Bahamas: Missing Female Diver

[stevejaz]

Furthermore, it has not been established as to why she ended up with a personal DM. Was it the Wood's request, or was it required by the dive operation. If I have missed something here please let me know. To me, these two pieces of information are paramount in understanding what the hell happened here.

Dantheengineer stated that the personal DM was a last minute thing and the boat couldn't leave until she had one.

This would lead me to believe that she hadn't dove in 3 years, or in light of the recent info, she had health problems and they required the DM.

That said, if the later is true...holy crap! If I'm this person's buddy and had known this, first they wouldn't have dove, second, there is no way I would be more than 2 feet from them, much less 20'. I seriously doubt the dive op new about the stroke though. Could certainly explain some of the behavior though.

 

[Thalassamania]

...I agree, that's a bit excessively unfair to the DM, especially since apparently we're not dealing with a diver that casually drifted down an extra 20' but who was making a determined effort to dive deep and 'lose' the DM.....situational awareness requires the DM look about and survey the whole picture...terrain...currents.....etc.....not spend every last moment looking up someone *ss !

Actually a competent DM should be able to "spend every last moment looking up someone *ss" and maintain SA.

...I'll bet you, that if I wanted to kill myself and stop you from 'saving' me, I could prevent you from ditching my weights to achieve my 'mission'......also, I've got a knife too.....I don't feel a DM is required to beat me in hand-to-hand combat in order to be considered a 'good' DM...I think that's asking a bit much, don't you think ?

Where do these people get all this foolishness from? TRY READING THE THREAD! There is no doubt that you could embolize yourself, similarly there is not doubt even the weakest Instructor I've ever trained (I think I already said this?) could easily prevent you, Biggus Knifus and all, from descending.

I do think that I'm going to have to organize a Seppuku Specialty Course to test out all these folks, if you want the card ... you've got be dieing to get it.

 

[Dantheengineer]

I have a friend that knew Mrs. Wood. Reportedly, she had a mild stroke last month. If she were predisposed to this, a stroke at depth might explain her combativeness and anger. Not to mention the possible interactions of narcosis with the medication she was likely on due to a recent stroke.

I'd bet fearsome, sensible money that the med disclaimer reads constant "no's" and i KNOW coves fill'em in every time. (and never at gun point )

We are currently seeking information on the status of both Mr & Mrs Woods certs and history. Not that even these are anything like credible here.........
(Just further speculation)
(We also seek a copy of the actual incident report.........ooooh! and this weeks lottery numbers...)

Instant indications are that only instr 1. was on EANx (32-36% uncertain). Instr 2. was on air due to his deep course! (i should have guessed that!) 3. just breathed air. Conformation to follow........

Body language under water? 30 yrs as a commercial diver is nothing short of thoroughly impressive! I, frankly, envy you!! Have you spent some time with shark or larger pelagics in your dive vicinity? You recognize such "jerky" movements as a tell tail fairly soon on, i can tell you! In you're own species it's even easier. Anger and aggression when one's looking for it under water are more than just a facial expression. Honestly we'd need to open a whole new thread just to sufficiently analyze that alone!
Better yet, gimme a PM when you're free and we'll get over to Tiger Beach off, Freeport. From the recent report (Bahamas) i KNOW i'll learn sommat! i reckon you may too?

Buying safety? Mmmm... for my money the best investment is thinking ahead. I wouldn't hire a gunslinger to lead me around the O.K. Coral at high noon. I'd get bloody lessons in cover and concealment and go from there. "IF" these guys were new, "IF" these guys were rusty they needed training and education. This should have been picked up at registration IMO, far before the dive.........

Meg, seriously mate, post if you feel able again. Ignore the gob****e fools! We'll shout them down if needs be. Many of us just wish to sincerely know how to avoid being in your position. You seem like a genuine chap, just tell us like it is......
Again i'd say that your resolve and courage in the face of nit picking mofo's is admirable. Please, if you feel able, tell us what you actually saw?

Onlyhalcyon, come on mate. I'd have driven you home if i'd only known..............

 

[scubafanatic]

All due respect...but

I'd say this is definitely a bit biased as you are obviously close with this outfit and the people who work there.

First, if this was a last minute procurment of the DM before the boat could leave, I'm guessing thats because when everyone was being signed in on that boat she was discovered to have not dived for more than 3 years and should have had a refresher. I say this because when I was there, the DM on our boat (short fiesty gal whom I can't remember her name) asked this of a diver and when she discovered he hadn't dove in 3 years, kicked him off for the refresher in the pool. He was then ferried out to join the group on the second dive.

Second, at this dive site, they don't moor that close to the wall, getting there is no accident and this was the first dive. So even if they were doing an impromptu refresher, it shouldn't have been on the edge of a 6000' wall with a 20' seperation.

