Lost diver in Puget Sound

[lamont]

I believe the quote was "people missing from all over Puget Sound" ... I suspect a tiny minority of them were wearing scuba gear at the time they went missing.

From the sounds of it, Kirby found Chad ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I hope so, and that is where I'd lay my bets.

But I know that this thread was read by Chad's loved ones at one point. Right at this point in time there's no public information positively identifying this diver as Chad, and there's at *least* one other possible body that it could be:

http://www.northwestdiver.com/showthread.php?t=15066

I just want to keep expectations set accurately.

 

[edm81363]

Is there any word of what happened to the "instructor" in this incident?

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

To wrap up this sad story, I just read on another forum ... from the person who found the diver in August ... that the coroner's office has positively identified the body as Chad.

RIP Chad ... may your family finally find some peace in your recovery ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

Bob, anyone word on what has happened to Dave the instructor? Is there any pending legal action? Do you guys still see him when you are out diving?

It is a sad story from start to finish.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Bob, anyone word on what has happened to Dave the instructor? Is there any pending legal action? Do you guys still see him when you are out diving?

It is a sad story from start to finish.

I haven't seen Dave in a long time. I have no idea if he's even still in the area ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Craig Baumann]

Recently I began my technical diver training and worked on a profile close to what these divers were doing. To perform this dive safely, I figured a dive plan using twin, low pressure 95's filled with Nitrox and 80% O2 for a stage bottle decompression above 20 feet. The plans I worked through depending on bottom time, required between four and five decompression stops on my way back to the surface.

It has been a while since this accident and I believe I heard all the bodies from this terrible event are recovered. One thing for my morbid curiosity I would like to do, is perform this dive using the proper gear and dive planning, however it is very clear to me single AL 80s if that is what was used, did not provide the proper amount of gas for these divers. It did not sound like the divers exceeded the maximum depth on air according to US Navy dive tables, so it was less a matter of gas mixture than air volume.

Safe diving and best wishes...

 

[cerich]

Recently I began my technical diver training and worked on a profile close to what these divers were doing. To perform this dive safely, I figured a dive plan using twin, low pressure 95's filled with Nitrox and 80% O2 for a stage bottle decompression above 20 feet. The plans I worked through depending on bottom time, required between four and five decompression stops on my way back to the surface.

It has been a while since this accident and I believe I heard all the bodies from this terrible event are recovered. One thing for my morbid curiosity I would like to do, is perform this dive using the proper gear and dive planning, however it is very clear to me single AL 80s if that is what was used, did not provide the proper amount of gas for these divers. It did not sound like the divers exceeded the maximum depth on air according to US Navy dive tables, so it was less a matter of gas mixture than air volume.

Safe diving and best wishes...

Please don't. Dives to that depth really do require you use a bottom gas with Helium. What you are describing is "old school" tech diving and there are better and safer ways to dive.

I consider this only marginally safer than what lead to this tragedy.
Best,

Chris

 

[Craig Baumann]

I thought the depth at Lobster Shop Wall was around 150ft, but in talking around, I hear it is more like 200ft. If that is true, thanks for warning folks. By the time you create a Nitrox mix that will let you work at that depth you are nearly breathing air, and air at 200ft creates its own problems.

Although Nitrox diving with tech gear and the use of Navy decompression tables is beneficial in some cases, you are correct in my limited experience... 200 foot is deep on any mixture beside complex gasses, and diving under any condition falling short of extended and extensive training, is dangerous.

Safe diving... CB

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

FWIW - Chad's body was found at 205 fsw ... and the recorded depth on his buddy's dive computer at the time of the accident was 211.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[chucknorris]

How did Chad see a diver at over 210 feet if he was at 189 when the vis was 6ft? Maybe I missed something but there seems to be inconsistencies in this story.