3 Missing in deep dive incident - Mexico
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??? anything more than a couple or three hundred feet is just the same old blue-black anyway, even with crystal clear water
Rick
I guess you're right, but just the idea of "thousands of feet deep" just gives me the shivers.
Tigerman
Contributor
diver 85
Contributor
OP
The divers have NOT been located.
Yesterday (Friday) a Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) searched the area without success. The search has gone to the 300' level in the area of the "last seen point."
Several hours ago I fielded another call requesting information for resources that can continue the search beyond the 300 foot level; possibly as deep as 3,000 feet.
It was my recommendation that they contact Oceaneering International and I provided a list of other resources.
I will advise if I hear anything further.
TO CLARIFY...
There was some misinterpretation and the incident did NOT involve a "cave." The area in question is an underwater "canyon" and I believe there was an error when the incident was first reported.
In speaking with one of the searchers from the U.S. that is on scene, it is not uncommon to have VERY strong down currents in the area and it is believed that the divers were caught in this current. Apparently the current was also strong enough to pull the buoy on the "downline" underwater too.
It is difficult to rely solely on the reports in the Mexican press and when they go through an online translation service, there is often additional errors. I believe this is why there has been some confusion regarding earlier posts on this subject. As I learn FACTS, I will try to share them with members of this forum so we can all learn.
Blades Robinson
diver 85
Contributor
Thanks Blades, please keep us all updated...........
OP
I pass this along as FYI. The translations are rough and the final story is a combination of translations and some assumptions on my part. Accuracy is not promised! -Blades-
ALSO... Thanks to the ScubaBoard moderator(s) who have made some corrections for me!
US divers search PV waters for missing men
Story by : CR STAFF Four Americans have joined in on the search for three missing divers in Puerto Vallarta. The professionals were brought in after the Jalisco Secretary of Government determined that the Mexican diving team wasn't capable of diving to sufficient depths for an adequate search.
On December 1, Alejandro Tovar Garc�a and Ad�n Ulises S�nchez Mayorga, both members of the Puerto Vallarta Civil Protection Service and Sergio Lopez Gomez an employee of a local Television station were participating in an advanced diving course in Ca�on de Diablo. The three men did not resurface after diving in an area that is more than 1,000 meters deep.
Before the Americans were flown in, the search party already included members of the Civil Protection Service, local PADI dive instructors and a local parachuting organization that provided boats for the operation. As of Wednesday the underwater search covered the area from Los Arcos to Mismaloya Beach.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Ocho Columnas : Notas
Nature Caught The Divers
Inside the bay there are continuing dynamics of materials, by the sea currents, tides and frequent seismic activity
OC | Guillermo Go'mez Pastén
An intense vertical flow, more likely the phenomenon known as "turbidity current", dragged the three divers that disappeared in the Bay of Banerderas Friday last in the zone of Mismaloya, which would practically rule out a human error, because the diving plan was fulfilled exactly.
According to information obtained by EIGHT COLUMNS, the previous week a group of divers participated in a course to obtain the official certification of the Advanced Open Water or Advanced Open Water Diver (AOWD).
This program is the second level of certification and extends the concepts acquired in the OWD (Open Water Diving) course and learn "things that can be done under the water".
To that end, in addition to providing the necessary skills to perform deep dive (at depths greater than 18 meters) and underwater navigation, it enables the diver in three specialties.
Specialties. Among the specialties usually available: Night Diving, Wreck Diving, Current Diving, Multilevel Diving, Fish Identification, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Underwater Naturalist, Boat Diving, Search and Recovery, Underwater Photography and Underwater Videographer. The course consists of lectures and practice and certification is achieved after an evaluation that includes five open water dives.To that end, the group, composed even by members of the State Civil Protection Unit, appealed to the company Unzueta Scuba, which has highly trained professional divers.
The facts. On Frday, November 30 three groups formed and the diving plan was followed exactly, that is to say, the dive would be to 110 feet (33.5 meters) and a buoy with reference line (downline) was established, normal proceedure for these dives. It would be wrong to say it was a "life line" that had to be moored to a boat. Two of the groups fulfilled the dive as planned, nevertheless, according to statements of divers, the other group, when they reached 110 feet were caught by a strong vertical current, of such intensity that the computer worn by the instructor registered that it arrived up to 200 feet (61 meters).
