San Diego Dive Fatality 9-29-09

[DandyDon]

I am NOT rescue-trained (yet) and I sure wouldn't want to find myself in the situation of feeling like I have to jump in to rescue a diver that I don't know. If it was that or let the dude drown, naturally I'd do it - but I'd rather not put my own life in jeopardy, and risk leaving my kids without a mother, for a stranger that just happened to book the same dive boat as me.

One of the important lessons in Rescue class is to not make yourself the next victim, so forget the martyr approach. Your kids need you alive; divers need to learn to follow their training - like with buddy pairs, weight ditching, diving within reasonable limits, etc.

 

[stefo2]

One of the important lessons in Rescue class is to not make yourself the next victim, so forget the martyr approach. Your kids need you alive; divers need to learn to follow their training - like with buddy pairs, weight ditching, diving within reasonable limits, etc.

But I'm sure, DandyDon, you would try something to to prevent a diver at the surface from sinking, whether it was out of stupidity, lack of training or whatever that he forgot to ditch his weight, lost his buddy, ran out of air, you name it!

You don't need to be a martyr or even rescue trained to assist. If he's panicking and poses a danger to a potential rescuer, throw him something that floats, jump in with something floatable and keep it between you and him, jump in an push his BCD over to him, which I guess was still floating about in the water, tell him to ditch his weights - anything! I cannot and don't want to believe that someone, be it the guy on the boat or someone else, would just stand by and watch. According to what this Pro Diver person wrote, the "DM" tried to hold him up from the boat - that diver was on the surface within reach of the boat - and he drowned!

Someone who forgets his most basic training may be stupid and would probably get a good beating from me (figuratively speaking) afterwards, but that still doesn't mean he deserves to die.

 

[DandyDon]

But I'm sure, DandyDon, you would try something to to prevent a diver at the surface from sinking, whether it was out of stupidity, lack of training or whatever that he forgot to ditch his weight, lost his buddy, ran out of air, you name it!

Me? That's often different from my advice. Many times I have done more than I would ask others to do. Other times it was all I could do to save my own butt. Have needed help too.

You don't need to be a martyr or even rescue trained to assist. If he's panicking and poses a danger to a potential rescuer, throw him something that floats, jump in an push his BCD over to him, which I guess was still floating about in the water, tell him to ditch his weights - anything! I cannot and don't want to believe that someone, be it the guy on the boat or someone else, would just stand by and watch.

Good ideas, but it sounds like by the time failure was obvious he was already out of sight and sinking. Too late.

Someone who forgets his most basic training may be stupid and would probably get a good beating from me (figuratively speaking) afterwards, but that still doesn't mean he deserves to die.

No, of course not. I've been the savior and the savee both. I just don't want to suggest anyone sacrifice their own safety unreasonably - even if I might try.

 

[ItsBruce]

In California, a bystander generally has no legal duty to help someone who is drowning. There is an exception if the bystander is the one who caused the situation. There is also an exception if the bystander prevented others from intervening or assisting. And, there is an exception of the bystander assumed a duty to assist, such as by telling the victim he or she would be there in the event of an emergency. There is even a famous case in which the court held that paramedics did not have a duty to come to the aid of a shooting victim who bled to death while the paramedics watched. They fell under the general rule and none of the exceptions applied.

Thus, if someone on the dive boat told the victim to remove his BCD, that is causing the injury and there is probably liability. However, if the victim removed his BCD on his own and started to sink, people on the boat are likely not under any specific duty to come to his rescue. Thus, a DM could likely have watched him sink with impunity. And, I can see a lawyer arguing that if the DM could have just watched, not having a DM did not actually contribute to the diver's death.

Note: None of the foregoing should be taken to imply that I would ever dive with the particular operator.

 

[stefo2]

Good ideas, but it sounds like by the time failure was obvious he was already out of sight and sinking. Too late.

You may be right there. Still, unless someone comes here and explains why it was impossible, I cannot quite imagine that there was nothing that could have been done for this guy.

I just don't want to suggest anyone sacrifice their own safety unreasonably - even if I might try.

That's good to know. It was this sentence

divers need to learn to follow their training - like with buddy pairs, weight ditching, diving within reasonable limits

that to me sounded a bit odd in this context. After all - had diver survived, he may actually have learnt something from the incident.

 

[DandyDon]

That's good to know. It was this sentence that to me sounded a bit odd in this context. After all - had diver survived, he may actually have learnt something from the incident.

Always a the good approach if not unduly endangering.

 

[gcbryan]

I'm not clear regarding this DM. I haven't seen him mentioned in any published report. In any event, if it's similar to the way charters are operated up here the DM would more or less be a deck hand. He wouldn't have on a dry suit.

If a diver came to the surface and was out of air, panicking, and removed his BC but not weights and dropped to the bottom there is not much one could do.

You could grab a flotation devise and try to get it to him if possible but I doubt if it would be in time in this scenario.

I'm kind of assuming no other divers in the water saw him and that no one on the boat had their exposure protection on. I'm also assuming that this all took place rather unexpectedly and quickly.

 

[DandyDon]

I've seen So Calf DMs enter the water to assist in the wet suits they wore all day on deck, and in just swim suits. In a wet suit tho, no other gear - a DM could not get down to save a sinking diver. In this case, it sounds like a fully geared Rescue diver would be needed at just the right time.

How many here regularly drill on weight dropping so they can in a panic...?

 

[merxlin]

I've seen So Calf DMs enter the water to assist in the wet suits they wore all day on deck, and in just swim suits. In a wet suit tho, no other gear - a DM could not get down to save a sinking diver. In this case, it sounds like a fully geared Rescue diver would be needed at just the right time.

How many here regularly drill on weight dropping so they can in a panic...?

You are right Don, A typical DM would not be able to drop in and help a diver below the surface. Also, all comments about the DM being in the water have been removed, so maybe that was not the case.

And I hope that anyone who drills does it to prevent panic. I don't know how much good it does once panic sets in.

 

[Thalassamania]

Correct: How many drill so that they respond before they panic?