So while I'm not criticizing anyone, this operation is not the holier than though operation you're painting it to be. They have both good and bad DM's/personel as I've experienced personally. They also see all types as you have mentioned, but this is no excuse, it's just part of doing business with the general public.

So again, I'm not criticizing you and value your posts, but I do think they are a bit biased as are mine due to previous experience no matter how unbiased I try to make them.

P.S. I sure hope Mr. Wood (or family members) doesn't read this given some of the speculation of the unmentionable.

Steve

...it's hard to believe I have to point out something this incredibly obvious, but here goes....the 6000' wall isn't a smooth vertical sheet of slick glass with a repulsive magnetic field pushing a diver's metal tank away.......it's covered by outcrops/coral and EASY to fin over to and grab (barring a strong current pushing one away from the wall...which hasn't benn mentioned as a factor in this story.) ...exactly how brain-dead does a diver have to be to not consider finning over to the wall and holding on ???

 

[Web Monkey]

...I'll bet you, that if I wanted to kill myself and stop you from 'saving' me, I could prevent you from ditching my weights to achieve my 'mission'......also, I've got a knife too.....I don't feel a DM is required to beat me in hand-to-hand combat in order to be considered a 'good' DM...I think that's asking a bit much, don't you think ?

Properly equipped and trained, a 18 year old 100 pound girl could drag pretty much anybody back to the surface. It requires only proper positioning, a reasonable BC and no more hand strength than is required to carry a tank on land.

However there was no indication of attempted suicide here.

Terry

 

[stevejaz]

I'd bet fearsome, sensible money that the med disclaimer reads constant "no's" and i KNOW coves fill'em in every time. (and never at gun point )

We are currently seeking information on the status of both Mr & Mrs Woods certs and history. Not that even these are anything like credible here.........
(Just further speculation)
(We also seek a copy of the actual incident report.........ooooh! and this weeks lottery numbers...)

Dan, what's your affiliation and who's this mysterious WE. Are you speaking from the perspective of the board? Run another dive charter????

Oh and I'll agree, they do always require you to fill in the med history as they hand it to you the minute you board the shuttle or at sign in if you provide your own transport.

 

[DandyDon]

I have a friend that knew Mrs. Wood. Reportedly, she had a mild stroke last month. If she were predisposed to this, a stroke at depth might explain her inability or unwillingness to comply with the DM's instruction to ascend, which turned to combativeness and anger. Not to mention the possible interactions of narcosis with the medication she was likely on due to a recent stroke.

:shocked2:

...wasn't this a wall dive ??? H*ll, if bouyancy is lost or a diver panics and for whatever reason can't figure what to do to recover bouyancy, the natural survival instinct would be to fin over the the wall and grab something to keep from dropping further...then claw back up the wall...the apparent absence of such a survival instinct is mind boggling for anyone actually wanting to live !

You ever been severely narced? It's sneaky. I enjoy it too much. Keep telling myself that I am diving drunk, no matter how much like Aquaman I feel.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

...I do think that I'm going to have to organize a Seppuku Specialty Course to test out all these folks, if you want the card ... you've got be dieing to get it.

Ummm, Thal, can I just do the PADI online version please? And still get the cool card and T-shirt? This is one course that I might prefer to do "virtually"...

Heck of a side track this thread took.... ok, if the Navy SEALs, Delta, and other high testosterone knife-waving, "you-couldn't-drop-my-weight's-if'n-I-don't-let-ya" divers are done.... (just kidding )....

Did anyone notice the post that mentioned that she may have been diving after a very recent mild stroke?

Interesting twist if true.

Best wishes.

Edit: Oooops, several folks did see it, my bad.

 

[Katamuki]

Naw, it's no boast ... I promise, in your case, to lose. Care to come try?

Thal, I really enjoy your "tell it like it is" attitude in your posts but this isnt about the size of your SMB versus the other guys, it is?

 

[stevejaz]

...it's hard to believe I have to point out something this incredibly obvious, but here goes....the 6000' wall isn't a smooth vertical sheet of slick glass with a repulsive magnetic field pushing a diver's metal tank away.......it's covered by outcrops/coral and EASY to fin over to and grab (barring a strong current pushing one away from the wall...which hasn't benn mentioned as a factor in this story.) ...exactly how brain-dead does a diver have to be to not consider finning over to the wall and holding on ???

Nooooo, what I meant was they are moored over a 35' deep area with a hard bottom. Getting to the wall is a swim in that same 35' deep water, and consequently you are right, they would most likely decend down that wall once they arrived and be able to grab on at any point. I'm not arguing that, actually I agree.