Coast Guard crews search for missing diver off of Key Biscayne

[Rderige]

Hi guys, am following this thread and it seems they were able to recover the body.

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2013/04/16/divers-body-found-off-hillsboro-inlet/

 

[DandyDon]

Hi guys, am following this thread and it seems they were able to recover the body.

Diver?s Body Found Off Hillsboro Inlet « CBS Miami

Yes, that report was posted on another thread: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ac...78-divers-body-found-off-hillsboro-inlet.html I'm still not clear as to whether that recovery at Hillsboro Inlet was the diver lost off of Key Biscayne. They mentioned the possibility, but were not sure of the identification.

Another report just posted that his body was found and identified: Body of missing Vandenberg officer found It's still not clear if he was found at Hillsboro Inlet, 40 miles north of Miami or not? Two different bodies or confusing news stores...?

The body of Maj. Jeffery Vincent, a reservist from the 9th Space Operations Squadron at Vandenberg Air Force Base, has been recovered off the coast of Miami, officials said Thursday.A Broward County medical examiner made the positive identification through dental records at 1 p.m. Wednesday.
He disappeared during a scuba diving excursion while visiting Florida.
“Jeff was an invaluable member of the 9 SOPS family," said Lt. Col. Joshua Redden, 9 SOPS Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance chief. "He was an amazing officer who had unwavering dedication to the mission and embodied integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do. On behalf of the entire 9 SOPS community, we want to extend our most heartfelt condolences to Jeff's family and friends."
The U.S. Coast Guard, Miami-Dade's Marine Patrol and Fire Rescue, along with members of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission had been searching for Vincent, who disappeared in the water while scuba diving on leave April 7 near Key Biscayne, Fla.

 

[randy88k5]

A speculation on how this diver could have been lost.

I was on a dive boat a few years back. As we were gearing up, a diver was in a position on the gunwale that when he was getting set up, and the boat rolled, he was pitched over the side. He was only loosely in his harness, no fins, no regulator in hand. Most of us were in our gear and couldn't react fast enough. The captain rushed over to the side, only to find the diver on the surface, holding on to a bumper, and very embarrassed. He instinctively searched for a regulator as soon as he hit the water, just in case he didn't float. He got back on, got his fins on, and everything went fine. He said he never takes his tanks out of the holder without turning them on, and inflating the BCD. . Had he not done this, he could find himself negative, air off, and no fins.

The speculation here is that the person may hit the water while still gearing up, was able to fight on the surface for a few minutes while trying to make it to the safety line. With no fins, he tired, and drowned near the surface out of sight from the boat crew. But he must have been buoyant enough to float that far, if the news is correct. Not sure how that would all work.

One lesson to take away... When your getting set up, make sure your air is on and you have air in your BCD, just in case you make an unexpected entry.

 

[chillyinCanada]

And never wear your weight belt before you need it. I cringe every time I see divers casually standing or wandering about the boat with their weight belts on but no other gear.

 

[boulderjohn]

Just to remind people that all the stories clearly say the person jumped into the water intentionally. No one has even hinted that he fell in accidentally.

 

[Abdullah]

Just to remind people that all the stories clearly say the person jumped into the water intentionally. No one has even hinted that he fell in accidentally.

I believe there was a report on one of the TV news sites from a person monitoring the marine band chatter that the diver fell overboard when the boat rolled on a wave.

 

[Pearlman]

Yes, but a lazy shot is not restricted to "deco dives". I was very used to the technique in British waters long before I started doing that sort of diving. It really comes into its own when there are strong currents, and in fact is most valuable with relatively inexperienced divers who don't know how to behave in a strong current.

Pardon the noob question.. So what's the correct way in strong currents?

I believe there was a report on one of the TV news sites from a person monitoring the marine band chatter that the diver fell overboard when the boat rolled on a wave.

One fell in, the other jumped in to rescue... and lost? I wonder what happened to the guy who fell in?

Sent from my GT-N7000

 

[peterbj7]

Pardon the noob question.. So what's the correct way in strong currents?

Not quite sure what you're asking.

 

[oceanhunters]

We kept up with this story as much as we could and something doesnt add up. Story says he took off his fins and while the rest of the (4) man crew were doing other things, he drifted. whats weirder is that he was never found up until this point, which is odd because according to the rest of the men on board, he was floating with his BC fully inflated. Even the dolphin and CG cutter couldnt find him, doesnt add up....

 

[uncfnp]

Pardon the noob question.. So what's the correct way in strong currents?

I think the confusion may be that he does not understand what a lazy shot is? As I understand it, it is a weight (shot) attached with line to a buoy that divers can hold to stay in place during deco or use to ascend to boat in strong current? There is no "correct way" in this instance. Others that have actually used this may be better able to clarify. If this was covered already in a prior post, I apologize.

Now diving in current is another conversation altogether...