Also, according to what he told the authorities Jose Antonio Hernandez Rodriguez, a key mdember of the Civil Protection of the State, suddenly felt a wave of cold water and limited visibility, since the water was too dark to see the depth guage made an alert, announcing to him that it was to a depth of almost 200 feet. After the signal stopped and reality set in, the instructor escaped and thus managed to save the life. He stressed that the dive was done with the necessary and appropriate safety measures. A different fate befell the other two members of the UEPCJ (Unidad Estatal de Protección Civil de Jalisco), Ulises Sanchez Tovar Mayorga and Alejandro Garcia, 29 and 32 years respectively, as well as the reporter for Televisa Guadalajara, Sergio Lopez Gomez, who could not escape the current.
This happened although the divers inflated their vests and reached to take hold of the reference line. An inflated vest is able to lift two people to the surface in normal conditions, but with the current force on the three divers they even dragged the buoy to which the reference end was moored. The buoy was initially on 60 feet (less than 20 meters), in platform.
Rare. Well we could say that it was an unusual, but this is nature. Among the various phenomena that occur at the oceans, so-called deep currents or thermohalines in the mass of water below the thermocline. These water moves by differences in density. The cooler water with more salinity are denser and tend to sink, while the slightly warmer waters with less salt tend to ascend. This will generate vertical currents linked by horizontal displacement to replace the water moved. However, there is more data which suggest that in Mismaloya actually saw a phenomenon called "stream turbidity, which can occur in places such as canyons, and this case just happened in the so-called "Devil's Canyon."
This phenomenon occurs when in a rest surface such amount of material is accumulated that the weight is untenable and then a landslide is registered. The movement of the then water would have catched the divers. The vertical current can reach up to 3 meters per second, comparable to the current of a river. When a "current of turbidity" is registered indeed the water is clouded, and a member of Civil Defense of the State stated that they felt cold water with limited visibility, then the water was dark.
Earthquake. In addition, it is possible to emphasize that two days before (at 20:26 hours) an earthquake of 3.8 on the Richter scale was registered, with epicenter to 109 kilometers from Vallarta Port, at a depth of 13 kilometers. Specialists have indicated very insistently that the Bay of Banderas is in a zone of high seismic activity, and indeed the canyon in reference has been related to the faults that exist in the region.
Landslide? It was then that the movement may have exacerbated the conditions that led to a collapse in the day on November 30 and dragged the material to 300 or 400 feet deep has been estimated that point. Here it should be noted that the bathymetry done so far is insufficient to provide accurate data on the matter. Had it happened earlier, the divers could have been taken away by the tide and even if the material covered by the collapse. All this could only be corroborated with the sophisticated equipment expected by UEPCJ to search for the divers. A remote operated vehicle (ROV) would be appropriate in such cases, according to specialists.
Sea. The submarine canyons are deep valleys opened in the continental slope of the oceans following the sense of the slope. They are originated by the erosion produced by the masses of sediments that move in water at high speeds towards the deepest zones of the ocean basins. These canyons are continued until oceanic plains the located, in certain cases, between 4 thousand and 5 thousand meters of depth.
Risk. Certainly proper training is essential to avoid mishaps in diving. Actually, there are few accidents involving the practice of this sport, although many of them are serious and it is estimated that about 10% are fatal. However, it is difficult to calculate these figures because there are no official records of injuries or deaths due to diving. The main cause of death was drowning. However, this is the final outcome of a problem that occurred minutes before. The number of accidents is low when you consider the number of people who practice diving. In Cozumel, one of its main attractions is diving, and thousands of divers arrive there each year.
Sure. In the diving accidents are infrequent. There are several types of incidents based on if the cause it is related by the characteristics of aquatic environment or if it is caused by changes of ambient pressure: from hypothermia (the loss of body heat in the water is 25 times greater than in air) to a pulmonary embolism, perforated eardrum or other traumatic injury. Most of these problems, if they are not treated quickly, can cause very serious injuries like a stroke or convulsive episodes. The hyperbaric accidents, those that are related to the change of pressure, can take place to make immersions without respecting the periods of rest very frequently, because the diver does not take a breathing adapted during the ascent or because exists a previous problem of health.
The environment. In the case of Mismaloya, it is likely that the factors of the aquatic environment have been determinative of the accident and not a mistake. And we are talking about a pretty safe place for diving, it is even one of the most frequented by tourists who enjoy this exciting sport.
The area of Arcos de Mismaloya provides an opportunity to dive in waters where there are a variety of fish and colonies of coral , the closest to the tourist destination.
As the diver swims away from the seashore, the depth increases gradually and there is the opportunity to observe different species of animals.
Reduction. Beyond the arches is where a sharp decline starts, the beginning of the canyon, which is also very popular because its walls are other marine species very attractive.
