(5/01/05) Diver missing in Florida

[Life-Is-Good-Diver]

May 3, 2005

Brevard doctor dies in Keys' diving accident

By J.D. GALLOP
FLORIDA TODAY


Dr. Tarik Khair-El-Din
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A Palm Bay Community Hospital kidney specialist died during a weekend Key Largo diving accident, officials confirmed today.

Dr. Tarik Khair-El-Din, 44, was reported missing during a diving expedition Saturday to the USS Spiegel Grove artificial reef, according to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.

Khair-El-Din, an Indialantic resident, began working with Holmes Regional Medical Center and Palm Bay Community Hospital in 1994, Health First officials said.

Monroe County investigators said his body was found face down about 100 yards from the wreck of the Spiegel Grove. His dive mask was still on but a officials said his air tank appeared empty.

Witnesses said Khair-El-Din was reported missing from the N2DEEP dive boat after surfacing and disappearing near the waves, officials said.

The U.S. Coast Guard, the sheriff's office and Key Largo Fire-Rescue carried out a search of the nearby area, officials said.

Health First officials said Khair-El-Din, known to colleagues and patients as Dr. Khair, was well respected.

"We were saddened to hear about Dr. Khair's passing. He was a wonderful supporter of the hospital and the South Brevard community," said Gail Schuneman, president of the Palm Bay Community Hospital. "He will be greatly missed."

He received his medical degree from Cairo University in Egypt and completed his internship and residency at Methodist Central Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.

My wife work's at the hospital where the Doctor worked. We were eatting dinner and she just told me about the accident. They were only informed as he died scuba diving, and thats all she knew. I jumped right on here, and found this thread. She is in shock.

My condolences, thoughts and prayers, for the family and all those whose lives were touched, and also for the people who knew him, as he was a very respected doctor, and will be missed.

 

[baitedstorm]

I've been asked by a co-owner of the shop to edit my original post due to in accurrate information. I was sent a pm and also told :

It's A Dive will issue a public statement as soon as the USCG and Monroe County Sherrif's Office have completed their investigations.

Out of respect for all involved parties, I have deleted the majority of my first post, as I wasn't there and am only repeating the events as they were told to me.

 

[BIGSAGE136]

I've been asked by a co-owner of the shop to edit my original post due to in accurrate information. I was sent a pm and also told :

It's A Dive will issue a public statement as soon as the USCG and Monroe County Sherrif's Office have completed their investigations.

Out of respect for all involved parties, I have deleted the majority of my first post, as I wasn't there and am only repeating the events as they were told to me.

Is that chipped beef on the wall?

 

[scubadivernick]

30% only has a po2 of 1.48 at 130 ft so it should not have a bearing on it but you never know.

Some dive operators limit you to a depth of 100ft on this particular dive. I have never dove with this operator but that could explain the 30% (1.18 ppo2).

 

[Dot Wethington]

The waves were rough that day, Alot of divers on our boat were sick, I even thought to myself when I came up the granny line and then tag line, "What if I let go by accident, what next?" I hate inflating my bc manually, but I have had to do it under water and above water. I have two extra pounds in my integrated wt. pouch, which can aggravate when doing a safety stop, but I am aware of the fact when I come up to the surface, to inflate the vest. If equipment failed, alot of bad things can start to spiral out of control. I have looked at my own personal scenarios every time I dive, which can be anxiety-provoking, but it's good to do, to obscess over things, to be safe.

This poor soul was a physician, and I'm sure he had good equipment and probably took his diving seriously, so it could be anything. I know I only stayed down about 20 minutes on that day's dive, because I felt a little nervous noting the currents were picking up at the bottom of the anchor line. Currents can really make you eat away at your air if you let it, and on the Spiegel, you don't want to run out of air!


I think it's agonizing for us all to wonder what happen, and it's agonizing for the family of the deceased. It's a terrible tragedy.

 

[gpatton]

In the interest of clarification and shining light on these types of accident and the hope of preventing similar accidents, I am posting the following public information;

Note; In my 30 year career in Fire/Rescue, I have learned incident reports do not always reflect reality, so take all this with a grain of salt.....

MSCO050FF004103 incident report narrative (retyped as written, names were abbreviated for privacy)

ON APRIL 30TH, 2005 AND APPROXIMATELY 6:30 PM I WAS DISPATCHED TO THE HOMEOWNERS PARKED IN REFERENCE TO A DIVER THAT WAS INITIALLY MISSING AND LATER FOUND DECEASED. UPON ARRIVAL I MET WITH FIRE BOAT 25 (FB25) WHOM LOCATED THE VICTIM (K). WITNESS C A DIVER ON FB25 STATED, HE FOUND THE VICTIM (K) AT THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN AND APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS FROM THE WRECK (SPIEGEL GROVE). WITNESS C FURTHER STATED HE FOUND THE VICTIM (K) WITH HIS MASK ON, REGULATOR OUT AND NO AIR IN BC OR THE TANK.

I THEN SPOKE WITH THE BOAT CAPTAIN WITNESS J WHO STATED, HE HAD SEEN THE VICTIM SURFACE AND APPROXIMATELY 2:50 PM HOURS ONE MOORING BALL AWAY AND SIGNAL HE WAS IN DISTRESS. WITNESS J. FURTHER STATED, HE ADVISED THE VICTIM TO STAY PUT UNTIL THE OTHER DIVERS WERE ON THE BOAT. ACCORDING TO THE WITNESS J., THE CURRENT BEGAN TO PICK UP AND THE VICTIM TURNED LOOSE OF THE MOORING BALL. WITNESS J. STATED, THE VICTIM BEGAN TO TRY TO SWIM FOR THE BOAT BUT THEN WENT UNDER WATER. WITNESS J. STATED, HE THEN LEFT HIS MOORING TO GO HELPED THE VICTIM AND COULD NOT LOCATE HIM. WITNESS J. STATED, IT IS WHEN HE CONTACTED THE COAST GUARD BY RADIO AND CELL PHONE, AND APPROXIMATELY 2:55 PM

MY INITIAL OBSERVATION OF THE DECEASED (K), WAS LYING FACE DOWN THE REAR OF FB25. THE VICTIM WAS WEARING FULL WETSUIT AND DIVE GEAR.

AND APPROXIMATELY 7:30 PM DETECTIVE S ARRIVED ON THE SCENE AND APPROXIMATELY 7:45 PM DETECTIVE C ARRIVED ON THE SCENE. THE SCENE WAS TURNED OVER TO THE DETECTIVES FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION. SEE SUPPLEMENTALS COMPLETED BY DETECTIVES S AND C AS TO THE SECURING/RECOVERY OF RESPECTIVE DIVE EQUIPMENT WORN BY VICTIM..

 

[dive]

Some dive operators limit you to a depth of 100ft on this particular dive. I have never dove with this operator but that could explain the 30% (1.18 ppo2).

How does that explain the 30%?

 

[H2Andy]

In the interest of clarication and shining light on these types of accident and the hope of preventing similiar accidents, I am posting the following public information;

thank you for sharing the information with us

lots to think about right there

 

[esqeddy]

Does anyone know the late doctor's diving experience and level or certification?

 

[scubadivernick]

How does that explain the 30%?

See their website. NItrox tanks (30%) available for rent. The explination I got when I asked the operator we were on why 30 and not 32 is b/c some divers lose track of their floor. Like I said I have not dove with this operator but I sincerely doubt a PADI dive center would intentionaly let divers down past 1.4 ppo2 for liability reasons.

http://www.itsadive.com/Dive_Spiegel_Grove.htm