(5/01/05) Diver missing in Florida

[MoonWrasse]

Snorkels can get lost in strong enough current - I've lost one that way.

Be careful about attaching oneself to a buoy, I'd want to be able to unclip easily near me if needed, i.e. using 2 clips. Also think about that buoy banging against your head if you were too close and in rough seas.

 

[DennisS]

Note to self--Check dump valves

 

[ParamedicDiver1]

Wow, that last article really is slanted that it was the rescuers fault.

Ummm... I believe the rescue diver that found him was doing a body recovery not a rescue. In other words, the rescue diver in the previous post was with the search team that found the diver long after he drowned. At least that was my take on the post.

 

[gpatton]

Clarification of earlier post

#1 The victim had a BC that had intregated weights. The Rescue Diver had to remove the weights in order to start moving the body, also the Rescue Diver had to manually inflate the victims BC a little.

#4 The current was strong, the rescue diver, related that he had to crawl along the bottom (130 fsw) to reach the victim who had been missing for several hours. The diver/victim was last seen at the surface at 2:50 pm, the CG was called at 2:55/ Fire Boat 25 arrived at the Spiegel Grove serveral hours later. IMHO, the divers of FB 25 basically preformed very difficult body recovery dive under difficult circumstances.

Note: There were two Rescue Diver, the one Diver that I talked to found the victim the other Diver was in sight of this Diver. So, they joined up quick to effect the recovery....

If anyone has different info, please let us know......

Glenn

 

[gpatton]

Wow, that last article really is slanted that it was the rescuers fault.

Anyone know if any eye whitnesses saw the diver with a snorkel before the dive? That would have helped in the waves I bet if he did have one.

I'm going to go to the local climbing store and buy two carabiners and some webbing/rope to make something to attach to a buoy or line if need be. Anyone have any suggestions for something similar?

The local press was probably looking at the response times for the usual "Missing Diver" incident we have in the Keys. Missing Divers have been found 12 - 18 hours later and response time can be important. There was one old spearfishman who was found days later. Response time is important for "Missing Diver" incidents because it narrows the search area. It is amazing how far a "Missing Diver" can travel in the currents off the Keys.

Kind of like the Boys in that small sailboat off the Carolinas last week, I believe they are found outside the CG search area...

The Rescue Divers of FB 25 were definitely in the body recovery mode, and for this type of a mission response time is not critical....


Glenn

 

[gpatton]

Wow, that last article really is slanted that it was the rescuers fault.

Anyone know if any eye whitnesses saw the diver with a snorkel before the dive? That would have helped in the waves I bet if he did have one.

I'm going to go to the local climbing store and buy two carabiners and some webbing/rope to make something to attach to a buoy or line if need be. Anyone have any suggestions for something similar?

As cautioned in another post, clipping to the buoy line should be done only in extreme circumstances when you got to have both hands free. And definitely not too close to the buoy. Some dive shops carry SS clips.... Also, I have wrapped my leg around the line in a "S" configuration to stabilize myself if I clip to the line, if you don't you can twist all over the place in the current. The "S" config wrap is handy when you have long safety stops when ascending...

Glenn

 

[baitedstorm]

I can't stop playing the events out in my mind. I just can not understand why he didn't drop his weights? Why wouldn't he have inflated his BCD? I've only ever dealt with a semi-panic diver and it was ugly. I was able to slip down behind her and grab the back of her tank. She had air in her BCD but not enough. I wonder what makes people pull out their regs. Human nature is a very strange thing.

 

[MB]

I can't stop playing the events out in my mind. I just can not understand why he didn't drop his weights? Why wouldn't he have inflated his BCD?

Its really quite simple. Lots of things interfere with rational thought... fear, exhaustion, unconsciousness, overwhelming sensory overload, inexperience, and more.

We don't know what happened. We might never know. But we ought not be surprised when people fail to do what they should do automatically & fluently. These things ought to be committed to muscle memory. That's why so many of the good instructors have such strong reactions to fast track, show-it-once-and-get-certified courses. Overlearning, frequent practice, and constant problem solving are the hallmark of training for fluency. And even then, its sometimes not enough. Again, we don't know what happened in this situation, but I'm seldom suprised when people don't act rationally.

 

[baitedstorm]

I'm seldom suprised when people don't act rationally.

it still shocks the hell out of me when I see it. Maybe because I've only been diving for 2 yrs (this May 16th will make 2yrs). I had an "old school" instructor who believed firmly that I need to be comfortable in the water under the most extreme situations. He wouldn't sign off on my DM certification until I had worked with every class he taught for almost five months. The things I learned during this time were things I could have never gotten from a book. There's a small group of us (Conchs) that constantly keep our skills up to par by simply playful games while were diving. I think it helps to keep us ready in case there's a real problem. It's not uncommon for one of us to loose a fin or a mask at any given moment, although this sometimes confuses the non-Conchs that are watching.

Am I still so surprised by this because I'm a new diver, or maybe because I had a really great Instructor? Do you believe the caliber of diver should be a direct reflection of their Instructor?

 

[MoonWrasse]

it still shocks the hell out of me when I see it. Maybe because I've only been diving for 2 yrs (this May 16th will make 2yrs). I had an "old school" instructor who believed firmly that I need to be comfortable in the water under the most extreme situations. He wouldn't sign off on my DM certification until I had worked with every class he taught for almost five months. The things I learnt during this time were things I could have never gotten from a book. There's a small group of us (Conchs) that constantly keep our skills up to pare by simply playful games while were diving. I think it helps to keep us ready in case there's a real problem. It's not uncommon for one of us to loose a fin or a mask at any given momment, although this sometimes confuses the non-Conchs that are watching.

Am I still so suprised by this because I'm a new diver, or maybe because I had a really great Instructor? Do you believe the caliber of diver should be a direct reflection of their Instructor?

Perhaps you are just fortunate to not have been exposed to unfortunate accidents, to panic situations, to disasters, etc. Ever see a deer freeze in the middle of the road?
But there I go speculating