No argument on either point. Our "first thought" response was as much being snarky as serious. Much like those who drive drunk, the sad reality is that they will often survive the accident that left innocent people dead. I'm not sure that most of us, though, could really get into the idea of refusing to rescue someone, just because they're in danger due to their own stupidity. Break out the Brawndo!
What do Safe Divers do that Unsafe Divers don't?
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No argument on either point. Our "first thought" response was as much being snarky as serious. Much like those who drive drunk, the sad reality is that they will often survive the accident that left innocent people dead. I'm not sure that most of us, though, could really get into the idea of refusing to rescue someone, just because they're in danger due to their own stupidity. Break out the Brawndo!
vladimir
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For anybody else who isn't familiar with the circumstances of Parker Turner's death, here's the account by his buddy, Bill Gavin, that my search turned up:
Diving Accident at Indian Springs
by Bill Gavin
There's a lot of talk these days about the need for experience in conducting technical dives without an real clarification of what being an "experienced diver" really means. Some equate it to an individual's years in diving. Others equate it to the number and types of dives the conducted or certifications earned. Ultimately perhaps it is a measure of a diver's ability to function effectively under pressure when everything goes wrong.
When Bill Gavin's account of the freak accident that resulted in Parker Turner's death first appeared in the NACD Journal (Vol.23 No. 4, 4th Qt. 1991) it caused a number of us to reexamine our own experience in light of the test that was put to Gavin and Parker. Their skill and experience as a team was probably the only thing that prevented this tradegy from turning into a double fatality.
This article has now become a part of the training manual at the Key West Technical Diving Center and is required reading for everyone beginning a gas course. How do you rate something as elusive as experience?
Read on. M2
This is an account of the diving accident at Indian Springs on November 17, 1991, that resulted in the death of Parker Turner. It is an account of the experiences of the dive team and not of the surface personnel or support divers that were present that day. That information is included in a separate report.
Our dive at Indian Springs was the first in a series of exploration dives that had been in the planning stages for nearly two years. Because of the unique profile of the cave and the extreme depth at the point at which actual exploration would take place special decompression tables had been generated by Dr. R.W. Hamilton. The dive plan consisted of a 40 minute transit at 140 FSW while breathing an EAN 27 travel mix (27% oxygen, balance nitrogen), a descent and exploration at 300 FSW using trimix 14/44 (14% O2, 44% He, balance N2) followed by the return 40 minute transit to exit the cave. The deep working phase of the dive was expected to last 20 to 25 minutes. The 140 FSW penetration and exit was done using two 80 cubic feet "stage" bottles, while the deep portion was accomplished using back mounted double 104's.
The dive went almost exactly according to plan during the penetration. The deep section known as "Wakulla Room" was explored in three different directions. None of these yielded any going tunnel or evidence of flow. We began our exit at 63 minutes into the dive. At this time I had 2300 psig in my double 104's and I assume that Parker had the same or slightly less. We reached our nitrox bottles at the top of the room in two to three minutes, began breathing them, and did not use our doubles again until we encountered the obstruction at what is known as the "Squaws Restriction." After picking up our second stage bottle during the exit, Parker signalled that his Diver Propulsion Vehicle seemed to be running slow. We linked up via a tow strap and I increased the speed setting on my DPV to maximum. We were only about 1500 feet from the entrance, so this did not present a serious problem.
There is a distinctive arrow marker at the upstream/downstream junction which is about 500 feet from the entrance. As this arrow came into view, I remember estimating that our bottom time was going to be somewhere between 105 to 110 minutes. We made the left turn at this arrow and immediately noticed that the visibility in the cave had decreased. The floor was completely obscured by billowing clouds of silt, but the line was still in clear water near the ceiling. As we got closer to the entrance, the visibility got progressively worse. Finally, we had to stop using the DPV and swim while maintaining physical line contact. When we got to where I thought the restriction should be, the line disappeared into the sand on the bottom of the cave. We began pulling the line out of the sand, but some reached a point where it was buried too deep. Visibility in this area was 1 foot or less. I heard Parker shout into his regulator, "What's this?" We backed up out of the low area and removed our stage bottles and scooters. At about this time, the second bottle that I had been breathing during the exit ran out. Realizing that the situation was not going to be quickly resolved, I elected to switch immediately to my doubles, which still had about 2000 psig of gas. There were two lines running parallel in the cave at this point. We tried following both of them, but each time got to a point where the line could not be pulled from the sand which had covered it.
