Coast Guard searches for missing woman - Florida

[stuartv]

At first I thought you were joking about "checking the anchor", as the story says they were about three miles offshore. Diving at home (i.e. so Calif), the water can get to hundreds of feet deep just a mile or two offshore. But it seems at Grayton Beach the water is only about 30 feet deep at the point (i.e. three miles offshore) described in the story.

Which makes this even more tragic... whatever happened, it was just a bit deeper than a swimming pool.

From the 2nd post:

"The water in the area from which Kaas went missing is 60 to 70 feet deep"

 

[yle]

From the 2nd post:

"The water in the area from which Kaas went missing is 60 to 70 feet deep"

Yes, I stand corrected. I used Google Earth for the first measurement, but the resolution must not have been sharp enough. I just Google Earthed it again, and it does show about 67 feet deep 3 miles off the beach.

 

[Bob DBF]

Taking an uncertified diver into 60+ feet of water seems like an unfortunate choice.... IF that's what really happened.

And was she by herself??

Checking an anchor is a one man job, could be that was the confidence builder mentioned in the article.

I would worry more about the confidence of the diver over their certification, but I dove for 17 years without certification so I have a bias.

 

[hammet]

There are no rip currents 3 miles off shore.

and no anchored pleasure boats

 

[John the Pom]

At first I thought you were joking about "checking the anchor", as the story says they were about three miles offshore. Diving at home (i.e. so Calif), the water can get to hundreds of feet deep just a mile or two offshore. But it seems at Grayton Beach the water is only about 30 feet deep at the point (i.e. three miles offshore) described in the story.

Which makes this even more tragic... whatever happened, it was just a bit deeper than a swimming pool.

If you haven't been educated about the hazards of breathing compressed gas, 30' (or even a swimming pool) is deadly dangerous. There have been many accidents in swimming pools when an untrained person "has a go" with SCUBA gear.

 

[stuartv]

Checking an anchor is a one man job, could be that was the confidence builder mentioned in the article.

I would worry more about the confidence of the diver over their certification, but I dove for 17 years without certification so I have a bias.

Post #4 says she was not a certified diver. Sending an uncertified diver in alone, OR in 60+ feet of water, (much less both) for any reason seems like a poor choice.

 

[DanBMW]

A lot of critical missing information would be needed to really determine what happened. Was she certified? Was an Instructor with her? Who's equipment was she using? The fact that she was wearing a wet suit comes into question because the water in the Gulf is very warm.... This has nothing to do with it, but tragically, she has two children.

 

[yle]

It appears the search was called off last Wednesday, July 22, after a few days. Coast Guard searched an area of 2300 sq miles.

 

[Belzelbub]

and no anchored pleasure boats

Huh? Why no anchored pleasure boats 3 miles offshore? In some areas you are in water too deep for a small boat to anchor. In others, it’s still pretty shallow.

Where I boat, I honestly have no idea how deep it is 3 miles offshore, as I usually go much farther. At 7 miles out, depth is 25-30 fsw. At 12 miles, it’s still only 45-50 fsw.

Plenty of pleasure boats can easily anchor 3 miles off. I’d imagine my anchor would be on the bottom before all my chain had cleared the hawse.