"What if ..?"

[Trace Malinowski]

What if you are in a team of two divers, your exit from a wreck or a cave was somehow delayed, your buddy runs out of gas, and you see that your SPG shows only enough gas, (in your estimation) to get one diver out?

What would you do?

 

[Jonny boy]

cant get you both out full stop or can get you both out but (probably) bent?

 

[Walter]

I wouldn't be there in the first place, but I'll play. Rescue classes and common sense tells us there's no point in two divers dying instead of one, you should leave your buddy to his fate. On the other hand, it was your screw up as much as your buddy's for not beginning your exit much sooner. Can you both slow your breathing enough to stretch the air to the exit? Will you encounter another team entering the cave as you exit? Either could save you both. I don't think I could leave my buddy. I gotta try.

 

[Gilldiver]

If I had a stage bottle, one of us is on that. Even at O2pp of 3.0 Ox Tox takes some time and any gas is better then water. Once out of the wreck you should be screeming up to a lesser depth.

I would also have a dive plan with the stage gas being MOD set for approx 1/2 or deeper of my plan depth. So, If I'm at 150 I want a gas good for 70, if at 200 feet I want a gas with a MOD of at least 100 etc.

But things would need to have gone way South for the gas to be that low for both divers.

 

[BabyDuck]

my bud & i have discussed this, and while it would be torture, i'm going home to my baby.

 

[Sas]

I remember considering something similar from a story in the Talmud of being lost in the desert with another, with only enough water for one to survive. Ignoring all other issues such as stages, putting up with getting bent, breathing less, whether I would ever let it get that bad in the first place, etc that other people have posted, if there was only enough gas to get me out I would take it and get out of there, as hard as it would be to do. There is no way I would sacrifice my life for another, well at least I wouldn't unless it was the heat of the moment and I hadn't thought it through. To me it makes no sense.

 

[Mopar]

What kind of cool gear did my buddy have. Since he want be needing it anymore.

 

[drbill]

Like Walter, I wouldn't get myself into this particular scenario since there's only one thing I penetrate. If I played along with what you've presented, Trace, I think the only honest answer is that until it happens, I have no idea what I'd do. You can plan and plan, and practice and practice for such events, but if they actually happen only the most disciplined among us would know how they'd react. I'm just not disciplined enough to say in advance. This is one reason I dive solo much of the time... I don't want to be responsible for someone else's life. My son is an exception.

 

[ScubaSteve]

I wouldn't be there in the first place, but I'll play. Rescue classes and common sense tells us there's no point in two divers dying instead of one, you should leave your buddy to his fate. On the other hand, it was your screw up as much as your buddy's for not beginning your exit much sooner. Can you both slow your breathing enough to stretch the air to the exit? Will you encounter another team entering the cave as you exit? Either could save you both. I don't think I could leave my buddy. I gotta try.

This sums it all up very nicely but the following exceprt tells my feelings on almost any situation where there is even the slightest possibility. If there is something I can do, I will not live with myself knowing I did not do it.

I don't think I could leave my buddy. I gotta try.

 

[beester]

2 opinions / stories that I've heard in first person and my light a fire

- I know an instructor who states the following: I'll try my utmost to rescue my buddy up to 50m below that it's his ball game and I'll let go. The only one who he will try to rescue below that depth is his wife. It's a running joke among us... but I know in fact that he is really serious. He plans his dive, dives redundant setup, only dives deepish with experienced buddies but he's quite clear about this little rule (below 50 we dive solo).

- This year while doing a cavern dive in a mexican cenote I got talking to the cave instructor. He obviously dives 3rds, and his emergency gas reserve is his buddies. But he did tell me that if he gets in this situation and his buddy is a 'breather' he'll close the isolator valve on his doubles. His buddy is entitled to his half of the emergency 3rd but not more.

My personal opinion... I don't know what I'll do until the moment arises. I've been caught hard in monofillament (see following thread http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/near-misses-lessons-learned/250770-trapped-net-trying-ascend.html ) but I've luckily never been in your example situation.


It's a question I think is very hard to answer... people behave differently in high stress situations... it depends on training, ingrained mental focus but also on who you are... some flee, some will play dead, others will act (right or wrong). There have been reporst of people remaining in their seat in a plane on the ground on fire, why do they do that... knowing they will die? I don't know what kind of person I am...in this regard because I've never been in such a situation.