3 Divers lost on the Spiegel Grove

[lamont]

I simply wondered out loud if certain dive sites are riskier than others and if so, how does a diver find out about it and does anybody do anything to correct the situation.

The Speigel Grove is a 100 fsw deep, large wreck in an area which can see high currents. Beyond that, there's nothing unusually dangerous about the shipwreck itself that shouldn't be obvious.

 

[RJP]

The word on TDS is that they were diving single 80s. That about sums it up. Everyone makes mistakes, but doing a deep penetration like this with a single tank is reckless.

That would be unlikely. Not impossible, but unlikely. I know who two of the guys are. They were experienced NJ Wreck Divers. Things can go wrong, but I rather doubt they would attempt such a dive with an AL80.

 

[DennisS]

This is sad, it sounds like they weren't using a reel? I feel bad for the families, and wonder why (if indeed they weren't) using a reel, what a good reel is less than a $100.00....

How did you find out they weren't using a reel?

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

NO they just widen it so everybody can go faster...
/end hijack

 

[HowardE]

The Speigel Grove is a 100 fsw deep...

for the record... 100 fsw just gets you to the good stuff. it's 132 if not slightly deeper to the sand.

 

[rigdiver]

What I don't understand is why did one diver choose to stay outside? He was then without a buddy. When he was running low on air as stated he must have been having some very negative thoughts about the divers inside the wreck. Sad, truly sickening. Condolences and sympathy to family and friends.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Knew his limitations perhaps? Perhaps his apprehension increased his breathing rate. Also one of the divers whose body was found was diving a single al80 with another staged outside the wreck. This is from Canucksubmariner on TDS. It was two former students of his who located the diver. He also stated he was nearly out when found. And they did have a reel but the line was busted.

 

[lamont]

That would be unlikely. Not impossible, but unlikely. I know who two of the guys are. They were experienced NJ Wreck Divers. Things can go wrong, but I rather doubt they would attempt such a dive with an AL80.

here's the quote from TDS:

"single 80' back gas with another staged 80 outside the wreck. There was a reel but the line was busted.

From two ex students of mine (tech 1) who came across the first body and did the recovery on it (that diver was almost out of the wreck)" -- http://thedecostop.com/forums/showpost.php?p=294007&postcount=23

 

[Marvel]

Ahem. I hate to say it but a few of y'all may need to slow down a bit when you are reading the news articles. (bolding below is mine)

It was the sixth death at the Spiegel Grove. Three others have died in separate accidents. In 2003, Eunice Lasala, of Fredericksburg, Va., died while also on the commercial dive vessel Scuba-Do.

IOW, if the Miami Herald has its fact straight, previous to this incident there were a total of three deaths on the SG- the last of which occured before Hurricane Dennis righted the vessel in July of 2005. As Howard & others have pointed out, this wreck is dived by thousands of divers each year & this is the first such accident since 2003. It's bad enough that we almost never get enough information to even attempt actual accident analysis, much less full disclosure of what is discovered. Let's not speculate based on misunderstood & exagerated information.

 

[dave4868]

What I don't understand is why did one diver choose to stay outside? He was then without a buddy. When he was running low on air as stated he must have been having some very negative thoughts about the divers inside the wreck. Sad, truly sickening. Condolences and sympathy to family and friends.

The facts will help us all.

Dave C