I secured the line from the reel that we had carried with us to the end of the permanent line (where it was buried) and tried to search for a way out. The restriction seemed to be completely blocked with sand and perhaps rock. The visibility was so bad that we could not really figure out exactly where we were or what had happened. However, there was flow and I tried to follow that. After finding no way past the blockage, I began to have doubts about our exact location. It seemed as though we must have made some mistake. While Parker continued to search, I swam about 300 feet back into the cave until I saw the upstream/downstream arrow marker. Though this marker is quite distinctive, I had to stare at it for a few seconds to convince myself that I really knew where we were. I swam back to the point where we had left our bottles and scooters. Parker was waiting there.
I am not sure how many attempts we made to retrieve the buried line, but at least 45 minutes passed while we sought in vain for some way out. At one point Parker showed me his pressure gauge which indicated about 400 psig of gas remaining in his doubles. He wrote on his slate, "What do we do?" I knew he was hoping I had some idea, but the only thing I could think to write back was "Hold on. I'll go look."
I went back to search using my reel and sweeping left and right. Finding no exit, I decided to return to the stage bottles, which at least had a little more gas to offer. I had been gone for less than five minutes. When I returned to the bottles, Parker was not there. I found my second stage bottle, which had about 600 psig left in it. I began breathing it while trying to think of some plan. After about four minutes it ran out and I switched back to my doubles, which now had less than 300 psig of gas. With no other alternative, I decided to try one last effort at finding an opening. As I started back out I saw that another line had be "Tee'd" into the permanent line. I followed it without really understanding how it had gotten there. I reached a point at which the cave seemed to open up and saw something hanging down on the edge of my vision. As I swam under the object it dimly occurred to me that it was the second stage of a scuba regulator. By now my doubles were almost empty and my regulator caught on my manifold as I passed. I rolled to my left to free it. At this point, I looked up and saw the permanent line rising at a sharp angle. I realized that I had cleared the restriction and raced to our decompression bottles, which were hung at 100 feet. I was almost holding my breath by the time I unclipped the second stage and began breathing from my first decompression bottle. Parker was not at the bottles and I realized at this time that he had drowned.
cont'd
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vladimir
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continued:
The regulator that had caught on my manifold was from his doubles, which he had removed and dragged through the small opening. I had no idea where Parker was and the visibility was still less than two feet. Numbly, I waited for support personnel to find me. In the confusion that followed, many lines were laid throughout the cavern area by our support divers in attempt to locate Parker's body. Despite their efforts, he was not found until the following morning when visibility had increased to about 10 feet. It had been 60 feet or better when we started our dive.
During the four hours of decompression that followed, I was gradually filled in on the situation by our support crew. Without their efforts, I think I would have gone mad wondering what had happened. For a long time I did not know if the entire entrance to the cave had collapsed or if anyone else was missing. I also had no idea what kind of decompression to follow. Though I fully expected to suffer decompression sickness, I emerged from the water with no physical damage. Apparently the fact that we had been shallower than expected during our deep exploration saved me from that malady.
After going over the incident countless times we were able to deduce what probably happened during those last minutes. While waiting for me, Parker must have decided to take his tanks off and try to squeeze through the blockage. Running short on gas, he probably decided that he couldn't wait any longer. He Tee'd in his safety spool and, dragging his tanks, was able to find a way through the blockage. Perhaps in doing so he caused the sand to shift enough that I was able to pass through a few minutes later with my doubles still on. After making it through the restriction he ran out of gas just 30 feet short of our decompression tanks. When he passed out, he dropped his doubles and floated to the ceiling about 15 to 20 feet above. His tanks landed on the permanent line and hung there. The line from the safety spool was tangled around his tanks. Whether this contributed to his death is impossible to say. Certainly it would have been difficult to lay line while dragging tanks and fighting extreme positive buoyancy from his drysuit. Miraculously, this combination of events, the line tangling on his tanks which then caught on the permanent line, placed the line from his spool in the only location large enough for a diver in doubles to squeeze through. I believe that even a one minute delay in my exit would have been enough to prevent me from ever reaching the decompression bottles.
