Body of San Diego diver recovered

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Joaz Banbeck

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From the SD Union tribune:

"SAN DIEGO —

The search for a missing scuba diver on Sunday morning ended with the discovery of the man’s body in the waters off Mission Point Park in Mission Bay, San Diego lifeguards said.

The missing diver was reported about 9 a.m. after the man didn’t show up to a planned meetup with a dive group, lifeguard Lt. Rick Romero told an OnScene TV reporter.

Emergency crews began searching the area, and, about 11 a.m., a lifeguard spotted a shadow in the water. Another lifeguard donned scuba gear and located the man’s body about 15 to 20 feet below the surface, Romero said."

More at Body of missing scuba diver found in Mission Bay

The cause of death was not specified. The water where he was found is very calm, so I would guess a medical emergency or a boat strike.
 
Sadly most divers' bodies recovered still have weights attached. It's always easier to attempt a rescue on the surface. Rapid ascent injuries can be treated. Drownings are less likely.
 
Sadly most divers' bodies recovered still have weights attached.

A medical event or boat strike, as was speculated in the article, could easily render the diver incapable of dropping a belt. Not saying that was the case, but sometimes one doesn't have a choice.

I encourage all divers to practice dropping their belt / weights, as I do, so they are are ready to do it in a small window of time during an emergency. If one doesn't practice, one may not think of it when the time comes.
 
...apparently diving solo...

I'm in SD, I could have been his buddy. It is quite possible that I know him.

Sigh. Why do people do this???
 
If he was diving solo, I wonder if he was properly equipped to do so?? Having just taken the SDI Solo course, I know I have the equipment to do so, but I have seen experienced divers do so, without the proper gear. This is a very sad event.
 
A medical event or boat strike, as was speculated in the article, could easily render the diver incapable of dropping a belt. Not saying that was the case, but sometimes one doesn't have a choice.
I would venture to say that in 90% of all fatalities, the diver had no choice. About 10 years ago I went through a couple years of DAN fatality reports and looked for cases in which dropping weights might have saved the diver. IIRC, I found that in only about 10% of the cases was it possible it would have made any difference. I italicized possible because in several cases the body was found alone with no clear cause of death, so no one can know if dropping weights might or might not have made a difference.

On the other hand, DAN has reported that whatever the cause of a fatality, in a large percentage of those fatalities, the divers were grossly overweighted. That may be because in a large percentage of non-fatal dives, the divers are also grossly overweighted.
 
Yup . Even Jarrod Jablonski agrees with that. Not that I’ve ever been close to that kind of dive.
 
Clear water, good conditions and 20' depth, my speculation is that this was a medical event.
 
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