Details on Ginnie recovery 1/23/21

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rddvet

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So I am simply copying and pasting the facts as they were told to me by someone involved who asked that I share some details. The point of the details is not to sensationalize the accident, but in hopes that people will understand how much work was involved in the recovery and the emotional stress and physical discomfort the recovery team endured. Also, hopefully it will quell people's questions enough that there will be more understanding (than we typically have) that it will take time for a full report to be put together. Based on conversations, I believe that the teams would prefer that the report be public and I think there is a good chance of that in this case. So let's all try not to speculate (though I know it's impossible not to) and be respectful of the family.
To the mods and anybody else involved in the recovery, if you're not comfortable with the current details being released, then please let me know. I was given this information by someone involved and asked to share it. I obviously don't have the OK from every single person involved, so if the others involved disagree with this being released, please take it down and remember I'm just the messenger. Here is the info:

I won't speculate on some things that we simply don't know, ex. was it medical? (the diver was in his late 50s), and i'll stick to facts.

Diver went in Wednesday, he had been collecting survey data in the new section, which you have to negotiate a stretch of approximately 500' of passage that is small and filled with clay, before passing through a sidemount only restriction.

The first team went in to try and locate him Thursday morning to search back to the rock on rock, the hope was that the diver went running for the door and was on the exit side. No sign of him.

Second team went in with sidemount CCR's and located him approximately at 5800'. Loop was in his mouth, bailout was intact. His monitor was dead (possibly battery?), and he did not have a HUD so no way to determine for certain if there was a hyperoxic/hypoxic or medical event.

teams assembled Friday to do the recovery/extraction. Due to the restrictions, etc it was decided best option was to have one team at a time working, shuttling him to exit and then leaving him for the next. teams moved him to basically in 500' chunks until he was at a spot that a team could take out. in total, 6 teams (12 divers) were involved in the location/recovery. From time of first IUCRR activation to recovery was roughly 36 hours.

I can not understate how difficult moving a body through the phoenix passage is. Clay floor, body tube, not much room for negotiation, and full rigor. Every person involved gave something of themselves the last couple of days to this effort.

Facts:
Diver was solo, on a sidewinder.
Bailout was intact.
Monitor was dead.
No HUD.
 
@rddvet thanks for posting! Glad something came out in a reasonable timeframe. Here's to hoping we are able to actually learn something from this one once the computer is checked out. The one right now is use a bloody HUD...
 
@rddvet thanks for posting! Glad something came out in a reasonable timeframe. Here's to hoping we are able to actually learn something from this one once the computer is checked out. The one right now is use a bloody HUD...

Obviously we don't know if that contributed or not, but I agree. I couldn't imagine not having a hud or secondary monitor. I rarely even pay attention to mine, but when it starts getting pissed and blinking red alot I know I'm doing something wrong
 
Obviously we don't know if that contributed or not, but I agree. I couldn't imagine not having a hud or secondary monitor. I rarely even pay attention to mine, but when it starts getting pissed and blinking red alot I know I'm doing something wrong

my Kisskat doesn't have one and it doesn't give me a lot of warm fuzzies. Unfortunately Shearwater is obstinate and won't sell the 4-pin connected computers outside of the rebreather manufacturers which is why I haven't swapped the Divesoft out for a NERD yet. I won't do fischer cables.
 
@rddvet or others,,,,,,I know there are lots of variables, but given the diver's configuration & cave path, could you give a range of max runtime on the Sidewinder? { ie 2-3hrs}
 
my Kisskat doesn't have one and it doesn't give me a lot of warm fuzzies. Unfortunately Shearwater is obstinate and won't sell the 4-pin connected computers outside of the rebreather manufacturers which is why I haven't swapped the Divesoft out for a NERD yet. I won't do fischer cables.
What's the downside to using a fisher connector for a HUD? I can see for a controller but why not for secondary monitoring?
 
What's the downside to using a fisher connector for a HUD? I can see for a controller but why not for secondary monitoring?
Same problems that would exist on a controller. Unreliable, annoying to maintain, distaste for salt, finicky, and an oddly crappy cable attached to it.
 
What's the downside to using a fisher connector for a HUD? I can see for a controller but why not for secondary monitoring?

Same problems that would exist on a controller. Unreliable, annoying to maintain, distaste for salt, finicky, and an oddly crappy cable attached to it.

also expensive and annoying. The 4-pin is cheaper, much more reliable, easier to take care of, etc.
 
Terrifying to read.
Peace on his survivors.
Thanks to the bravery of the rescue/recovery team.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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