Michigan Diver Missing at White Lake

[DandyDon]

Diver missing after exploring shipwreck | WOOD TV8

MONTAGUE, Mich. (WOOD) - A scuba diver exploring a sunken shipwreck in the waters off Muskegon County's White Lake channel did not surface with other divers, prompting a search by the US Coast Guard.

Crews were called to the scene, about a mile off shore, about 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

The Coast Guard said divers were exploring a sunken vessel in the area, but when they resurfaced one diver did not come back up.

The Coast Guard, Muskegon Sheriff's Department Dive Team, the Whitehall Fire Department, and the DNR are involved in the search and on the scene.

 

[straitsdiver]

Carl Gustin & Courtney Perna FOX 17 News WXMI:

2:43 p.m. EDT, July 3, 2011
MUSKEGON COUNTY—

Divers Sunday morning recovered the body of a scuba diver missing in Lake Michigan in Muskegon County since Saturday evening.

The search resumed at 7:30 a.m. Sunday after a water rescue effort turned into a recovery effort on Saturday. Todd Dunham of the Muskegon County Sheriff Dive Team told FOX 17 NEWS that at 9:52 a.m. Sunday divers using a sonar scan recovered the body of Timothy Judge, 44, of Allendale on the bottom of Lake Michigan in 65 feet of water.

Dunham said the recovery was a joint effort by the Muskegon County, Norton Shores and Ottawa County marine divisions.

 

[DandyDon]

Additional pieces of possible info....

Excerpted from UPDATE: Diver's body found in Lake Michigan | wzzm13.com

Judge was the first in the water. After only a few seconds in, investigators say he started yelling to his friends for help. He then went under.

from Muskegon County dive team recovers Allendale scuba diver's body | MLive.com

Dunham said the other divers in the group watched Judge enter the water with most of his dive gear on and his fins in hand shortly after the boat anchored.

Judge struggled to put his fins on and quickly sank into the water, said Dunham. When rescuers found Judge's body, they observed that his buoyancy-compensating vest was completely without air.

The dive team, with help from Norton Shores and Ottawa County marine divisions, recovered the body about 10 a.m. Sunday. The body was found using side-scan sonar about 100 feet from the shipwreck.

Dunham said it is possible that Judge had trouble inflating the vest when he entered the water and without flippers to help tread water was unable to stay afloat in his heavy gear.

from Scuba Diver Missing in Lake Michigan - wsbt.com

Witnesses said the man was struggling with his flipper at the surface about one mile from shore, he yelled for help, went underwater and did not resurface.

If those remarks happen to be correct, sounds like maybe he was overweighted, couldn't inflate BC, didn't drop weights - an all too common lethal combination. I wonder why he would enter with fins off tho? I have never seen anyone do that.

Whether my speculation is on or not, still - another reminder...!

Check your weighting

Check and buddy check your inflator

Orally inflate if needed

Drop weights when in trouble

Practice practice practice - drill on those last three as they are the live and die mistakes so often made at the last moment.​

I am so puzzled about going in without fins on? Losing a fin is a minor inconvenience if nothing else goes wrong, but without them - add any problems, and things escalate quickly.

 

[letsfindout]

Heard about this one this weekend.

Check, check, and check again. Wondering if he jumped in without checking the tank?

Sink to the bottom? Make sure sure you're reg is in your mouth and inflate.

Inflator not working? Might have to orally inflate, but at least you can still breathe whilst you figure things out.

Unable to breathe off reg? Hopefully you can reach your post or you may be in trouble.

So far the articles I'm finding are very vague in what happened. I'll keep researching as I really want to find out the cause.

 

[VooDooGasMan]

Don, in the great lakes there is very little current, there is current under the mack bridge, and other areas, not much though. The wave are tight, even on a wide beam and good captain, you will be a rockin when entering water. once in you can pretty easily swim to bouy, anchor line.

To safely giant stride, a lot of times you jump in, then put fins on. so actually like all diving, GL's divers are very quick to put fins on, within 30 seconds.

With a nice platform on back and good handles, problem is with fuel cost, not many boats like that. Mostly 30+' with little door, or roll off. With a boat in a bad position, 3 wave, you got water in boat 6 waves your sinking, 10 waves, your boat ins now a dive site, Known as a great lakes wreck dive.

So they actually have three ways to enter the water.

Now for long deco I can can sick if I watch the line it goes up and down, constantly. A good mooring buoy is great thing, yet they are lost and a lot or work.

Best diving in the world and lucky to get three good months, and to get a good day.

Don go there and dive, you meet divers at boat launch, and you wait till captain says ready to go, sometimes you meet tomorrow.

There are others that go, and they are more than likely on this board and no how to handle most times of weather, but are not taking paying customers.

 

[Laine]

My husband and I grew up on the Lake Michigan coastline near White Lake. We headed for the beach that late afternoon to enjoy that length of beach and to watch the sunset. As I walked toward the White Lake channel I noticed a Coast Guard helicoptor flying up and down that stretch of coastline. Many passes were made and I grew increasingly nervous that a search was in progress. It was not until later that we got the news of the missing diver. As it happens I have dove that location in the past.

Our heartfelt prayers reach out to the family. As a fellow Michigan diver we were saddened with the news.
Laine

 

[DandyDon]

VooDooGasMan, that did not read easily, but you're saying it is common to enter with fins in hands? Even if so, it would be prudent to check and buddy check all gear and enter with buddies.* It would seem like there may well have been a number of failures here...?

* I've had buds who stayed below when I ascended and/or left the water when I didn't see - even done an emergency pony bottle search of the Santa Rosa NM Hole once for one, only to find out he was at his car. I can descend with anyone, but always wait on the slow to equalize, etc and one of the hard requests I make of buds is that we enter, descend, dive, ascend, and exit together - or else.​

 

[fdog]

Don, in tropical water I'll as often as not step in from the back of the boat with fins in hand. ...Actually, probabally more often.

And why not? It's easier to walk on deck, I can easily walk past folks flailing at the exit gate, use the float time on the surface to slip on my fins...it's a win-win all around.

It's my responsibility to make sure I'm in a dive-ready configuration before stepping off the boat, and I do...the "three breaths of life" (three hard fast breaths looking at the SPG), and make sure the power inflator power-inflates. If something goes wrong, I can ditch weight, turn on gas, or hold my breath and put on my fins. <shrugs>

Of course this takes some judgement. I don't do it in a dry suit while laden with stages and a scooter, lest I turn into an upside down michelin man with the dry suit boots popped off my feet. And I wouldn't do it in big seas or with a boat that might run me over.

It's a tool. When the conditions are right, it is the easiest way off the boat.


All the best, James

 

[jtivat]

VooDooGasMan, that did not read easily, but you're saying it is common to enter with fins in hands? Even if so, it would be prudent to check and buddy check all gear and enter with buddies.* It would seem like there may well have been a number of failures here...?

I think that is what he was saying, however in my hundreds a Great Lakes boat dives I have never seen anyone go in without fins.

 

[diver 85]

I think that is what he was saying, however in my hundreds a Great Lakes boat dives I have never seen anyone go in without fins.

IMO, this is the more prudent way of doing it---ie if you mean go in with fins ON...