American fatality in Exumas, Bahamas

[DandyDon]

It sounds like a class with one instructor and nine other divers, perhaps an advanced class?

Suspected drowning on Exuma diving expedition

Detectives on Exuma are investigating the circumstances surrounding the suspected drowning of an American man on Friday.

www.tribune242.com

Detectives on Exuma are investigating the circumstances surrounding the suspected drowning of an American man on Friday.



#According to reports, shortly before 11am, police on Exuma were informed that an adult male was brought unresponsive into a local marina from a diving expedition.



#Officers were dispatched and on their arrival at the docking site, they were directed to a vessel where the man’s body was. The victim was examined by the local medical doctor and pronounced dead.



#Initial investigations indicate that sometime around 9am a party of 10 had gone on a diving expedition. A short time later, while at the dive site in the area of Rolleville, Exuma, the expedition began their goal of reaching a specified depth.



#During the dive, when the party arrived at an initial designated depth, one of the instructors motioned to the divers for a response.



#However, the instructor became concerned about one diver due to not receiving the appropriate signal from him. The instructor went to the man and discovered that he was not fully coherent.



#Instructions were then signalled for all the divers to resurface. Once at the surface the man was placed aboard the vessel where he collapsed. A decision was made to return to shore.



#The Coroner was apprised of the initial facts in this matter. Police will await an official identification by a next of kin to confirm the victim’s identity and an autopsy report to determine the exact cause of death. This matter remains under active investigation.

 

[sladerer]

I was one of the divers and performed CPR along with other divers and crew. I can add more later, but we had 2 groups - there were 5 divers and a dive leader on a deep dive to about 110 ft. The other 5 divers were on a 2nd site nearby with a 2nd dive leader.

 

[peeweediver]

I was one of the divers and performed CPR along with other divers and crew. I can add more later, but we had 2 groups - there were 5 divers and a dive leader on a deep dive to about 110 ft. The other 5 divers were on a 2nd site nearby with a 2nd dive leader.

I am so sorry for this to have happened and that you had to experience it. As you may know, part of the Rescue Diver Class is learning to also take care of yourself after an experience like this. Pay attention to your mental state and talk to someone if that is needed. It is a very traumatic event all the way around. Thank you for stepping up and helping.

 

[sladerer]

I am so sorry for this to have happened and that you had to experience it. As you may know, part of the Rescue Diver Class is learning to also take care of yourself after an experience like this. Pay attention to your mental state and talk to someone if that is needed. It is a very traumatic event all the way around. Thank you for stepping up and helping.

Thank you, I appreciate the kind words and advice.

 

[Shasta_man]

Thanks for your efforts sladerer. Talking to anyone just to say what's in your head is good thing.

Not directed at sladerer: Could be just the media report but I note they describe it as drowning. I don't know whether he took his reg out because of his mental state or he drowned because of being incapacitated due to some medical episode but interesting since he seemed to be incoherent yet conscious. The cause doesn't matter as the result is the same.

 

[boulderjohn]

Not directed at sladerer: Could be just the media report but I note they describe it as drowning.

Almost all scuba fatalities are labeled as drownings. No matter what the real cause of the mishap, that is usually what actually causes death or comes so close to the true cause of death that it would be splitting hairs to argue otherwise. When a diver suffers sudden cardiac death, for example, the diver will pass out and inhale water. It will be labeled a drowning.

 

[C3diver]

I was a potential diver the very next day with the same dive shop, and on the way had picked up a hitchhiker to help and dropped her off at work. We started talking and she shared with me the accident was all over the news.

Thinking they would suspend diving, after I dropped off the lady, I called ahead to confirm and they simply said to come on down - diving is still on. I assumed they would explain what happened and provide information about the incident and why they believed it was still safe.

Quite the opposite. I asked several times while filling out my paperwork what happened and they remained tight lipped. they refused to take me diving despite my medical clearance because I always answer yes to 2-3 questions (HBP, high cholesterol sort of thing) but things usually instantly clear up when I present my current and recent physician note, but not today. When they said words to the effect of having to be careful right now, I again asked for details about what happened with no information.

When I realize the reason of death was still unknown and an investigation was still open, I realized how naive my initial approach to hearing about this whole incident was, I actually became glad that I wasn’t diving. I then checked with the 3 other divers if they had been made aware so they could make an informed decision about their personal safety. They had not been told. Staff became angry that I was sharing information about the incident with the other guests, to the point where I was asked to leave.

I asked one of the managers to explain why it’s safe to dive if the cause of death is still unknown, to which there was no reply. I subsequently learned that the resort associated with the dive shop (note - *NOT* the dive shop itself) itself has had three more deaths that are still subject to an open investigation that occurred earlier this same month.

