Another one

[Ed L.]

Just found this buried in the Sierra Sun news on line. Our local paper out of Truckee.

http://www.sierrasun.com/article/20070806/NEWS/70806008

Scuba diver dies at Lake Spaulding


Fast ascension may be cause, autopsy pending




By Dave Moller
Sun News Service
August 6, 2007

Comments (0) Print Email

A scuba diver died in an accident at Lake Spaulding Sunday morning, perhaps from ascending too fast.

Nevada County Sheriff Keith Royal said victim Richard Davis III, 56, of Auburn, was planning to dive to about 90 feet near the boat dock about 11 a.m.

Dive companion Nicholas Griffin, 23, of Applegate, told authorities Davis motioned he was going back to the surface at 50 feet, “and he apparently ascended too quickly.”

Royal, who has been diving himself for five years said, “Coming up too quick, you face a number of issues.”

Those include what is commonly called “the bends” also known as decompression illness, Royal said. The illness causes nitrogen bubbles to form that can cause a heart attack, “and all kinds of problems in the blood system.”

Royal said Davis’ quick rise to the surface also could have caused lung tissues to burst. Divers are taught to come up slowly while breathing through their apparatus, and to breathe out during an emergency ascent to avoid that problem, the sheriff said.

Davis was pronounced dead at the scene by the Truckee Fire Department, Royal said, and an autopsy is pending. His wife, Deborah Davis, 46, of Auburn, was at the accident location.

 

[grassyknoll]

Coincidence, the wife of his dive buddy was at my neighbor's house for a yard sale on Sunday, she mentioned that her husband (dive buddy in story) was diving with his father in law (I am assuming the deceased) and mother in law. A few hours later my neighbor who is CHP officer told me about the tragedy. He mentioned that the diver was acting strange at depth before ascending, was breathing at surface but had stopped by the time they brought him to shore. He stated they landed a chopper to evac and that he had also had a hip replacement only 6 weeks prior. My understanding is his wife had sat out the last dive and wasn't in the water at the time (don't know if they were diving as a group of three or if there was another, fourth diver). The information he relayed on Sunday doesn't really add anything and unfortunately I suspect there may not be any follow up information coming from the media. If accurate though, I wonder what someone with some medical background would say about the mix of diving at altitude (5015') and diving so soon after surgery.

Very tragic, and my thoughts and prayers go out to the family.

 

[Buc Chick]

Hip surgery? Could be a pulmonary embolism. He could have had a blood clot in his legs that traveled to his lungs. This is a common complication after this type of surgery.

I hate hearing about this. My condolences to his family and friends.

 

[TheRedHead]

I hate reading about these buddy-less accents here. Where was his buddy?