Abalone diver dies off of CA beach

[DandyDon]

Abalone diver who died off Sea Ranch ID'd as Yuba City man | PressDemocrat.com

A Yuba City man diving for abalone off shore from Sea Ranch died Friday morning, apparently after becoming tangled in a kelp bed, authorities said.

The Sonoma County Coroner’s Office has identified the victim as Wyatt Edward Neubert, 24.

Witnesses at Pebble Beach, one of several public access beaches in the northern Sonoma Coast subdivision, saw Neubert struggling offshore shortly after 7:30 a.m. Friday, emergency personnel said.

He appeared to be tangled in the kelp and unable to surface, sheriff’s Lt. Glenn Lawrence said.

A U.S. Coast Guard rescue boat was launched, but the man had been pulled ashore before it arrived, Chief Petty Officer Erik Watson said.

A Sonoma County sheriff’s deputy also was on scene and CPR was attempted, but Neubert was pronounced dead, authorities said.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

We get about 5 to 8 deaths a year of people from out of the area mostly that are determined to freedive for abalone no matter what the conditions or circumstances.
We call it Sacramento syndrome.

 

[Akimbo]

The trouble with these reports is the kelp gets blamed when heart attack, shallow water blackout, exhaustion, or panic is far more likely. The kelp floating on the surface this early in the year isn’t all that thick. Even when it is thickest, it has never stopped me from getting a breath.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I got my leg wrapped around some kelp one time. For those that don't know the area we have bull kelp which has one long single rope like stalk with an air filled ball at the top. The leaves grow off of this ball that keeps the kelp suspended on the top of the water so it can get sunlight.
Bull kelp looks threatening on the surface because all you see are the long stringy leaves, but underneath all you see are single verticle poles going down to the ocean floor. Bull kelp will grow on rocks or other suitable substrate and has what looks like a root growth that wraps around stuff as a holdfast. I've even seen kelp holds attached to the shells of abalone. Bull kelp grows to a max depth of about 60 feet.

Normally just going straight up and down in the bull kelp is no big deal but I did some maneuvering around a rock to work an ab in about 35 feet and swung my legs into a stand of kelp. As I was coming up one kelp stalk looped around my left leg and cinched down keeping me from surfacing about 5 feet from the surface. I just calmly swung my leg around and released it. The kelp actually broke loose from it's hold so I was on my way up anyway.

If I couldn't have gotten loose the next step would have been to dump the belt, and if that didn't work then the knife would have come out.

Diving in and around bull kelp just requires extra situational awareness and caution.
Yes, rooting around in a kelp stand not paying attention to your surroundings and getting tangled up can happen. The trick is to not take those kinds of chances and pay attention to where you are, where your fins are, and don't allow yourself to get snared.

 

[fisheater]

One other critical thing about bull kelp:

Unlike giant kelp, which you can break like carrot simply by bending the stipe over, bull kelp stipes are flexible and stringy. You must use a cutting tool to sever them.

 

[VooDooGasMan]

Are there abalone free diving standards that are known, It is not a common thing in other areas as much as it is in ca. Although an instructor gal many moons ago died in kelp at the Edmonds underwater park, separated from buddy and only having 500 Psi when they were coming in, not enough to free herself and found caught in it.

Free diving is a lot different, not a lot of time to escape. I lkie how ZKY has expressed his experience and wandering how it is informed to the abalone divers. and understand it might be other reasons of dieing not just entanglement.

And are they solo freediving when this happens most of the time.



Happy Diving

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Are there abalone free diving standards that are known, It is not a common thing in other areas as much as it is in ca. Although an instructor gal many moons ago died in kelp at the Edmonds underwater park, separated from buddy and only having 500 Psi when they were coming in, not enough to free herself and found caught in it.

Free diving is a lot different, not a lot of time to escape. I lkie how ZKY has expressed his experience and wandering how it is informed to the abalone divers. and understand it might be other reasons of dieing not just entanglement.

And are they solo freediving when this happens most of the time.



Happy Diving

The one main standard is to know when to call the dive and not go in.
As you might know, the conditions can suck around here more times than they're good.
Two foot of vis with wild surge can send you into all kinds of stuff you can't see.

The conditions have been horrible the last few weeks and nobody has gone in that I normally dive with.
When the locals who dive in this stuff all the time decide to stay out of the water that should mean something.

 

[Peter_C]

I know of two ab divers who passed away from drowning after being caught in the kelp. Strapping a knife to the outside of your leg may look cool, but is an easy way to get stuck in the kelp.

 

[Akimbo]

The problem is a diver that loses consciousness and floats up under a canopy of floating kelp is always assumed to be drowned by the kelp. Of course they look tangled in kelp when found. All west coast divers have been tangled in kelp. We reach down and unhook or break ourselves free.

The root problem for Abalone divers is more likely simple hypoxia from not leaving enough margin at the end of a breath-held dive for dealing with entanglement. The problem is frequently compounded by cold water, marginal physical condition, rough seas, bad swell, and/or low visibility. I am reluctant to use the term shallow water blackout because so many Abalone divers are found in 15' or less. Don’t get me wrong, I am as guilty as the next guy of occasional misjudgments.

Sure, the kelp can be a contributing factor, but the reporting makes it sound like kelp is the primary cause. Abs are like “china fever” on the Andrea Doria. ZKY mentioned the Sacramento syndrome. Translated for those outside Northern California: “I drove 3½ hours to get here and I’m not going home empty handed” syndrome. Unfortunately, California’s north coast has a lot more dangerous diving days than safe ones.

 

[VooDooGasMan]

Peter I have been ?ed about knife strapped inside leg, it took a while for me to say kelp and wrecks, instead of wrecks and kelp.

Fishing line is also a catch on knife supported on outer part of leg.

Very good point peter.


Happy Diving