Unknown Tourist dead, Dive Master ill - Ambergris Caye, Belize

[tarponchik]

This is from the Undercurrent article quoted a few pages ago, and I would like to know why this is true:

It's more likely that the nitrox mix is suspect. This can happen especially if the nitrox is made
by partial pressure blending (when neat 02 is added to a tank and then
topped up with air) rather than de-nitrogenizing air through a membrane system.

Does gas mixing this way throw off the analyzer?

Why would it?

 

[boulderjohn]

Why would it?

I think he misunderstood what was meant, as I explained in post #181.

 

[DandyDon]

Two percent CO2 stimulates the desire to breathe. A greater percentage can cause, breathlessness, panic, and even heart attack. Ask a CCR diver! I've had a CO2 hit, thank you. I was still on the boat. Channeling in the scrubber is the reason so many CCR divers die from a coronary event.

I still think he meant CO.

Do you mean CO or CO2? Big difference. CO2 is nor very dangerous as long as enough O2 is present.

 

[dmaziuk]

I still think he meant CO.

He who?

CO2 can cause panic attack. It won't kill you, the panic will make you kill yourself.

CO will kill you because there is no panic attack and the first sign of something being wrong is you keeling over.

 

[John Bantin]

Why would it?

If you read the original report, it sounds like the divemaster had trouble getting the analyser out of its box, let alone using it.

 

[merritt7]

He who?

At risk of getting very convoluted here, I believe the “he” DandyDon is referring to is brandonkay0023

 

[StephanieD]

Just saw this updated article from San Pedro Sun Fatal diving incident sparks discussion of need for increased safety measures - The San Pedro Sun

 

[rmorgan]

Just saw this updated article from San Pedro Sun Fatal diving incident sparks discussion of need for increased safety measures - The San Pedro Sun

“Those concerned about the incident first speculated that perhaps the air in the diving tanks was contaminated. According to the police, the equipment (including tanks) was checked, and there was no evidence of contamination.”

Still no disclosure of what happened to Mr. Hughes or the dive guide. The article implies coincidence; surely the dive op could at least say what happened to its employee, even if the cause of Mr. Hughes’s death is not public record.

 

[DandyDon]

Yeah, I find that questionable...

According to the police, the equipment (including tanks) was checked, and there was no evidence of contamination.”

No details on how it was checked. Do the agencies still just teach to smell and taste your gas? I only know of one possibility for this part.

As the dive master ascended, he reported his condition deteriorated

On ascent with CO contamination, the PPO decreases while PPCO remains the same so that the CO hit becomes worse. The only way to know that your tank is safe is to check it yourself.

 

[inquis]

On ascent with CO contamination, the PPO decreases while PPCO remains the same so that the CO hit becomes worse.

Since the fractions of both O2 and CO are constant, both partial pressures decrease during ascent.