It is still a mystery as to what caused the collapse at Indian. The actual physical event was that an unstable debris slope slid downhill filling the small restriction with sand. At about the same time, surface personnel witnessed a drop in the water level in the basin of approximately one foot, and a reversal of the spring run leaving Indian. Within 30 minutes, the water had dropped and returned to its normal level. Perhaps 100,000 gallons of water has rushed into the cave and several tons of sand had moved downhill several yards. The rush of water into the cave was great enough both in magnitude and duration to affect visibility 500 feet from the entrance.
I will not attempt to describe the effect this accident has had on myself or Parker's many friends and family. To say that we have lost a good friend, that we will miss him, that his place in our lives can never be filled is all true and also inadequate. Grief is a personal emotion, difficult to completely comprehend, and for me, not easily shared. To the many friends that have helped me through this, I offer a thanks the depth of which only they can understand. In all times to follow, whether diving together or in moments shared on other pursuits or when far apart, I will not forget any of you.
The regulator that had caught on my manifold was from his doubles, which he had removed and dragged through the small opening. I had no idea where Parker was and the visibility was still less than two feet. Numbly, I waited for support personnel to find me. In the confusion that followed, many lines were laid throughout the cavern area by our support divers in attempt to locate Parker's body. Despite their efforts, he was not found until the following morning when visibility had increased to about 10 feet. It had been 60 feet or better when we started our dive.
During the four hours of decompression that followed, I was gradually filled in on the situation by our support crew. Without their efforts, I think I would have gone mad wondering what had happened. For a long time I did not know if the entire entrance to the cave had collapsed or if anyone else was missing. I also had no idea what kind of decompression to follow. Though I fully expected to suffer decompression sickness, I emerged from the water with no physical damage. Apparently the fact that we had been shallower than expected during our deep exploration saved me from that malady.
After going over the incident countless times we were able to deduce what probably happened during those last minutes. While waiting for me, Parker must have decided to take his tanks off and try to squeeze through the blockage. Running short on gas, he probably decided that he couldn't wait any longer. He Tee'd in his safety spool and, dragging his tanks, was able to find a way through the blockage. Perhaps in doing so he caused the sand to shift enough that I was able to pass through a few minutes later with my doubles still on. After making it through the restriction he ran out of gas just 30 feet short of our decompression tanks. When he passed out, he dropped his doubles and floated to the ceiling about 15 to 20 feet above. His tanks landed on the permanent line and hung there. The line from the safety spool was tangled around his tanks. Whether this contributed to his death is impossible to say. Certainly it would have been difficult to lay line while dragging tanks and fighting extreme positive buoyancy from his drysuit. Miraculously, this combination of events, the line tangling on his tanks which then caught on the permanent line, placed the line from his spool in the only location large enough for a diver in doubles to squeeze through. I believe that even a one minute delay in my exit would have been enough to prevent me from ever reaching the decompression bottles.
It is still a mystery as to what caused the collapse at Indian. The actual physical event was that an unstable debris slope slid downhill filling the small restriction with sand. At about the same time, surface personnel witnessed a drop in the water level in the basin of approximately one foot, and a reversal of the spring run leaving Indian. Within 30 minutes, the water had dropped and returned to its normal level. Perhaps 100,000 gallons of water has rushed into the cave and several tons of sand had moved downhill several yards. The rush of water into the cave was great enough both in magnitude and duration to affect visibility 500 feet from the entrance.
