Unconscious diver flown from Eureka rig - California

[Still Kicking]

Sorry to hear of the fatality - RIP.

An alternative means of harvest is to pry entire scallops off the rig and shuck them at the surface. The problem is that 10 big scallops easily weigh 30+ pounds so not a good idea with no hard bottom.

Better to clean them in situ. It's best to stow them in a sturdy mesh bag as the big sheephead know that scallops in a ziplock bag are easy prey.

 

[Larryjd1]

@markmud gave a great description of the process using the icing knife (which the dive boat operator usually offers for sale onboard along with the license.)

I am not familiar with how you harvest scallops: how would it come in halves ?

During the process of cutting the muscle if you don't run the knife along the back edge of the shell you can cut through the meat, or in handling while extracting from the shell.

Because it could break if you try to detach one that it attached to the structure ?

You are encouraged to leave the shell attached to the structure as it will then be used to grow the next scallop.

 

[Still Kicking]

The scallops are periodically pressure blasted off the rigs down to about 60' to reduce stress on the structure due to surge and current. I hear the company doing the job used to catch the scallops in nets, clean them and sell them commercially but it became unfeasible for one reason or another and now the scallops fall to the bottom.
.

 

[Diamondeve21]

This was very sad. I was in the area on my boat when the call went out to the Coast Guard. It was very chilling to listen to the conversations between the captain and CG.

Do you know exactly what happened? Did you hear the specifics of how he became unconscious？

 

[Lawgeek]

Do you know exactly what happened? Did you hear the specifics of how he became unconscious？

The details of the dive were sketchy. Believed to be in about 80' of water (captain did not sound too sure about that though). Was found unresponsive and brought to surface. Never regained consciousnesses and crew was administering CPR. The last I heard was that there was no pulse and CG copter was 20 min. out. They were planning on taking him to Catalina dive chamber. Not sure if they ever did.

 

[andylook]

hi guys,

unfortunately, the victim was a personal friend of mine....but i wasn't diving with him at the time of the accident.

from what I know, he was flown to the dive chamber on catalina..

details about the dive was unclear as well.

 

[wedivebc]

hi guys,

unfortunately, the victim was a personal friend of mine....but i wasn't diving with him at the time of the accident.

from what I know, he was flown to the dive chamber on catalina..

details about the dive was unclear as well.

So sorry about your friend.

 

[vladodessit]

Do we know what boat it was? Just trying to find out details

 

[Diamondeve21]

I know the agency he went out with is called Ocean One Scuba Center and they typically board the Explorer... but I don’t know if there were on a different boat when the incident happened...

 

[Diamondeve21]

hi guys,

unfortunately, the victim was a personal friend of mine....but i wasn't diving with him at the time of the accident.

from what I know, he was flown to the dive chamber on catalina..

details about the dive was unclear as well.

Sorry for what happened...