Scuba Death in Cozumel Early this Week???

[got4boyz]

I was diving in Cozumel on Monday, February 23, 2004. On Tuesday I was told by other divers that someone died while diving on Monday near where we were diving at Palancar Caves. They didn't know any details and I was wondering if anyone had heard anything or how to find out if it's true, and what happened.

 

[Gary D.]

I was diving in Cozumel on Monday, February 23, 2004. On Tuesday I was told by other divers that someone died while diving on Monday near where we were diving at Palancar Caves. They didn't know any details and I was wondering if anyone had heard anything or how to find out if it's true, and what happened.

What part of Idaho?

Gary D.

 

[got4boyz]

Southeast Idaho, right on the Wyoming Border, in Driggs, on the other side of the Tetons from Jackson Hole, Wyoming!

 

[diverlady]

but here's a link to Rodale's where DocVikingo posted it.

RSD

Diverlady

 

[got4boyz]

Thanks Diver Lady. That's really sad. Wish I knew more detail. Sounds like she had trouble with her low pressure inflator and wasn't able to air up her BC at surface.

I had that happen the very day she died on my first dive. I went down and when I tried to get bouyant my low pressure inflator wasn't working. I couldn't get it to work so I motioned my husband (buddy) over and he was able to get it to work. Luckily I was able to kneel in sand at 60 feet as he fixed it and I could have still swam up to the surface and got back on the boat because I wasn't overweighted or anything, but it reminded me that I need to remember to check EVERYTHING before I dive.

 

[Charlie99]

I had that happen the very day she died on my first dive. I went down and when I tried to get bouyant my low pressure inflator wasn't working. I couldn't get it to work so I motioned my husband (buddy) over and he was able to get it to work. Luckily I was able to kneel in sand at 60 feet as he fixed it and I could have still swam up to the surface and got back on the boat because I wasn't overweighted or anything, but it reminded me that I need to remember to check EVERYTHING before I dive.

You should also practice orally inflating your BC while diving. An LPI inflator hose coming off the BCD shouldn't be a big deal.

 

[scubasean]

You should also practice orally inflating your BC while diving. An LPI inflator hose coming off the BCD shouldn't be a big deal.

And if you get in trouble and are on the surface, remember to dump your weights...That is often plenty enough to cause you to float without a B/C.

 

[tx.lakerats]

Very sad, my heart goes to the husband...

This is just a reminder that the basic skills that we teach need to be like reg. recovery... We NEED to remember...

 

[got4boyz]

You should also practice orally inflating your BC while diving. An LPI inflator hose coming off the BCD shouldn't be a big deal.

Your suggestion brought up an interesting thought Charlie99. I have inflated my BC many times orally at the surface but never underwater. I guess there's no reason you couldn't do it underwater. It was never taught in my classes.

I'm sure in this death there was more involved than just a malfuntioning inflating hose though.

You know Scubasean remembering to dump your weights seems easy, but I guess if you are panicked you can forget everything. So sad!

 

[scubasean]

Your suggestion brought up an interesting thought Charlie99. I have inflated my BC many times orally at the surface but never underwater. I guess there's no reason you couldn't do it underwater. It was never taught in my classes.

My 15 yr old son had to orally inflate under water, since he was given a rental B/C that had a sticky inflator, and he had to disconnect the LP hose...I watched him carefully the whole dive, and he did quite nicely without me...

So, orally inflating underwater works...(certainly not preferred)

You know Scubasean remembering to dump your weights seems easy, but I guess if you are panicked you can forget everything. So sad!

Agreed...Stress and panic does terrible things to otherwise intelligent, rational human beings.