Accident at Lake Rawlings Sunday 05/27/2012

[wangchung]

Source=one of the trainee divers in her group. There were 6 divers doing their third OW check-out dive with this instructor.

 

[ktomlinson]

6 students in 20' viz sounds tough to keep up with, especially if you are watching someone perform a skill.

 

[DandyDon]

Source=one of the trainee divers in her group. There were 6 divers doing their third OW check-out dive with this instructor.

Thanks. I also got a PM confirmation by someone who does not want to post.

 

[TechDeep]

Woman drowns scuba diving in lake - NBC12.com-Richmond, VA News, Weather, Traffic & Sports

 

[BDSC]

Her instructor was the owner of Splash Dive Center in Alexandria Va.

According to the website, a Janet and David Hays own the shop.

 

[Colliam7]

6 students in 20' viz sounds tough to keep up with, especially if you are watching someone perform a skill.

It may sound that way, but this is a commonplace situation in scuba instruction. Certainly, the 6:1 ratio is well within PADI standards. If the viz really was 20 ft, even if the instructor did not have a CA working with him / her, I would not consider this to be a particularly challenging situation, NOR would I consider it to be one in which I could afford to relax my vigilance for even a brief moment.

I was very concerned to hear the overall impressions my friend had about how the entire experience was.

I presume from the comment that the impressions were of the overall class experience, and not limited to the tragic episode. And, comments coming from a student in the class may have considerable informational value, or be without a rational basis - very hard to assess from afar. But, this is every instructor's nightmare, and when I hear about something like this I think of classes I have conducted (at Lake Rawlings among other inland sites), in poorer visibility, and wonder if skill or luck or a combination of the two allowed me (and the students) to successfully complete the OW dives without incident. Rawlings is a good training site, but bad things can happen. While I don't necessarily agree with the comment that 'diving is dangerous', I certainly agree that is can be dangerous under certain conditions. And, the admonition against speculation I definitely agree with. As an instructor, I hope that more detail will be forthcoming, so that we can all better understand the chain of events that led to this horrific outcome.

 

[BDSC]

... in many of the accidents and or fatalities I have read about the truth is never known. All anyone can do in some accidents is speculate on what happened and come up with ways to avoid a repeat in the future. We all can actually learn from speculation. In no way does that take away anyones desire or ability to help the family and business involved.

 

[BDSC]

But, this is every instructor's nightmare,

I would think it would be.

I'm curious about something. I usually read that when a police officer is involved in a shooting, the officer is put on some type of desk duty until there is a review of what happened. How about a dive instructor? Does the agency/agencies that an instructor is certified under suspend their ability to continue to teach until a review can be done on an incident like the one here?

 

[Mark Derail]

(before nitpicking this post, read my follow-up please)

My speculation :: Holy Crap !!! :: How Come There Wasn't a DM !?!?!?!?!??!?!

Of course a OW student will be overweighted, but not exceeding our BC limit.

During our checkout dives for OW, it was the job of the DM to watch over the group, while the attention of the Instructor was held to one Student doing the skills.

IMHO - especially for six students - a DM was a NECESSITY and it would be the DM's fault, not the Instructors fault, for losing a Student. This Is Common Sense.

I would like to know PADI/NAUI regulations on such a case. Was the instructor at fault for not having a DM? Is the instructor liable (for not having a DM)?

Again, IMO, this Instructor is at fault and liable. Legally - is he?

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Stating that an OW student will be overweighted is BS. There is no need to overweight students other than laziness. As for a DM it does not matter if the instructor is using one or not. He/she is responsible for the class, not the DM. If it can be shown a DM deliberately ignored the instructors directions there may be something. But ultimately it falls on the shoulders of the instructor. Personally I never take more than 4 students in the water so 6 is not common with me. How many students a conscientious instructor takes in the water is a matter of choice. Plain and simple. 20 ft vis in a place with lots of training going on? I'd be doing 6 dives the first day and if they were all couples, the same number for day two. If they were not couples and had shown real ability to.stay together I'd take three on each dive with one being my buddy. And yes I consider any student I'd take to open water capable of being my buddy or they would still be in the pool. Even if these divers were capable staying in good buddy position. Swimming along in pairs one pair behind the other the instructor cannot see all divers at once in that vis. Figure min of 8 feet per pair ideally plus the instructor puts the last team more than 20 ft back. He cannot see them thus the ratio is unacceptable.

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