Accident & Incident Discussion - Northernone - aka Cameron Donaldson

[scubadada]

Post number 7 indicates they normally only separted for 5 or 10 minutes (when he was deep) and it was assumed that this was the plan on the day of the accident.

Is the map consistent with that? I'm not sure of the scale; can the distance between the separation point and meeting points can be traversed in 5-10 minutes for someone without a scooter?

Who knows?

 

[Ron Lee]

Pretty decent slope on this wall. Looking at the Navionics chart using the key and estimating the separation area based on depth features of a sharp wall as his mom reported he went over, In just 200 feet with a down current or loss of buoyancy, he'd be around 300 ft. deep from 150 ft. Moving in a 3 knot current he'd be at that depth in ~60 seconds. 6 knots, ~30 seconds. Could be more dramatic a little south.

My observation above doesn't mean much, but the chart provides a decent understanding of the estimated separation point where his mom reported his bubbles were going down or at least not visible any longer.

That is a great topo chart. Do you have access to similar charts of a Palancar site? I don't recall which have obvious sloping gradients as opposed to a sheer wall.The current should be parallel to the depth contours.

 

[CuzzA]

Post number 7 indicates they normally only separted for 5 or 10 minutes (when he was deep) and it was assumed that this was the plan on the day of the accident.

Is the map consistent with that? I'm not sure of the scale; can the distance between the separation point and meeting points be traversed in 5-10 minutes for someone without a scooter?

According to what has been posted here, I estimate it to be about one land mile from separation to intended meet up. So if someone were traveling at 3 knots = 5.06 ft./s, it would take almost 18 minutes to travel one land mile... if my math is correct.

This also sheds some light on why quick SAR response is so important. If you're riding a 3 knot surface current, every 18 minutes you've traveled a mile. In 24 hours you've traveled 80 miles. If he was on the surface moving with the current, he was far off from the island by the time any air search was initiated.

 

[CuzzA]

That is a great topo chart. Do you have access to similar charts of a Palancar site? I don't recall which have obvious sloping gradients as opposed to a sheer wall.The current should be parallel to the depth contours.

Navionics web chart. When you zoom in be sure to click Sonar Charts on the bottom left.

Navionics ChartViewer

 

[Ron Lee]

CuzzA, that is great. The entire island has a wall. It is amazing that on dive sites that are flatish, not far away towards open water is a wall. It also suggests that a recovery might be possible in that sloping area. The problem is depth which means limited numbers of divers who could search or perhaps an underwater system is needed. Does the local navy have such a device?

 

[kevin_tor]

Was in Cozumel last week , my first visit to the island and all the hype surrounding how great that island is convinced me to get into Scuba. So i was trying to gather information on diving and ran into this news about the fellow canadian dying.

While i was there talked to one of the dive clubs off a large and reputed resort to get info on diving.
They were hell bent on convincing me to do Discover scuba and i had seen enough youtube videos to realize that, i should try this in my home country canada in a pool before i do this anywhere else.

Those guys were saying there is no risk. how they have done 1700 plus dives etc. I mentioned about the news about Donaldson and they were saying that he jumped off from a forbidden location, he did many things wrong etc etc. Even this thread some comments try to point finger at Donaldson. However reading some of Donaldsons own posts i realize this guy was a really really good diver and probably caught in a unfortunate situation.

I just find it really odd how experienced industry professionals downplay risks in Scuba just to make a buck and stop at nothing to blame the individuals for their accidents.

 

[Storker]

I just find it really odd how experienced industry professionals downplay risks in Scuba just to make a buck

Some of us are a bit more cynical than you are. Pray that you don't end up like us.

 

[Ron Lee]

Kevin, if you want to say that diving deep and alone are "doing things wrong" then that is correct for an inexperienced diver. I have done both of those things but not together. No one knows what happened. What if a shark got him? Or he had a lethal medical event?

If you want to get certified at home then do it and find one of dozens of fine dive ops to enjoy diving...which is not a sport.

 

[BRT]

Everything has risks. Breathing underwater is not a normal human activity.

 

[CuzzA]

Everything has risks. Breathing underwater is not a normal natural human activity.

FIFY.