Team member fatality - Truk Lagoon, Micronesia

[OceanEyes]

Condolences to Amanda’s family, friends, and companions.

I believe that Pete Mesley used the Indies Surveyor which is the only private charter operation that I am aware of that has a recompression chamber on board.

MV Odyssey offers technical charters in Truk and can supply trimix, boosted oxygen, twinsets, scrubber material, CCR bottles, and assorted bailout/deco/stage cylinders. Divers have to bring their own rigging for these, and mounting hardware for the CCR tanks.

 

[Tracy]

Are they equipped with a deck recompression chamber? ’Just curious.

SeaRat

No.

Nothing against the operator at all. But the fact that Pete has access to the chamber and brings an operator for it were some of the major reasons I chose Lust for Rust over Dirty Dozen as my preferred dive operation. It is a long ways from nowhere to have an issue.

 

[Dusty123]

No.

Nothing against the operator at all. But the fact that Pete has access to the chamber and brings an operator for it were some of the major reasons I chose Lust for Rust over Dirty Dozen as my preferred dive operation. It is a long ways from nowhere to have an issue.

For the sake of clarity that (edit was) the situation in Bikini… In Truk Lagoon, at least presently….Dirty Dozen operates from Pacific Master (MV Taka) and Lust4Rust operates from Blue Lagoon Resort. I would assume both operators and whoever else utilize the chamber on Chuuk, which was operational a week ago when I was there.

 

[nadwidny]

The for the correction. The only boat operating technical charters in that area that I know of is the boat Pete Mesley uses for his one off Bikini charters.

Pete doesn't do Bikini anymore. He hasn't for a while. I can't remember what boat he used when he did but that one did have a chamber. For his Truk tech stuff he is land based out of Blue Lagoon and has been since at least 2019 when I went on one of his trips.

The Dirty Dozen (that's who I went with this time) do their tech trips to Chuuk using Master Liveaboards. Master Liveaboards used to run the Truk Master for both their Truk and Bikini trips but things are changing as they have acquired a new boat or two. I think they are running 2 boats this year to Bikini to catch up.

 

[Tracy]

For the sake of clarity that (edit was) the situation in Bikini… In Truk Lagoon, at least presently….Dirty Dozen operates from Pacific Master (MV Taka) and Lust4Rust operates from Blue Lagoon Resort. I would assume both operators and whoever else utilize the chamber on Chuuk, which was operational a week ago when I was there.

I am speaking of Truk. Pete trips include a chamber operator on site. The chamber on Truk is not staffed.

 

[DiveTucson]

I am speaking of Truk. Pete trips include a chamber operator on site. The chamber on Truk is not staffed.

The chamber in Truk is staffed at least it was in 2020 when I was there when the hyperbaric MD on our trip got bent due to an unknown PFO despite screening pre trip and needed the chamber. It was staffed by an awesome MD from the Philippines.

Pete does bring a hyperbaric MD on all of his trips to Truk something I started to do as well but the chamber in Truk is thankfully staffed.

Needless to say I don’t think this all as anything to do with the most recent death. Diving is a sport with unseen risks and sometimes bad **** happens no matter what.

 

[nadwidny]

I am speaking of Truk. Pete trips include a chamber operator on site. The chamber on Truk is not staffed.

Wrong. It is. It was used just a couple weeks ago by a couple of divers.

 

[Tracy]

Wrong. It is. It was used just a couple weeks ago by a couple of divers.

I wasn't saying it wasn't in use. I was told that it wasn't staffed. There is someone on call that can come in, but not staffed full time.
I could have incorrect information. But I have been told that by multiple different operations.

 

[nadwidny]

I wasn't saying it wasn't in use. I was told that it wasn't staffed. There is someone on call that can come in, but not staffed full time.
I could have incorrect information. But I have been told that by multiple different operations.

Even when Pete brought people in, the staffing levels remained the same. Someone was on call, but there was never one of Pete's people sitting on a stool waiting for a diver to hobble in. Even the best mind in decompression treatment needs someone to bring the key to the joint.

The people that Pete brought in were a welcome augmentation to the operation but they weren't there 24/7.

 

[HockeyDoc]

What a terrible occurrence