Kansas man dies diving Bonne Terre

[kimbalabala]

From STLtoday.com today 9/26/2011

BONNE TERRE, Mo. • An autopsy will seek to determine the cause of death for a Kansas man who died while diving at Bonne Terre Mines.
The Park Hills Daily Journal reports that the 40-year-old man died Saturday at the old mining site in eastern Missouri that is now a popular place for divers. His name has not been released.
Police are calling it a diving accident, but details have not been released.


Read more: Kansas man dies while diving at Bonne Terre Mines

 

[Ayisha]

Wow, I wonder what trail he was diving. I did five of the beginner trails back in 2003 and they seemed pretty benign in terms of an overhead environment, but the advanced trails do get more restrictive in their layout and in the certs and experience required to do them.

We all had to do a weighting check and mini-checkout dive before the first dive, even instructors. We found the staffing at the time to be top notch in terms of safety, with a full cave diver leading in front and a full cave safety diver bringing up the rear of each small group of ours. Instructors, AI's and DM's from our LDS group were interspersed between the groups as well. There was one diver straying a bit from our group and another falling behind (me with my too heavy pain causing fins at the time), but the safety diver was always patiently just behind and very watchful.

Does anyone know what kind of trail they were doing - beginner, advanced, cave?

 

[Ken Kurtis]

Wow, I wonder what trail he was diving . . . Does anyone know what kind of trail they were doing - beginner, advanced, cave?

This is PURELY SPECULATIVE, HYPOTHETICAL, AND RHETORICAL but . . .

A heart attack won't care what trail you were on. Out-of-air won't care what trail you're on. Given that roughly 70% of fatalities occur due to diver error and 25% due to medical complications (analysis of DAN stats I did from a few years ago), chances are the type of trail won't factor in. The underlying triggers more often are found within the diver, not because of the environment.

Also, I'm always uncomfortable when I see words like "benign" or "easy" or similar terms used to describe a dive. If you're underwater, you're in a hostile environment. It's an environment that can kill you. There's nothing "benign" about that (IMHO).

- Ken

 

[Ayisha]

This is PURELY SPECULATIVE, HYPOTHETICAL, AND RHETORICAL but . . .

A heart attack won't care what trail you were on. Out-of-air won't care what trail you're on. Given that roughly 70% of fatalities occur due to diver error and 25% due to medical complications (analysis of DAN stats I did from a few years ago), chances are the type of trail won't factor in. The underlying triggers more often are found within the diver, not because of the environment.

Also, I'm always uncomfortable when I see words like "benign" or "easy" or similar terms used to describe a dive. If you're underwater, you're in a hostile environment. It's an environment that can kill you. There's nothing "benign" about that (IMHO).

- Ken

I do understand that. I was trying to convey the setup for people who may not be familiar with Bonne Terre Mine. Some people may automatically think that it is all an overhead environment, but the beginning trails are little to no overhead environment. The beginning trails are required before you move on to any other trails and they are essentially wide open caverns with direct access to the surface throughout between 40 and 50 feet deep. There is a permanent guideline but there are also offshoots that someone could get lost in if they got separated from the cave divers.

We do not know the cause of death, so I have no idea if the question of specific location is relevant, but it could give some indication of training and experience if it's an advanced trail. The location on a trail could also affect how fast or slow it would be to get the diver EMS. The full cave divers in front and back look like they carry enough gas (lights, etc.) if the whole group of 6 or 8 ran out of air.

You're right, there's nothing benign about the u/w environment, even or especially when it seems deceptively so.

 

[SoccerJeni]

That is very sad. My prayers to his family & loved ones.

I would be very surprised if it was out of air. The three trails I did you were asked to show the lead guide your SPG so they could sort out those who had to turn around and go back and those who continue on. You were not asked to tell them your air, you had to actually show them your SPG twice on all three dives.

 

[srhein]

We were in Bonne Terre in June of last year. The dive leaders were excellent, but the safety diver following was AOW and had just
hired on the weekend before. Our group had 14 divers on the first trail, which I thought was too many for two leaders and a safety diver. The first trails were as described, well lit and open to the surface except for a couple of short swim-throughs. The trip up and down the stairs was quite strenuous, especially the first and last time when you are toting all your gear.

 

[hypersonic]

Obituary in today's Wichita Eagle:

William R. Patton, age 40, an engineer at Wichita State University, graduate of WSU class of 1993, died Sept 24 in a scuba diving accident.

The obit further states he was an avid camper, hiker, skier, canoeist and racket ball player.

 

[Hatul]

Unless more information comes in the report is not very useful.

 

[AmyJean]

I was diving at Bonne Terre that day when this happended. He was on the 1st trail, 1st dive of the day. He was in a group of 10-13 divers. This was my second visit so my boyfreind and I were doing the next three trails. Very very sad day.

-amy

 

[Jim Lapenta]

This will be interesting to see what actually happened. Medical issue, diver error, etc.