I will not attempt to describe the effect this accident has had on myself or Parker's many friends and family. To say that we have lost a good friend, that we will miss him, that his place in our lives can never be filled is all true and also inadequate. Grief is a personal emotion, difficult to completely comprehend, and for me, not easily shared. To the many friends that have helped me through this, I offer a thanks the depth of which only they can understand. In all times to follow, whether diving together or in moments shared on other pursuits or when far apart, I will not forget any of you.
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My wife and I were having more of this discussion this morning and she reminded me of my Advanced Open Water course I took as an example of what I consider unsafe diving. It's funny that I totally forgot about this. I don't remember, what was it they say is the first to go??
Anyway, during my AOW, there was a student that my dive buddy and I definitely consider unsafe. On the search and rescue dive, we were tasked at finding a pair of welded together brake discs that weighed about 50 lbs. Upon finding the target, we had decided that I would tie off the object (using the correct knots), my dive buddy would float the location float, and the "other guy" was going to carefully inflate the lift bag. We found the object, my dive buddy floated the location buoy, I began tying off the rope when just as I was ALMOST done with the knot, the "other guy" inflates the lift bag with so much air, the bag, the object, and the "other guy" starts shooting to the surface. I believe my dive buddy tried to catch the "other guy", and slow the ascent of the 50lb object, with his main concern being that he knew I hadn't finished the knot completely and he didn't want it to come crashing down on my head. All I knew was, in a matter of seconds, I was basically alone. A few seconds later, my dive buddy returned, we surfaced, and the "other guy" had already exited the water with the "prize" in hand and all sorts of bragging stories about how "he" had found it and recovered it.
He went on that night to get very drunk with the AOW instructor, complete with brandishing his firearm,(he was a new cop), and setting off a smoke bomb at windy point.
I must have repressed all this, because when I posted this thread about unsafe divers, I completely forgot about this incident. I guess I was thinking mostly about all the Texas Swamp Divers I've been diving with over the years, and they have all been the most careful and safe divers I've ever been diving with.
Anyway, during my AOW, there was a student that my dive buddy and I definitely consider unsafe. On the search and rescue dive, we were tasked at finding a pair of welded together brake discs that weighed about 50 lbs. Upon finding the target, we had decided that I would tie off the object (using the correct knots), my dive buddy would float the location float, and the "other guy" was going to carefully inflate the lift bag. We found the object, my dive buddy floated the location buoy, I began tying off the rope when just as I was ALMOST done with the knot, the "other guy" inflates the lift bag with so much air, the bag, the object, and the "other guy" starts shooting to the surface. I believe my dive buddy tried to catch the "other guy", and slow the ascent of the 50lb object, with his main concern being that he knew I hadn't finished the knot completely and he didn't want it to come crashing down on my head. All I knew was, in a matter of seconds, I was basically alone. A few seconds later, my dive buddy returned, we surfaced, and the "other guy" had already exited the water with the "prize" in hand and all sorts of bragging stories about how "he" had found it and recovered it.
He went on that night to get very drunk with the AOW instructor, complete with brandishing his firearm,(he was a new cop), and setting off a smoke bomb at windy point.
I must have repressed all this, because when I posted this thread about unsafe divers, I completely forgot about this incident. I guess I was thinking mostly about all the Texas Swamp Divers I've been diving with over the years, and they have all been the most careful and safe divers I've ever been diving with.
Possibly, but less obnoxious for sure.
JamesK mostly hit the nail on the head with this one but I have a few things to add. A few of the items he listed will apply to newer divers that don't yet have experience. Personally, I categorize divers as "inexperienced" or "a liability/unsafe". For me the destinguishing characteristic is that of attitude: a willingness to improve and learn vs. an attitude of stubborness, ego, and bravado.
Comments below:
Just my two PSI.
Comments below:
Just my two PSI.
Rich Poorman
Registered
I guess the "tunnel vision" entry would cover two things I've noticed: One, being unaware of other divers around, above, below you (leading to collisions, crowding); and two, losing sight/contact with your dive buddy. My wife and I dive together and have evolved the habit of doing a 360° "Crazy Ivan" from time to time, just to get a big picture of our surroundings. You'd be amazed at the times I've seen something important (or interesting). We check in with each other regularly, monitoring each other's air, etc.
