(5/01/05) Diver missing in Florida

[Scuba_Dad]

I had to turn my cell phone off today because all the phone calls. I've heard so many rumors since this morning that it's just pure crazy. All kinds of different stuff being said, it kinda makes you wonder where people get this stuff from.

I didn't know the victim, but one of my students was very close to him. He was from the Melbourne/Palm Bay area. As soon as something comes out in the local paper, I'll post a link.

Al

 

[zboss]

Wait, I don't understand... did he not inflate his BCD? How do you "slip beneath the surface" with a filled bcd?

 

[ScubaTexan]

Wait, I don't understand... did he not inflate his BCD? How do you "slip beneath the surface" with a filled bcd?

We don't know what happened, and that's why we're NOT speculating.

 

[pilot fish]

We don't know what happened, and that's why we're NOT speculating.

Wasn't that link about a different accident ? I think Scuba Jenny said that?

 

[H2Andy]

PF, this is the only news story so far (that i know of) about this incident:

http://keysnews.com/295415040322655.bsp.htm

(it was originally posted by Henryville)

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

Here is a link to Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Daily Crime and Information Report
http://www.keysso.net/pio/crimereports/2005/May_2005.htm

 

[MoonWrasse]

Wait, I don't understand... did he not inflate his BCD? How do you "slip beneath the surface" with a filled bcd?

I suppose if a dump valve was stuck open, or the BCD was full of water. Otherwise what I posted earlier regarding river currents.

Question would be, if your BCD was full of air, and you felt yourself being pulled under while at the surface, what do you do? An extreme recent example (not quite the same) would be the divers UW during the Tsunami last December, who found themselves suddenly being pushed around depthwise.

 

[gfisher4792]

Just wondering: is it typical for a dive boat captain to pick up other divers before picking up a diver signaling distress? (as noted in the police log)

 

[lamont]

Wait, I don't understand... did he not inflate his BCD? How do you "slip beneath the surface" with a filled bcd?

the police report stated that his tank and BCD were both empty. maybe he went OOA and didn't orally inflate at the surface? or he could have tried to swim back to the boat underwater (easier than surface swimming if the conditions were bad and your nav skills were good enough) and then something happened (OOA, heart attack, etc)?

 

[scubadivernick]

Just wondering: is it typical for a dive boat captain to pick up other divers before picking up a diver signaling distress? (as noted in the police log)

Neil

It has been my experience (anyone feel free to correct me if I am wrong) that it is the lesser of the two evils to have one diver floating in the water than to have the rest of the boat come and have no boat there.

Learning point for everyone. If on the surface and in distress inflate you BC (manually if need be) and DROP YOUR WEIGHTS! This advice is not meant to speculate anything that happened in this incident (seeing as I was not there) but in general. I can not tell you how many times people forget this.