Scuabamau diving accident

[DandyDon]

I've been off camping at a lake with poor cel reception but posting some comments to my FB page, unable to see replies, Scubaboard, etc. - but able to get Private Messages, so I finally heard about this in some brief texts. It's certainly sad news about a couple of wonderful people along with their friend. It was all I could do to not leave early so I could log on at home and see what's posted but a couple of FB diver friends filled me in pretty well, and my thanks to them.

My home bud did not go with me last time so I gave him copies of my DAN documents, trip insurance, passport, etc. along with my daughter. I assured them both that I try to dive safely, not screw up again, and come home safely - but in case of caca, my fault or not, if I am unable to care for myself, try to get me evaced to Houston or Miami but make sure DAN or my trip insurance sets that up as required, as well as set her up with a paid trip to wherever I am taken. I don't know if the Coz DMs commonly are insured with DAN or not, but I hope so.

And of course hoping for the best for them. I think that Victor is Opal's right hand man now and suspect that the is taking care of business & visiting divers as needed.

No one knows why? Well if you knew that particular dive guide you would know he is very well known for diving like this and has done it with customers before.

Cipoco addressed your comments well enough, but really - when I dived with Gabi last week, he was very careful about my well being. I was tempted to tell him that I had a my pony, SMB and spool and knew how to use them - but I have screwed up at times as did appreciate him looking after me, even if it felt a bit much.

Don't know the folks involved, and I know they have a lot of friends among their clientele.

And yes, those dive plans are much more common than most visiting rec. divers realize.

I certainly doubt that 300 ft was the plan. There might have been a deeper plan than recreational limits, I don't know at all, but maybe - but whatever the plan, I feel pretty certain something reasonably unexpected happened.

Idk but I can see a diver getting caught in a down current and two nearby dms going after him.

Yep, or a rogue current catching them all three maybe? If I get caught or screw up and find myself in trouble, I do not expect a DM to come save me - but they do that.

I agree with Reefhound, and a down current has been my suspicion right from the first post. We don't hear of them all that often but they exist & have been discussed before. One or more of them could have been swept away & those able would try to help.

Also I really have a hard time understanding the need of some to post very speculative information based on nothing but their suspicions of something they weren't a part of, weren't involved with nor were they informed of the plan in any way. Guessing the cause of something like this based on rumors & then posting it on the internet is a good way to loose the respect of other readers, and once you're proven wrong my guess is that you'll fade away rather than post an apology. Unless you have facts that can be verified it's best to just keep with the theme of hoping for a good outcome and offering a supportive message, not condemnation because you think yourself better than the rest of us.

Well said, thank you.

I am not one who thinks of Cozumel as beginner diving really, and am quick to suggest hiring private DMs to newbies who do visit for their first time or at least for first ocean dives - but we don't discuss down currents much. Maybe we should risk scaring some and do so more?

 

[bhalah]

Kevin, what devastating news, I can't imagine how you and scubadoc felt when you first heard.
All my hopes and prayers that Opal, Gabi, and their friend recover quickly, and completely.

 

[jgoldsmith]

glad to see some others from texas praying for opal and gabi they are dear friends of my wife and i we were the first full boat when they opened the shop all of our dives except for our certification has been with these guys they are like our brothers and sisters the wife and i could not sleep after hearing the news keep the prayers going

 

[Laurie S.]

OMG, I just dove with them last month and they are wonderful! I told them that my buddy and I would be back in January to dive with them again. My prayers for Opal, Gabi, and the guest diver.

 

[CheddarChick]

WOW.....All our prayers are with you Scubamau.......

 

[Mike]

Wow, this is really awful. I hope everything works out for everyone involved.

This kind of stuff really rattles me. Opal and Gabi obviously have a tremendous amount of dives under their belts, for something like this to happen to such experienced divers really is a wake up call of how dangerous diving can be and how almost randomly a incident can occur to any of us. Especially somebody like me who goes diving a couple of times a year. On the one hand you almost wish to hear this is something the divers brought upon themselves just to give you peace of mind about your own safety, but of course you can't really wish that, these are real people and you don't wish something like that on anyone. It's going to really rattle me to learn this was another down current incident if that's what it turns out to be. That's really going to freak me out. If divers of this caliber suffered this fate in such an incident it doesn't give me confidence I'd stand any chance. :depressed:

Wishing them a speedy and full recovery.

 

[gypsyjim]

Thanks for the update Kevin. Hopefully the improvements continue.

After that we can begin to discuss the incident itself, and the hows and whys, so we can all learn. Till we learn the true facts of the dive much of this is all just useless speculation, and accusation, that helps no one.

 

[DandyDon]

Firstdive/Kevin, when you feel up to it - I think it would be good to start a new thread in Accidents explaining what did happen, and link it here. Putting it off until later leaves the door open to speculations.

Glad to hear that Opal woke up and argued. She is such a sweetie. If I were 20+ years younger and a good diver, I'd be tempted to move to Coz and explore further possibilities.

 

[MMM]

By the way Opal woke up in the chamber and wanted her tubes out.

Wow, again. That is very encouraging.

 

[firstdive2005]

Firstdive/Kevin, when you feel up to it - I think it would be good to start a new thread in Accidents explaining what did happen, and link it here. Putting it off until later leaves the door open to speculations.

Glad to hear that Opal woke up and argued. She is such a sweetie. If I were 20+ years younger and a good diver, I'd be tempted to move to Coz and explore further possibilities.

uh Don only 20???????????????????????????????????????????