A minor thing I've noticed on group night dives is people not controlling their lights well, blinding other divers, etc. I have a simple solution that I always bring up at the pre-dive briefing: grip your light "overhand" instead of "underhand." That way, you are less likely to inadvertently raise the beam into another diver's eyes.
A minor thing I've noticed on group night dives is people not controlling their lights well, blinding other divers, etc. I have a simple solution that I always bring up at the pre-dive briefing: grip your light "overhand" instead of "underhand." That way, you are less likely to inadvertently raise the beam into another diver's eyes.
freshorangina
Contributor
After reading through this whole thread there are some things I would like to add that can be of vital importance and have not been discussed.
Number one: Your ENVIRONMENT
This is not just conditions, this is the ecology that surrounds you. I truly think this is of vital importance. If you do not understand your environment, how can you be a safe diver, to yourself, your buddy and to the wonderful places we dive. I can not tell you how many time I have been on a vacation diver herd boat and encountered divers who have no idea that coral is an animal, that it is alive, that it is easily damaged or killed. People who have no idea the ID or differences between corals, sponges, algae and inverts. People who do know know the dangers certain organisms can pose. Who have no idea of what certain animal behaviours mean. There is a huge difference between the behaviour of an animal and responses to your behaviour. For instance, a Moray, resting and breathing some people think is aggressive, and the actual aggressive behaviour, or hunting behaviour. When you understand these things you can better gauge you safe distance, and even anticipate their actions and be able to see some very interesting things others will miss. One recent dive I was on there was an eel free swimming during the day, it seemed like it was in a hurry, everyone else swam off and I hung back for a few seconds watching it. I got to see it in an epic battle with a lobster and everyone else missed it. Understanding your environment is also of vital importance when traveling to new places. If you are going to places with a high density of poisonous animals, you really need to know.
As far as asking for buddy checks, some people feel uncomfortable, think if its as uncomfortable as an emergency situation would be. Know the difference between a DM who is looking out for you and others, and one who could care less. Some people like to get their DM so they can brag about it or try to impress the ladies, not because they have a true love of what they are doing. I know so many new divers who go from one cert right into the next without gathering experience dives first. How do you reinforce your learning without practice? Another issue is courtesy. I dive with a dive hood. My hoods have ears/nudibranch on them (yes, I'm a nerd like that). On my last trip on a night dive, I had one couple shinning both their lights on me for the entire safety stop. I was SWARMED with worms and little biteys. Seriously. Think about what you are doing in regards to others. If you are interacting with others in a way that compromises them, startles them or changes their behaviour or reactions, you are not being a safe diver.
Knowing and understanding the limits of others is huge. I know a lot of new divers who are so stoked about diving and proclaim, EVERYONE SHOULD DIVE! No, not everyone should dive. To be a safe diver you have to have the ability to stay on point, to notice things around you and to multitask. You also have to be able to deal not only with your own person/equipment, but your buddy's as well. This speaks a lot to fitness. If you opt to dive with someone who is not there, know that even though they might be able to save their own arse, they might not be fit enough to deal with both themselves and you, which would leave you vulnerable. Take EFR and Rescue Diver, you will learn so much as well as realize exactly where your abilities are at. I see so many couples where you can immediately tell the partner (often smaller females) has been "convinced" to dive. What would she do with her buddy/partner unconscious on the bottom? My spouse is one of those people who should never dive. He is a genius in his field, but can not multitask or notice even major things in his environment and he is not good in emergency situations, he panics. As much as I would love to share this with him, I know it would put both of us at risk.
Lastly, buoyancy, buoyancy, buoyancy. I take more weight than most, I have had people doubt me all the time. Reason, I used to be very overweight and lost it extremely rapidly. I have a lot of excess skin, which is not obvious, but it is very buoyant. If I dive with what is recommended to me by most, I can not do a controlled ascent at the end of my dive. Check your buoyancy, frequently, with different equipment, conditions, and changes to your physiology. Two women weighing 130 can have very different needs, one might be more "fluffy" and the other does P90X everyday...
