Bahamas: Missing Female Diver
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Public records of the city where she'd worked show her retirement notice and the news stories all say she was 68 - altho those could possible be based on the same initial story that could have included a typo.
I keep wondering about a DM who was hired to dive as buddy for Ms. Wood (no S at end of name) but didn't watch her closely enough that the DM has to have someone point her to her buddy.
With no reasons known to suggest self harm, I still see narcosis as most likely cause.
Dantheengineer
Contributor
The lads and lasses around the dock have been disseminating this incident in a similar fashion to ourselves. Some points of discrepancy have arisen between the "general understanding" of the occurrence. Perhaps Meg could clarify or comment? The following is my reiteration of little more than hearsay. It is however, the closest we'll probably get to the facts of the incident. (unless Onlyhalcyon comes back to us, we hope he will).
If i've misinterpreted in anyway Meg or Halcyon, please do correct me.......(i'm damned certain those who are reading but wont/cant post'll let me have it RIGHT in the neck for getting it wrong!)
The dive boat (White Bungie) had three Instructor certified divers aboard. 1. Was the Dive leader. 2. Had an AOW course and was tutoring the deep dive segment. 3. Was hired in the role of private DM. Also aboard was the Captain (For information, who i'm told also holds PADI DM status). There was no Fin Photo photographers aboard. All of whom are, also, of instructor status.
About 18-20 mins into the dive, instructor 3, who is at an approximate depth of 60', sees Mrs. Wood at the considerably lower depth of 80'. She taps on her tanks and upon achieving Mrs Wood's attention signals her to ascend to her own depth. She is ignored. After further attempts to attract Mrs Wood's attention fail, the instructor descends and again communicates the need to ascend. At this stage Mrs. Wood proceeds to physically push instructor 3. away. Left with little choice but to try to over power Mrs. Woods, 3. starts to inflate her BCD. In response, Mrs. Wood starts to vent air from the BC via the shoulder dump valve. This altercation continues to an approximate depth of 140' at which point 3. decides to break contact due to the obvious ineffectiveness of her input and safety concerns at the depth being in excess of RDP's. With body language exhibiting anger and aggression, Mrs Wood descents out of sight, still dumping air from the shoulder valve as she goes.
Instructor 2. is returning from his deep dive and is at an approximate depth of 70' when instructor 3. approaches him and communicates the loss of her charge. Instructor 2. descends to, in excess of, 170' where he can still see a bubble trail from beneath him. He decides the danger is too great to descent and investigate further.
(Meg particularly, may remember instructor 2. as he, also, has hearing difficulties and uses two hearing aids)
Upon returning to the dive boat, the captain is alerted to the incident and radio's South Ocean base. Assistance is summarily dispatched.
Upon return to the craft, instructor 1. is informed of the situation, switches his tank from EANx to air and returns to the water.
Now i know the above is far short of admissible anywhere but this, the people's court. I dont work for or have any real ties to the operation other than it's an excellent place to dive. I know most of the staff very well and am able to say that those involved are of the highest caliber. I would also point out that the client to "report worthy" incident ratio is negligible. Do please, bear in mind that the shear number and quality of diver that comes through there is, generally, large and poor respectively. (I have, myself, witnessed some absolute pearls!)
Like DandyDon, i hesitate to comment on the likelihood of suicide, mostly for reasons of propriety. Most of what i'm hearing/reading indicates that whether premeditated or of the moment and narc'd, this poor lady did, consciously resist advice, physical assistance and professional guidance and descend below her capability. This, intentionally or not resulted in her tragic death.
Assuming the accuracy of the above, short of PADI (or other agencies) putting together a sub aqua self-defense, close combat and client mental health specialty (i shouldn't joke..$$$$$$??) i cant see what else instructor 3. could have reasonably done.
In the event that it's decided that she should have been able to overpower Mrs. Woods, i dont see that she is either qualified or certified (Thall). I'm fairly certain i'm not.
The DM (Instructor 3.) was back in the water for the first time following the incident yesterday. She is said to be very distraught and recovering from shock slowly, precisely as one would expect of any reasonable human reaction to such a traumatic occurrence.
If i've misinterpreted in anyway Meg or Halcyon, please do correct me.......(i'm damned certain those who are reading but wont/cant post'll let me have it RIGHT in the neck for getting it wrong!)
The dive boat (White Bungie) had three Instructor certified divers aboard. 1. Was the Dive leader. 2. Had an AOW course and was tutoring the deep dive segment. 3. Was hired in the role of private DM. Also aboard was the Captain (For information, who i'm told also holds PADI DM status). There was no Fin Photo photographers aboard. All of whom are, also, of instructor status.
