Question: in DM training, are you taught to lead a dive from the rear of the group, or front?
You are taught to position yourself in the place which will allow for the maximum control of the group based on the conditions of the dive. There is no "one" correct answer to that, it depends on the site, number of divers, experience level of divers, etc, etc.
Proper positioning is a learned skill in my opinion, learned by observing trained DM's/DG's and by actually leading groups. It's not as easy as it may sound to do it well. It takes a pretty high level of training and dedication.
Many variables are involved of which you have little or no control over some of them. For example if i want to bounce to 300' on a DM, if i really want to, he isn't going to stop me. I'd get it done if i really wanted to do it. Proper positioning is rarely going to stop a diver determined to do something of that nature.
I loved my time as a DM but there were times it could be almost sheer terror when one the divers under your charge got away from you. I never lost one to death, not even close in retrospect, but i lost and found divers on dives and while they are lost to you, lots of bad things can go through your mind.
As i said earlier, a DM/DG has a "basic expected standard of care" that he/she should do their best to provide for all under their charge but in the end each of us have to take ultimate responsibilty for our own actions. This includes diving in particular since it can be so inherently dangerous if done wrong.
I'm not saying that this is what happened but a DM who was screwing around, giving worthless dive briefs, not doing their level best to keep track of the group, etc, was not providing a basic expected standard of care.
If the DM did provide a reasonable level of care and the diver just got away from him then it's just one of those things that happens. It sucks but that's life. Lawyers aren't going to provide anything positive in this situation if that's what happened.