Given the fact that the spotlight has focused attention in Puerto Vallarta, different people warn that it is important to disseminate accurate information and not 'demonize' the practice of diving, much less the destination. Of course, neither the company. Which according to the information that you have, complied with safety standards.
ALSO... Thanks to the ScubaBoard moderator(s) who have made some corrections for me!
US divers search PV waters for missing men
Story by : CR STAFF Four Americans have joined in on the search for three missing divers in Puerto Vallarta. The professionals were brought in after the Jalisco Secretary of Government determined that the Mexican diving team wasn't capable of diving to sufficient depths for an adequate search.
On December 1, Alejandro Tovar Garc�a and Ad�n Ulises S�nchez Mayorga, both members of the Puerto Vallarta Civil Protection Service and Sergio Lopez Gomez an employee of a local Television station were participating in an advanced diving course in Ca�on de Diablo. The three men did not resurface after diving in an area that is more than 1,000 meters deep.
Before the Americans were flown in, the search party already included members of the Civil Protection Service, local PADI dive instructors and a local parachuting organization that provided boats for the operation. As of Wednesday the underwater search covered the area from Los Arcos to Mismaloya Beach.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Ocho Columnas : Notas
Nature Caught The Divers
Inside the bay there are continuing dynamics of materials, by the sea currents, tides and frequent seismic activity
OC | Guillermo Go'mez Pastén
An intense vertical flow, more likely the phenomenon known as "turbidity current", dragged the three divers that disappeared in the Bay of Banerderas Friday last in the zone of Mismaloya, which would practically rule out a human error, because the diving plan was fulfilled exactly.
According to information obtained by EIGHT COLUMNS, the previous week a group of divers participated in a course to obtain the official certification of the Advanced Open Water or Advanced Open Water Diver (AOWD).
This program is the second level of certification and extends the concepts acquired in the OWD (Open Water Diving) course and learn "things that can be done under the water".
To that end, in addition to providing the necessary skills to perform deep dive (at depths greater than 18 meters) and underwater navigation, it enables the diver in three specialties.
Specialties. Among the specialties usually available: Night Diving, Wreck Diving, Current Diving, Multilevel Diving, Fish Identification, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Underwater Naturalist, Boat Diving, Search and Recovery, Underwater Photography and Underwater Videographer. The course consists of lectures and practice and certification is achieved after an evaluation that includes five open water dives.To that end, the group, composed even by members of the State Civil Protection Unit, appealed to the company Unzueta Scuba, which has highly trained professional divers.
The facts. On Frday, November 30 three groups formed and the diving plan was followed exactly, that is to say, the dive would be to 110 feet (33.5 meters) and a buoy with reference line (downline) was established, normal proceedure for these dives. It would be wrong to say it was a "life line" that had to be moored to a boat. Two of the groups fulfilled the dive as planned, nevertheless, according to statements of divers, the other group, when they reached 110 feet were caught by a strong vertical current, of such intensity that the computer worn by the instructor registered that it arrived up to 200 feet (61 meters).
Also, according to what he told the authorities Jose Antonio Hernandez Rodriguez, a key mdember of the Civil Protection of the State, suddenly felt a wave of cold water and limited visibility, since the water was too dark to see the depth guage made an alert, announcing to him that it was to a depth of almost 200 feet. After the signal stopped and reality set in, the instructor escaped and thus managed to save the life. He stressed that the dive was done with the necessary and appropriate safety measures. A different fate befell the other two members of the UEPCJ (Unidad Estatal de Protección Civil de Jalisco), Ulises Sanchez Tovar Mayorga and Alejandro Garcia, 29 and 32 years respectively, as well as the reporter for Televisa Guadalajara, Sergio Lopez Gomez, who could not escape the current.
This happened although the divers inflated their vests and reached to take hold of the reference line. An inflated vest is able to lift two people to the surface in normal conditions, but with the current force on the three divers they even dragged the buoy to which the reference end was moored. The buoy was initially on 60 feet (less than 20 meters), in platform.
Rare. Well we could say that it was an unusual, but this is nature. Among the various phenomena that occur at the oceans, so-called deep currents or thermohalines in the mass of water below the thermocline. These water moves by differences in density. The cooler water with more salinity are denser and tend to sink, while the slightly warmer waters with less salt tend to ascend. This will generate vertical currents linked by horizontal displacement to replace the water moved. However, there is more data which suggest that in Mismaloya actually saw a phenomenon called "stream turbidity, which can occur in places such as canyons, and this case just happened in the so-called "Devil's Canyon."