About 18-20 mins into the dive, instructor 3, who is at an approximate depth of 60', sees Mrs. Wood at the considerably lower depth of 80'. She taps on her tanks and upon achieving Mrs Wood's attention signals her to ascend to her own depth. She is ignored. After further attempts to attract Mrs Wood's attention fail, the instructor descends and again communicates the need to ascend. At this stage Mrs. Wood proceeds to physically push instructor 3. away. Left with little choice but to try to over power Mrs. Woods, 3. starts to inflate her BCD. In response, Mrs. Wood starts to vent air from the BC via the shoulder dump valve. This altercation continues to an approximate depth of 140' at which point 3. decides to break contact due to the obvious ineffectiveness of her input and safety concerns at the depth being in excess of RDP's. With body language exhibiting anger and aggression, Mrs Wood descents out of sight, still dumping air from the shoulder valve as she goes.
Instructor 2. is returning from his deep dive and is at an approximate depth of 70' when instructor 3. approaches him and communicates the loss of her charge. Instructor 2. descends to, in excess of, 170' where he can still see a bubble trail from beneath him. He decides the danger is too great to descent and investigate further.
(Meg particularly, may remember instructor 2. as he, also, has hearing difficulties and uses two hearing aids)
Upon returning to the dive boat, the captain is alerted to the incident and radio's South Ocean base. Assistance is summarily dispatched.
Upon return to the craft, instructor 1. is informed of the situation, switches his tank from EANx to air and returns to the water.
Now i know the above is far short of admissible anywhere but this, the people's court. I dont work for or have any real ties to the operation other than it's an excellent place to dive. I know most of the staff very well and am able to say that those involved are of the highest caliber. I would also point out that the client to "report worthy" incident ratio is negligible. Do please, bear in mind that the shear number and quality of diver that comes through there is, generally, large and poor respectively. (I have, myself, witnessed some absolute pearls!)
Like DandyDon, i hesitate to comment on the likelihood of suicide, mostly for reasons of propriety. Most of what i'm hearing/reading indicates that whether premeditated or of the moment and narc'd, this poor lady did, consciously resist advice, physical assistance and professional guidance and descend below her capability. This, intentionally or not resulted in her tragic death.
Assuming the accuracy of the above, short of PADI (or other agencies) putting together a sub aqua self-defense, close combat and client mental health specialty (i shouldn't joke..$$$$$$??) i cant see what else instructor 3. could have reasonably done.
In the event that it's decided that she should have been able to overpower Mrs. Woods, i dont see that she is either qualified or certified (Thall). I'm fairly certain i'm not.
The DM (Instructor 3.) was back in the water for the first time following the incident yesterday. She is said to be very distraught and recovering from shock slowly, precisely as one would expect of any reasonable human reaction to such a traumatic occurrence.
promocop
Contributor
Finally, a report worthy of this tragic accident. Thank you
Very Interesting and definitely a different perspective now that the pieces are coming together.
If the DM was on EAN32 (assumption) then 140' (42m) is beyond the contingency PPO2 (1.6) and in the range of "not going there!" in my mind.
Questions for the qualified DM's and Instructors here:
1. Is there ever any training to exceed the accepted PPO2 limits (1.6) whilst doing DM or Instructor training? and
2. Assuming a relatively accurate description of events, is the depth at which the DM "Bailed" acceptable for anyone who has never been deeper than 1.6?
Thanks in advance
Richard
If the DM was on EAN32 (assumption) then 140' (42m) is beyond the contingency PPO2 (1.6) and in the range of "not going there!" in my mind.
Questions for the qualified DM's and Instructors here:
1. Is there ever any training to exceed the accepted PPO2 limits (1.6) whilst doing DM or Instructor training? and
2. Assuming a relatively accurate description of events, is the depth at which the DM "Bailed" acceptable for anyone who has never been deeper than 1.6?
Thanks in advance
Richard
Last edited:
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This story is getting more bizarre by the moment. No disrespect to Meg, but there a couple of very troubling things here besides the accident (if that's what it was).
1. The fact that the dive operation continued to complete another dive and had willing participants.
2. Authorities, including the dive shop, did not investigate or question any of the other divers on the boat. I may be making an assumption that the other divers were not questioned but according to Meg, he was not questioned and I can only assume none of the others were either. And then these patrons leave the country without as much as a statement. Hard to get the facts without asking questions.
My first question would center on how someone in the care of a private DM ended up 20' below her to begin with.
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