. Looking back I saw two lights and thinking my team was right behind me I swam to the gold line and waited. ONLY one teammate emerged. What I thought were two divers was one with a helmet light and hand mount. The sidemount diver was low on gas so I pointed him to the exit indicatng I was going to do a lost dive search since I had three hours of scubber left. Never have I been more glad to have a CCR and know that the diver I'm looking for has one as well. I tied my line into the gold line and started back into tight, low, zero vis cave. After searching for a short time I heard a clanking and answered with my own. A little further I came to a slightly larger area and found his fin in the dim light. I tugged it and he came around to face me. I put him on my line and he exited with me following. We got to the gold line, swam up to our scooters, and exited the water after 30 minutes of deco.
In retrospect, I should have turned the dive at that restriction and not let the other divers come thru. Also, any one of them should have turned it since anyone can turn the dive, for any reason, at any time.
AND I should not have assumed that the two lights meant two divers. Should have run another jump reel and tied into the gold line until we were all out.
In retrospect, I should have turned the dive at that restriction and not let the other divers come thru. Also, any one of them should have turned it since anyone can turn the dive, for any reason, at any time.
AND I should not have assumed that the two lights meant two divers. Should have run another jump reel and tied into the gold line until we were all out.
