Another Eagles Nest fatality

[decompression]

Tha

Posted by Brandon Johnson on the Facebook:

"
To relevant medical parties and accident analysis:

Eagles Nest Fatality:

4 Hypoxic/Normoxic trained CCR Divers, some cave, some cavern, entered the water as a buddy team around 12:30 EST to execute a planned dive of approx 200', circle the cavern zone on ascent, deco, and return to exit.
At approximately 12:35, Diver #1 suffered an ADV failure and aborted the dive, returning to surface.
The 3 remaining divers chose to continue the dive.
The 3 divers reached planned depth, signaled "OK" and ended the dive, continuing upwards to 1st deco stop.
En route to 1st deco stop, casualty signaled something was wrong, started making a choking sound in his loop, and bailed out to open circuit.
Diver team continued with casualty on open circuit to 1st deco stop at 60-70'.
Upon reaching deco stop, casualty became unconscious. Remaining two divers provided assistance by physical contact and keeping regulator in mouth.
Casualty stopped moving entirely and divers believed no further help could be provided, maintained regulator in mouth and began ascent with casualty.
Around 40' stop and 1:20 PM, casualty buoyancy (drysuit, wing, backmounted counterlungs) became difficult to handle and divers made the decision to send casualty to surface via buoyant ascent.
1:25 PM diver who aborted dive noticed casualty floating on surface, called 911, and swam out to recover casualty.
Casualty was dragged to waterway exit (staircase) while EMS was inbound.
Casualty was frothing at the mouth, cold, cyanotic, not breathing with no pulse.
EMS arrived within 20 minutes, provided medical assistance and called casualty deceased roughly around 2:00 PM.
Divers in deco finished their decompression stops and surfaced to aid in recovery.
Shortly after 2:50 PM, I arrived on scene, followed by Detective and Medical Examiner.
Statements were taken, ME provided examination, and diver team was released.
No further details. HCSO Investigation pending."

Thanks AJ

 

[cerich]

i'll beg to differ about single tank pretty fishy dives, and even about being cavern/intro certed, and even about being on a breather, but not about full trimix, and definitely not about diving a rebreather in that cave.... My opinion on whether or not that dive should require a full cave cert or not being relevant...

@cerich you mentioned a DPV, where did that come up? Didn't see it in anything yet

he (victim)posted a picof his shiny new scooter on FB... he may not have had on this dive. Given the very real possibility this was medical (with so many other concerns it isn't funny) he was swimming on his final dive.

 

[kensuf]

I don't have a problem with someone being cavern or even intro to cave certified within a year of OW certification, especially if they live near caves and have a desire for it. Trimix is quite a bit much, that's way too fast. You don't have the time to solve problems deep that you do shallow.

 

[The Chairman]

I don't have a problem with someone being cavern or even intro to cave certified within a year of OW certification,

If they dive within their limits.

 

[kensuf]

That's a given.

 

[The Chairman]

That's a given.

Unfortunately, it wasn't this time.

 

[TaylorP]

Is there any truth to the rumor that the deceased had only been diving for about a year and had failed an intro to cave class?

I can attest to this fact. Talked to the gentleman that passed a few times.

 

[boulderjohn]

I can attest to this fact. Talked to the gentleman that passed a few times.

Just thing to sort out facts....

I have seen conclusive evidence that he had been diving for about 1.5 years. Do you have clear evidence that he did not pass an Intro Cave class?

 

[bumcikaz]

So what if he has been diving only for 1.5years? Depends on how many dives he has done and what kind of dives were those..
I have seen people diving for 20 years and have 100-200 dives under their belts in Caribbean and i have seen divers who were diving for 1-2 years and have 200-400 dives and they are pretty good divers.
All speculations about the time he has been certified dont make any sense, everyone absorbs knowledge and learns differently, some people need to get better alot more time than others

 

[dmaziuk]

Recreational divers represent a broader demographic. A diver with a pre-existing cardiac condition who is also predisposed to SIPE could suffer from immersion pulmonary edema during an otherwise "normal" dive.

I don't suppose there's any evidence implicating blood thinners and/or history of high BP?