September 1, SoCal Incidents

[ItsBruce]

I was monitoring Channel 16 this afternoon and heard two disconcerting calls. I do not know if they were related. One was between Baywatch and Catalina Chamber in which it appeared that one or more divers was being taken to the chamber at the Isthmus. Catalina Chamber asked if it was one or two helicopters. I could not hear Baywatch's side of the conversation. About 20 minutes later, I heard a Coast Guard notice to mariners to be on the lookout for a missing diver at either Ship Rock or Bird Rock - I forget which. The diver was overdue and was noted as using a rebreather.

I am concerned as friends of mine operate dive boats and other friends are out diving this weekend.

Thanks

 

[promocop]

Oh no. Not again. What the hell is going on in SoCal waters? Please who has an update?

 

[drbill]

Have heard nothing.

 

[5hundo]

I was on the Magician yesterday and they received a call from another boat saying that a diver was missing. It was a smaller boat, and I don't remember the name but the coast guard and LA county sent helicopters for the search. Didn't hear if they had ever found him/her.

The incident occurred just east of Bird Rock.

 

[promocop]

Dr Bill your right there. Update?

 

[fnfalman]

I was on the Magician too, and I heard that the missing diver was a rebreather diver diving off a six-packs. There were choppers flying all over the joint, presumably looking for the missing diver, or now as I know it, maybe to the hyperbaric chamber for somebody else.

By the time we reached mainland, we were told that the missing diver's body was found. That is all I know.

 

[drbill]

Dr Bill your right there. Update?

Living on the island doesn't guarantee I'll hear anything about incidents occurring off mainland dive boats (or even at the other end of the island for that matter). However yesterday I did hear from a local instructor that the CCR diver had gone missing near Bird Rock but she wasn't aware whether (s)he had been found. So far I've heard no other details from any reliable sources.

 

[seansrs36]

Fom what I heard it was aboard Psalty V.

 

[BernardOfCA]

I was monitoring Channel 16 this afternoon and heard two disconcerting calls. I do not know if they were related. One was between Baywatch and Catalina Chamber in which it appeared that one or more divers was being taken to the chamber at the Isthmus. Catalina Chamber asked if it was one or two helicopters. I could not hear Baywatch's side of the conversation. About 20 minutes later, I heard a Coast Guard notice to mariners to be on the lookout for a missing diver at either Ship Rock or Bird Rock - I forget which. The diver was overdue and was noted as using a rebreather.

I am concerned as friends of mine operate dive boats and other friends are out diving this weekend.

Thanks

I was sailing to Two Harbors when I heard the same call. I saw Baywatch starting the search. One coast guard helicopter and later a sheriff helicopter were on scene very quickly doing an aerial search.

Since I could not find any information I inquired at the harbor office and I was told that the diver was found dead. Later in the weekend I was lucky to find someone who had inside information about the incident. The diver was an experienced diver with a rebreather. Baywatch was called after the diver had been in the water for 2.5 hours. The "source" told me that the number of incidents is generally under reported. I tend to agree based on the number of radio calls I hear and the actual number of events that make it in the news.

I am not an experienced diver but I feel that for the safety of everyone, every incident should be published. There is always something to learn.

 

[peterbj7]

I fully agree with that last point, but sadly deaths and major incidents very often are not just unreported but actively suppressed.