Last thing, as echoed by many, arrogance and ignorance is a terrible thing. Never think you know everything and never stop learning. And please, learn everything you can about your environment and animal physiology and behaviour. It might not save your life, it might save theirs.
Carey
Number one: Your ENVIRONMENT
This is not just conditions, this is the ecology that surrounds you. I truly think this is of vital importance. If you do not understand your environment, how can you be a safe diver, to yourself, your buddy and to the wonderful places we dive. I can not tell you how many time I have been on a vacation diver herd boat and encountered divers who have no idea that coral is an animal, that it is alive, that it is easily damaged or killed. People who have no idea the ID or differences between corals, sponges, algae and inverts. People who do know know the dangers certain organisms can pose. Who have no idea of what certain animal behaviours mean. There is a huge difference between the behaviour of an animal and responses to your behaviour. For instance, a Moray, resting and breathing some people think is aggressive, and the actual aggressive behaviour, or hunting behaviour. When you understand these things you can better gauge you safe distance, and even anticipate their actions and be able to see some very interesting things others will miss. One recent dive I was on there was an eel free swimming during the day, it seemed like it was in a hurry, everyone else swam off and I hung back for a few seconds watching it. I got to see it in an epic battle with a lobster and everyone else missed it. Understanding your environment is also of vital importance when traveling to new places. If you are going to places with a high density of poisonous animals, you really need to know.
As far as asking for buddy checks, some people feel uncomfortable, think if its as uncomfortable as an emergency situation would be. Know the difference between a DM who is looking out for you and others, and one who could care less. Some people like to get their DM so they can brag about it or try to impress the ladies, not because they have a true love of what they are doing. I know so many new divers who go from one cert right into the next without gathering experience dives first. How do you reinforce your learning without practice? Another issue is courtesy. I dive with a dive hood. My hoods have ears/nudibranch on them (yes, I'm a nerd like that). On my last trip on a night dive, I had one couple shinning both their lights on me for the entire safety stop. I was SWARMED with worms and little biteys. Seriously. Think about what you are doing in regards to others. If you are interacting with others in a way that compromises them, startles them or changes their behaviour or reactions, you are not being a safe diver.
Knowing and understanding the limits of others is huge. I know a lot of new divers who are so stoked about diving and proclaim, EVERYONE SHOULD DIVE! No, not everyone should dive. To be a safe diver you have to have the ability to stay on point, to notice things around you and to multitask. You also have to be able to deal not only with your own person/equipment, but your buddy's as well. This speaks a lot to fitness. If you opt to dive with someone who is not there, know that even though they might be able to save their own arse, they might not be fit enough to deal with both themselves and you, which would leave you vulnerable. Take EFR and Rescue Diver, you will learn so much as well as realize exactly where your abilities are at. I see so many couples where you can immediately tell the partner (often smaller females) has been "convinced" to dive. What would she do with her buddy/partner unconscious on the bottom? My spouse is one of those people who should never dive. He is a genius in his field, but can not multitask or notice even major things in his environment and he is not good in emergency situations, he panics. As much as I would love to share this with him, I know it would put both of us at risk.
Lastly, buoyancy, buoyancy, buoyancy. I take more weight than most, I have had people doubt me all the time. Reason, I used to be very overweight and lost it extremely rapidly. I have a lot of excess skin, which is not obvious, but it is very buoyant. If I dive with what is recommended to me by most, I can not do a controlled ascent at the end of my dive. Check your buoyancy, frequently, with different equipment, conditions, and changes to your physiology. Two women weighing 130 can have very different needs, one might be more "fluffy" and the other does P90X everyday...
Last thing, as echoed by many, arrogance and ignorance is a terrible thing. Never think you know everything and never stop learning. And please, learn everything you can about your environment and animal physiology and behaviour. It might not save your life, it might save theirs.
Carey
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