Bahamas: Missing Female Diver

[Web Monkey]

That could explain why the DM didn't ditch weight or grab the tank valve and inflate her own BCD. DMs have specialized training. DMs have special responsibilities. But, DMs are not immune to narcosis. ... Or at least I don't think so.

Nobody is immune to narcosis, however if you go in with a simple task like "grab the diver, go up", you would need to be really narced (way more than 140' worth) to not be able to pull that off.

There's something "not-right" here on both sides. The victim was resisting rescue, which could be anything from suicide to stroke to inexperience (if I pull this knob something happens). The DM's actions are even weirder, since she apparently made it all the way down and had physical contact with the victim then left.

Unfortunately I don't think we'll ever get the whole story from either.

Terry

 

[stevejaz]

Many [-](most)[/-] BCD's release air from the shoulder when the inflator hose is pulled downward.

Is it possible that whilst the DM was inflating the BCD, Mrs Wood was pulling away from her, thus activating the shoulder dump valve.

If this is possible, then the reaction of Mrs Wood may have been misinterpreted.

Best Regards

Richard

Edited for accuracy

If she was wearing SC's rental gear, none of the BC's I saw had this feature. They were all basic, inexpensive, BCDs.

Aren't we talking about a 68 yr. old woman here. There could be a lot of things. The recent possible stroke was mentioned, alzheimers (sp?)...those people are often combative and paranoid, medications.....

 

[fisheyeview]

A person having a stroke can become combative as well. Strokes can change personallities.

 

[Rick Murchison]

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

Thread closed for cleanup

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

Re-opening thread... please keep in mind that this is the Accidents and Incidents forum, not the pub, and that special rules apply.

The purpose of this forum is the promotion of safe diving through the examination and discussion of accidents and incidents; to find lessons we can apply to our own diving.
Accidents, and incidents that could easily have become accidents, can often be used to illustrate actions that lead to injury or death, and their discussion is essential to building lessons learned from which improved safety can flow. To foster the free exchange of information valuable to this process, the "manners" in this forum are much more tightly controlled than elsewhere on the board. In addition to the TOS:

(1) You may not release any names here, until after the names have appeared in the public domain (articles, news reports, sherrif's report etc.) The releasing report must be cited. Until such public release, the only name you may use in this forum is your own.
(2) No flaming, name calling or otherwise attacking other posters. You may attack ideas; you may not attack people.
(3) No trolling; no blamestorming. Mishap analysis does not lay blame, it finds causes.
(4) No "condolences to the family" here
(5) If you are presenting information from a source other than your own eyes and ears, cite the source.
(6) If your post is your hypothesis, theory, or a "possible scenario," identify it as such.

Thank you for your cooperation.
Rick

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[Thalassamania]

If the BC did not have a shoulder dump (maybe even if it did), perhaps there was an equipment failure at the elbow (of all the failures, one of the more common) and it was leaking air.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

A person having a stroke can become combative as well. Strokes can change personallities.

Agreed. If it is true that she had recently suffered a mild stroke, and had a 2nd episode while diving, that could certainly explain the apparent abnormal / combative behavior.

And it is extremely disturbing information (if true) because she should have known better than to dive, and her husband should absolutely have known better as well.

Best wishes.

 

[fisheyeview]

ABout 50% of all stroke victims suffer from depression afterward. The chance of suicide increases after a stroke, and is also higher in female stroke survivors.

 

[DiveConcierge]

My guess is either rapture of the deep or a suicide attempt. Either way, you hate to hear of a diver getting hurt- especially when there are so many others involved that will be in mental anguish for quite some time.. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved. Doesn't look good for a recovery, either. If it was suicide, I hope she is at peace now.. It is a permanent solution to a temporary problem...

 

[InTheDrink]

A further comment on the DM.

If the deceased diver did indeed deliberately descend with the intention of self-injury (just an assumption), isn't that fairly mitigating for the DM in that it is not a situation that would be normally trained for and the surprise of it alone could be disorientating. Add narcosis, the pure shock of the event and I'm less surprised the first thing she did on the boat was send a text. She would have known the diver was never coming back. I can imagine it would be a different feeling to having lost a diver in a normal emergency.

I'm way outside my pay grade here, but talking someone down from killing themselves would seem a very different skill than saving someone who is having a 'normal' accident.

We may never know what happened in this particular incident but perhaps another thread on what you should do with someone hell bent on intentional self harm under water might be interesting. It might throw up some interesting questions as to the contract between the diver and the DM. Is the contract (currently notionary in my head) that the DM will do what they can to assist in the event of an emergency? Would that preclude an intentional emergency? Should you place yourself at risk in this scenario?

I'd be keen to hear in more detail exactly the type of aggressive behaviours she displayed. It does all seem to point to either suicide or some kind of severe cerebral impairment likely as a result of the recent alleged stroke.

 

[Thalassamania]

A further comment on the DM.

If the deceased diver did indeed deliberately descend with the intention of self-injury (just an assumption), isn't that fairly mitigating for the DM in that it is not a situation that would be normally trained for and the surprise of it alone could be disorientating. Add narcosis, the pure shock of the event and I'm less surprised the first thing she did on the boat was send a text. She would have known the diver was never coming back. I can imagine it would be a different feeling to having lost a diver in a normal emergency.

Since the reaction required of the DM (grab victim's tank valve and establish positive buoyancy) does not change, I see little or no "mitigation" from speculating as to motive.

I'm way outside my pay grade here, but talking someone down from killing themselves would seem a very different skill than saving someone who is having a 'normal' accident.

No, you have to grab victim's tank valve and establish positive buoyancy in either case.

We may never know what happened in this particular incident but perhaps another thread on what you should do with someone hell bent on intentional self harm under water might be interesting. It might throw up some interesting questions as to the contract between the diver and the DM. Is the contract (currently notionary in my head) that the DM will do what they can to assist in the event of an emergency? Would that preclude an intentional emergency? Should you place yourself at risk in this scenario?

An interesting question, in a solely academic sense, but irrelevant here since the DM appears to have simply failed to perform. If the victim had been waiving a knife or pointing a speargun, that would be different, but generalized struggling does not excuse the lack of effective response.

I'd be keen to hear in more detail exactly the type of aggressive behaviours she displayed. It does all seem to point to either suicide or some kind of severe cerebral impairment likely as a result of the recent alleged stroke.

Yes.