Unknown Chinese diver's body recovered - Kakaban Island, Indonesia

[Dan]

Here are some clarifications regarding the incident:

1. The diver, Xiaohan Zhao, was a technical diver (DM).
2. She often claimed that she could dive on a single air tank to a depth of 70 meters.
3. The dropped GoPro was actually retrieved by the guide at around 25 meters depth. The guide had already descended to below 10 bar and ascended on his own. Xiaohan stayed deeper near Kakaban Island to photograph a longtail shark, so her presence at depth was not due to retrieving the equipment.
4. The dive computer log shows her last dive reached a maximum depth of approximately 100 meters, then ascended to around 70+ meters before descending again to about 80 meters, which is where the body was eventually recovered.
5. The rescue team was led by the owner of Noah Resort, who and his team conducted the recovery dive using single air tanks down to about 83 meters.

Let me know if you need further details or assistance.

How much gas left in her tank when the rescue team retrieved her at 83m depth?

 

[Centrals]

Here are some clarifications regarding the incident:

1. The diver, Xiaohan Zhao, was a technical diver (DM).
2. She often claimed that she could dive on a single air tank to a depth of 70 meters.
3. The dropped GoPro was actually retrieved by the guide at around 25 meters depth. The guide had already descended to below 10 bar and ascended on his own. Xiaohan stayed deeper near Kakaban Island to photograph a longtail shark, so her presence at depth was not due to retrieving the equipment.
4. The dive computer log shows her last dive reached a maximum depth of approximately 100 meters, then ascended to around 70+ meters before descending again to about 80 meters, which is where the body was eventually recovered.
5. The rescue team was led by the owner of Noah Resort, who and his team conducted the recovery dive using single air tanks down to about 83 meters.

Let me know if you need further details or assistance.

1. What agency certified her as Tec Diver and was she a full Trimix Diver?
2. Single tank on air to 70m is nothing to boast about.
3. She dropped the camera in the beginning or at the end of it?
4.
5. That is irresponsible for any dive operator to send anyone down to 83m with a single tank of air.

 

[Pearlman]

I can’t believe she was a trained tech diver and still did single tank to 80 mtrs … doesn’t make sense.

Here are some clarifications regarding the incident:

1. The diver, Xiaohan Zhao, was a technical diver (DM).
2. She often claimed that she could dive on a single air tank to a depth of 70 meters.
3. The dropped GoPro was actually retrieved by the guide at around 25 meters depth. The guide had already descended to below 10 bar and ascended on his own. Xiaohan stayed deeper near Kakaban Island to photograph a longtail shark, so her presence at depth was not due to retrieving the equipment.
4. The dive computer log shows her last dive reached a maximum depth of approximately 100 meters, then ascended to around 70+ meters before descending again to about 80 meters, which is where the body was eventually recovered.
5. The rescue team was led by the owner of Noah Resort, who and his team conducted the recovery dive using single air tanks down to about 83 meters.

Let me know if you need further details or assistance.

Is there a public profile of hers somewhere? Attempting a bounce dive on a single tank of air to 80+m to retrieve her camera may be plausible for the “self-deluded” expert , but it’s hard to believe a trained diver would engage in such reckless behaviour to video a shark at that depth. If the DM retrieved her gear at 25mtrs how was she using it at 80mtrs?

Here’s a video of her body retrieval by the SAR team…

 

[Dan]

FYI, Kakaban is known more for Stingless Jellyfish Lake like the one in Palau. Here’s my trip video of Kakaban.

 

[Steelyeyes]

That's a ripping current in the video clip. That may have played a role in her death. Unlike a lot of accidents this one seems to have a lot of available information.

 

[Dan]

That's a ripping current in the video clip. That may have played a role in her death. Unlike a lot of accidents this one seems to have a lot of available information.

This article, Diver dies after chasing GoPro down
also says:
“…Three dive-guides were joined by local divers in an initial attempt to find the missing diver, but they were hampered by the depth of the wall and strong currents.”

 

[Dan]

Do I get the following event chronologically correct?
- The group finished the dive and at 5m safety stop when she dropped her GoPro.
- She went down with DM to retrieve it.
- DM found it at 25m depth.
- They saw Thresher shark at depth and descended to > 90m (based on the quote, below)

The guide had already descended to below 10 bar and ascended on his own.

- DM ascended, but she stayed to photograph the shark at around 100m.
- Her computer showed she ascended to 70+m and descended again to 80m.

If it is, there’s high likely that she ran out of air when she tried to ascend. Perhaps her air consumption increased significantly due to ascending against a down current.

 

[Dan]

There is a much safer dive site to see Thresher Sharks. Just go to Malapascua, Philippines. There is a Thresher Shark cleaning station called Kimud Shoal around 15-25m depth.

 

[dmaziuk]

How difficult it is to down load the pictures to a separate device everyday and also a lanyard to secure the camera to the bc or wrist?

Every time you open the case, you risk flooding it on the next dive. Ask me how I know.

 

[Centrals]

Every time you open the case, you risk flooding it on the next dive. Ask me how I know.

There is always a slight risk in any underwater equipment when opening the case eg. dive computer.
A Go Pro is relative cheap but holiday snap shots could be far more valuable to some people.