I get that an investigation takes time, and it might turn out that the dive shop had no culpability, but then we don’t know that yet either. The whole response seems to suggest that there should be a predefined standard and a code of conduct on how a dive shop should handle situations where the root cause remains unknown and an investigation is still active. Like - should they be required to inform divers of an incident involving an active investigation to allow divers to make their own informed decisions. I have passed on my concerns to PADI, as this shop operates as a PADI dive shop.


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[Belzelbub]

When I realize the reason of death was still unknown and an investigation was still open, I realized how naive my initial approach to hearing about this whole incident was, I actually became glad that I wasn’t diving. I then checked with the 3 other divers if they had been made aware so they could make an informed decision about their personal safety. They had not been told. Staff became angry that I was sharing information about the incident with the other guests, to the point where I was asked to leave.

If this had been my operation, I would have asked you to leave as well. The investigation still being open just means they don‘t have a definitive cause yet. It doesn’t mean that the shop did anything wrong or the dive was unsafe. Had all (or at least several) divers in that group had a similar problem, that would be a different story.

I was on a dive with 3 other divers and an instructor. Max depth on this dive was around 110’. First dive of the day, and we stayed well within NDL. One diver had an issue at depth, regained composure, and completed the dive. At the surface, she presented symptoms immediately. The rest of the divers had no problems. It took a while to get the results of the incident. This was an issue that only affected this one diver. From what you are posting, it sounds like you think both the dive shop and the site should have been closed until the cause was determined.

 

[C3diver]

If this had been my operation, I would have asked you to leave as well. The investigation still being open just means they don‘t have a definitive cause yet. It doesn’t mean that the shop did anything wrong or the dive was unsafe. Had every (or at least several) divers in that group had a similar problem, that would be a different story.

I was on a dive with 3 other divers and an instructor. Max depth on this dive was around 110’. First dive of the day, and we stayed well within NDL. One diver had an issue at depth, regained composure, and completed the dive. At the surface, she presented symptoms immediately. The rest of the divers had no problems. It took a while to get the results of the incident. This was an issue that only affected this one diver. From what you are posting, it sounds like you think both the dive shop and the site should have been closed until the cause was determined.

Such assumptions being made about the unstated and far from what i think. and not what I said at all.

I do think they should be transparent about what happened, so divers can make up their own mind. Like I stated, I know they might have had zero culpability, but we don’t know that yet either.

And what the right guidelines are is far beyond me to determine, except I know I in that moment would have wanted transparency about what happened, what is known, and what is not known. I know I did not get it, and I know when others become hostile when the truth is shared, it is often not a good sign. Being asked to leave - absolutely not surprising at all, I agree.

I am advocating for an industry standard and a code of conduct to be defined and followed, and I would hope transparency would be part of that. Diver training makes my safety my responsibility. Which means I should have access to the information so I myself can make that determination, not have the dive shop make that assessment on my behalf.

 

[AggieDiver]

I was a potential diver the very next day with the same dive shop, and on the way had picked up a hitchhiker to help and dropped her off at work. We started talking and she shared with me the accident was all over the news.

Thinking they would suspend diving, after I dropped off the lady, I called ahead to confirm and they simply said to come on down - diving is still on. I assumed they would explain what happened and provide information about the incident and why they believed it was still safe.

Quite the opposite. I asked several times while filling out my paperwork what happened and they remained tight lipped. they refused to take me diving despite my medical clearance because I always answer yes to 2-3 questions (HBP, high cholesterol sort of thing) but things usually instantly clear up when I present my current and recent physician note, but not today. When they said words to the effect of having to be careful right now, I again asked for details about what happened with no information.

When I realize the reason of death was still unknown and an investigation was still open, I realized how naive my initial approach to hearing about this whole incident was, I actually became glad that I wasn’t diving. I then checked with the 3 other divers if they had been made aware so they could make an informed decision about their personal safety. They had not been told. Staff became angry that I was sharing information about the incident with the other guests, to the point where I was asked to leave.

I asked one of the managers to explain why it’s safe to dive if the cause of death is still unknown, to which there was no reply. I subsequently learned that the resort associated with the dive shop (note - *NOT* the dive shop itself) itself has had three more deaths that are still subject to an open investigation that occurred earlier this same month.

I get that an investigation takes time, and it might turn out that the dive shop had no culpability, but then we don’t know that yet either. The whole response seems to suggest that there should be a predefined standard and a code of conduct on how a dive shop should handle situations where the root cause remains unknown and an investigation is still active. Like - should they be required to inform divers of an incident involving an active investigation to allow divers to make their own informed decisions. I have passed on my concerns to PADI, as this shop operates as a PADI dive shop.


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The other three deaths you mentioned were caused by carbon monoxide in one of the rooms and had nothing to do with the dive op. REPORT: Carbon monoxide killed American visitors - The Nassau Guardian