Cave diver dies in South-East (Australia)

[Ayisha]

Here is an excerpt from the link posted above at The lure of the deep

Steve Trewavas, national director of the Cave Divers Association, says it appears that she breached at least a couple of guidelines. Solo diving is one, and the circumstances around which she was diving solo remain unclear.

Another is the use of marked lines on intercepting lines within the cave. If you come to an intersection where there is another line, you're supposed to mark the intersection with an arrow indicating the return route so you can feel your way out.

''She probably went over at least eight or nine intersecting lines which she never marked,'' he says.

 

[Airleron]

Folks I think it is what it is....the tragic death of a young diver. I'm taking the initial report from the divers on scene as it stands. I knew long ago I would not be including full cave at any point in my diving career, but I have the utmost respect for those of you that do. You are truly "explorers of this planet".

RIP Agnes.

 

[WreckDiver1321]

I have nothing but the utmost respect for cave divers, for their skill and courage to explore where others deem too hazardous. I did not personally know Agnes, but I knew of her by reputation. It is truly a sad day when something such as this happens, especially to such an exceptional diver and member of the diving community. We will greatly miss her. Her family are in my prayers.

 

[Tortuga68]

In cave diving (which obviously you've never done) when you turn a dive, you physically turn around and head back the way you went in...

All I asked was what direction she was facing when found. It was a simple question which could have been answered with one word by someone who actually knew the circumstances. I wasn't asking for your interpretation of the report posted or the word turn, nor was I suggesting that she decided to back all the way out of the cave just for the hell of it

Initially I was wondering if she had been in a restriction where she was physically unable to turn around, and had to back out. Now it's been said that ''She probably went over at least eight or nine intersecting lines which she never marked" (http://redirectingat.com/?id=4116X6...dies-south-east-australia-12.html#post5770461) . IDK if that's true or not but if it is then she may have been moving forward again but not necessarily in the right direction

It's probably not relevant in this case since she had staged a bottle and was attempting to return to it but 'turning the dive' means to head for the nearest exit, which in a cave or wreck is not always the one you entered from and/or behind you. From the map of this cave there are circuits possible during which if you reached your 'turn pressure' you might not "physically turn around and head back the way you went in" since there is apparently a lot of permananent line in the system

Even if you did commence your return along the same route you took (assuming it was linear), once you realised that you had a gas supply issue you should be looking for the most expedient known exit

 

[ItsBruce]

I am not a cave diver, so I don't understand the bit about intersecting lines. I'd sure appreciate it if someone could explain it.

 

[TSandM]

ItsBruce, there are two ways to pass an intersection in a cave. Either the two lines are tied together, forming a "T", or they are near one another but you have to run your own line to keep things continuous. That's called a "jump". Either way, you have a line running in one direction, intersecting another line (whether it's yours, or permanently tied in). When you pass such an intersection, it is convention to leave a marker on your exit side of the intersection. So, if I were swimming up the stem of a "T", I'd leave a marker on that stem, whether I turn right or left at the intersection. If I come back, my marker shows me where I came in -- whether I can see it, or have to feel it in zero viz.

 

[Dive-aholic]

I don't understand how you could say "lack of experience." Back when she was in FL she was digging her way through 5 no-mount restrictions in Baptizing. She'd moved to FL to dive all the time and I understand that she was diving nearly every day. Didn't she have the 500 cave dive award?

On Facebook, she was posting going diving probably every other weekend. She was a stunt diver for Sanctum. She was exploring cave in Australia quite a bit after returning from FL.

If anything, I'd say complacency resulted in the tragic end, not lack of experience.

I think GeorgiaDoc put it best -

This leaves me with the experience. To me experience is a two fold issue. There is first the time in the water which develops the in water skill that I am sure she had. The second part is the time diving, or any other pursuit. This overall time allows you the wisdom to make good decisions in the water without the feeling of "need to accomplish". With age comes wisdom, with wisdom comes caution, with caution comes safety.

Sure, complacency played a big role in this. Ag passed several Ts without marking them (per reports from the recovery team) and she turned a primary cylinder into a stage cylinder. I learned a long time ago to not swim past a T without marking it. Hell, I'll drop a clothespin on a line if I've been swimming a few minutes and haven't passed a marker just so I have the reassurance on the way back that I'm going the way I came. Ts can be missed. Unintentional jumps can be blindly made. I've done both. Over time you learn these things and become more cautious. It doesn't mean you aren't going to push the limits. It just means you're going to make it out alive to do it again another day.

 

[Ayisha]

Ts can be missed. Unintentional jumps can be blindly made.

Especially in zero viz.

 

[Dive-aholic]

Especially in zero viz.

Actually, in zero visibility, it's less likely to miss Ts or jumps because you're on the line. You'll feel the T and you'll feel the end of the line you're on. The only time I've missed them is when they are badly placed in the system.

 

[Squirrel Girl]

Rob, I disagree with the "experience" argument. I don't believe that doing two or three times as many dives at a lower level is going to provide any particular chance of the accident wouldn't happen. I wrote about this (that could use even more explanation, but who wants to read too much) on CDF.

I think there's a drive to explore that is way different that the whole than you-gotta-dive-for-10-years before you do "interesting" (for lack of a better word) dives.

I think for some of that kind of diving, you may not be able to do everything the way folks in FL do. However, marking Ts and jumps is pretty dang straightforward and easy to do. I can't think of any reason other than complacency that would explain not doing that. To me, that is much more important. And also really sorting out what options are available in a given set of circumstances.