Incident in St Andrews Lake - Regulator failed shut

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

BlueTrin

Scallops aficionado
ScubaBoard Supporter
Messages
4,181
Reaction score
3,208
Location
UK
# of dives
200 - 499
Kent Online article: Second diver airlifted to hospital in month
(The article seems to imply that the diver was severely hurt, that was not the case, he was brought to the hospital just to be checked and everything was fine)

An acquaintance told me yesterday that his buddy had to do a CESA from 26m, because his regulator failed shut and he decided to CESA because he couldn't see my friend's octo apparently.

He is totally fine and got checked at the hospital and chamber.

But I was thinking that a regulator should usually failed open and freeflow, how likely is a regulator to fail shut ?

Apparently this regulator is a new Cressi regulator, do not know the exact model. They had a test dive at a shallower depth before this incident.

Also this happened in a lake that has a severe thermocline and water at the bottom is about 6-8 degrees celsius (42-46 Farenheit), don't know if this can contribute to it ?

They will ask a shop to look at the regulator, will post here if I get more details.
 
and was he using miflex hoses?

The second stage is a downstream valve, so the only way it can fail closed is if something blocked the inlet, or something like the lever broke *never seen that though*.
The first stages are upstream valves so they can fail closed, technically, but it's exceedingly rare and usually happens right after service if something is put in without perfect alignment. I have seen this happen once.
 
Sure they must of tried their own safe second assuming they did before they went up. This would point to a first stage failure... maybe a broken spring. Although that would be strange for a new regulator.
 
I have seen one case of diaphragm first stage failing totally closed.
Seat material delaminated from HP seat. Near impossible to purge reg for removal
 
Not a new reg but i have seen a G250 with a slightly "tweaked" lever where the feet jumped off the poppet. That will do it.
 
how about the tank having stuff in it and when head down vertical it plugged the tank neck?
 
I don’t have more information than below:
  • Apparently the set is new including the hoses
  • He didn’t try to breathe from his octo when he ran OOA but he couldn’t suck any air from his primary
  • There was no free flow
After the incident, at the surface:
  • the SPG showed 135 bar
  • he could breathe from the regs
  • they checked the tank valve and it was open (my first guess was that it was maybe half closed)
The OOA diver is still in the hospital today as this happened less than 24h ago: he’s fine but they wanted to keep him under observation. I guess he will give his set to be checked at some point this week, if I get more info I’ll post it here.

EDIT: I clarified that the 'at the surface' checks were AFTER the incident, apologies.
 
I don’t have more information than below:
  • Apparently the set is new including the hoses
  • At the surface the SPG showed 135 bar
  • At the surface he could breathe from the regs
  • He didn’t try to breathe from his octo when he ran OOA but he couldn’t suck any air from his primary
  • There was no free flow
  • At the surface, they checked the valve and it was open (my first guess was that it was maybe half closed)
The OOA diver is still in the hospital today as this happened less than 24h ago: he’s fine but they wanted to keep him under observation. I guess he will give his set to be checked at some point this week, if I get more info I’ll post it here.
Trying again after the dive would have made narrowing it down easier, total guess with info at hand is a lever problem.
 

Back
Top Bottom