This phenomenon occurs when in a rest surface such amount of material is accumulated that the weight is untenable and then a landslide is registered. The movement of the then water would have catched the divers. The vertical current can reach up to 3 meters per second, comparable to the current of a river. When a "current of turbidity" is registered indeed the water is clouded, and a member of Civil Defense of the State stated that they felt cold water with limited visibility, then the water was dark.
Earthquake. In addition, it is possible to emphasize that two days before (at 20:26 hours) an earthquake of 3.8 on the Richter scale was registered, with epicenter to 109 kilometers from Vallarta Port, at a depth of 13 kilometers. Specialists have indicated very insistently that the Bay of Banderas is in a zone of high seismic activity, and indeed the canyon in reference has been related to the faults that exist in the region.
Landslide? It was then that the movement may have exacerbated the conditions that led to a collapse in the day on November 30 and dragged the material to 300 or 400 feet deep has been estimated that point. Here it should be noted that the bathymetry done so far is insufficient to provide accurate data on the matter. Had it happened earlier, the divers could have been taken away by the tide and even if the material covered by the collapse. All this could only be corroborated with the sophisticated equipment expected by UEPCJ to search for the divers. A remote operated vehicle (ROV) would be appropriate in such cases, according to specialists.
Sea. The submarine canyons are deep valleys opened in the continental slope of the oceans following the sense of the slope. They are originated by the erosion produced by the masses of sediments that move in water at high speeds towards the deepest zones of the ocean basins. These canyons are continued until oceanic plains the located, in certain cases, between 4 thousand and 5 thousand meters of depth.
Risk. Certainly proper training is essential to avoid mishaps in diving. Actually, there are few accidents involving the practice of this sport, although many of them are serious and it is estimated that about 10% are fatal. However, it is difficult to calculate these figures because there are no official records of injuries or deaths due to diving. The main cause of death was drowning. However, this is the final outcome of a problem that occurred minutes before. The number of accidents is low when you consider the number of people who practice diving. In Cozumel, one of its main attractions is diving, and thousands of divers arrive there each year.
Sure. In the diving accidents are infrequent. There are several types of incidents based on if the cause it is related by the characteristics of aquatic environment or if it is caused by changes of ambient pressure: from hypothermia (the loss of body heat in the water is 25 times greater than in air) to a pulmonary embolism, perforated eardrum or other traumatic injury. Most of these problems, if they are not treated quickly, can cause very serious injuries like a stroke or convulsive episodes. The hyperbaric accidents, those that are related to the change of pressure, can take place to make immersions without respecting the periods of rest very frequently, because the diver does not take a breathing adapted during the ascent or because exists a previous problem of health.
The environment. In the case of Mismaloya, it is likely that the factors of the aquatic environment have been determinative of the accident and not a mistake. And we are talking about a pretty safe place for diving, it is even one of the most frequented by tourists who enjoy this exciting sport.
The area of Arcos de Mismaloya provides an opportunity to dive in waters where there are a variety of fish and colonies of coral , the closest to the tourist destination.
As the diver swims away from the seashore, the depth increases gradually and there is the opportunity to observe different species of animals.
Reduction. Beyond the arches is where a sharp decline starts, the beginning of the canyon, which is also very popular because its walls are other marine species very attractive.
Given the fact that the spotlight has focused attention in Puerto Vallarta, different people warn that it is important to disseminate accurate information and not 'demonize' the practice of diving, much less the destination. Of course, neither the company. Which according to the information that you have, complied with safety standards.
Downcurrents, landslides and earthquakes.
You know... When it's your time, it's your time. Nothing to be done about it. Live for today, it's a gift, that's why it's called "THE PRESENT!" Tomorrow may never arrive.
Godspeed gentlemen.....
Blades - Thanks for posting this, I think this is one of the better follow ups to an incident that I've read about on SB in a VERY long time.
Well said.
Well said.
OP
CBulla, thank you for positive comment. -Blades-
For the benefit of those who have been following this incident, the ROV pilot from the United States returned home last night. The recommendation to contact Oceaneering International was passed on to authorities and if I hear anything more, I will let forum readers know.
Just a bit more clarrification from earlier posts.
The downline used by the divers was anchored in approximately 60 feet of water with a buoy on the surface. The dive boat was prohibited from anchoring in the region so this system was provided for the safety of the divers with minimum adverse impact to the reef bottom. When the down current overtook the divers, this buoy was pulled underwater. The three missing divers were NOT attached to this line and after the problem was identified by the boat crew, no bubbles were seen in the area. A quick search by several instructors failed to find anything and authorities were contacted for additional assistance.
Because this incident involved students undergoing Advanced Open Water training, it is unlikely that a formal report will be available until investigations (and possibly litigation) are complete.
Blades Robinson
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