Unknown Coasties searching for missing diver - Pompano Beach, Florida

[TMurrr]

Somewhere else I read that the inflator hose was not hooked up. But that piece of information seemed strange to me, since it would be hard to detect, unless someone was very close and presumably if they were that close, then they could have recovered him. Plus if someone saw it on the boat, it probably would have been fixed before entry.

Having the tank valve off and the BC not inflating, makes more sense to me.

So brother was with him, saw he was in trouble, victim ripped reg from mouth of brother, he freaks and bails on his brother and then the victim sinks in an over weighted condition, with no ditchable lead? Is that the scenario? That could happen in less than 30 seconds.

I am surprised the boat operator could not mark the position (MOB) to facilitate the recovery divers to find the victim. Surely the diver would be close to where he started his over weighted descent?

Where there DM's in the water? Did the operator begin an underwater search right away or were other divers down already and unaware, so any search would necessarily be delayed?

Most dive ops in Broward don't put a DM in the water unless its setting / getting an anchor

 

[Marty_C]

Most dive ops in Broward don't put a DM in the water unless its setting / getting an anchor

True- I was referring to the DM on the boat that checks everyone's valve before they go in. Seems unnecessary until it's not.

 

[TMurrr]

I had the same question about not being able to find the diver- obviously he was negatively weighted. A few of the dive operators around here are so lax they are downright dangerous and consistently these boats seem to have the problems of "lost diver" or other even more serious incidents. A dive boat going out in 6-7' seas is a major problem in itself.

Don't hesitate to name them. As a community we can hold them accountable to a higher standard.

When I told another buddy about this specific incident, he hadn't heard of it before but he correctly guessed which boat on the first try... apparently free divers have also been lost but thankfully found

 

[Fred A.]

So many easily avoidable things going wrong. So sad to hear.

... correct me if I'm wrong, I very rarely dive off charters in lieu of private boats ...

But the one thing most DMs consistently do before they allow a diver to giant stride off the boat is check that the diver's air is turned on... right?

Again, I rarely dive with 'DMs' on board so my buddies and I all just look out for each other.

I dive off boats like these all the time in Pompano, but I've never used Dixie Divers for various reasons. First, these operators don't setup your gear unless you specifically ask for help.

Second, yes, they're supposed to ensure your air is on, and regulator in your mouth, before your giant stride entry. They also check to make sure your inflator hose is connected and your mask is on.

Third, I've rarely heard of boats that go out in 6 ft. seas. Unless of course the seas were calmer when they left the marina. If this diver was over-weighted, could not add air to his BCD and panicked, he could have sunk quickly and been pulled away from the boat quickly if the current was strong. These boats always do drift dives (unless it's a wreck dive) so you don't have to fight currents (which almost always go north). If the current was strong and it took several minutes before other divers could enter the waters to search, that's a terrible situation to be in.

 

[Steelyeyes]

Somewhere else I read that the inflator hose was not hooked up. But that piece of information seemed strange to me, since it would be hard to detect, unless someone was very close and presumably if they were that close, then they could have recovered him. Plus if someone saw it on the boat, it probably would have been fixed before entry.

Having the tank valve off and the BC not inflating, makes more sense to me.

So brother was with him, saw he was in trouble, victim ripped reg from mouth of brother, he freaks and bails on his brother and then the victim sinks in an over weighted condition, with no ditchable lead? Is that the scenario? That could happen in less than 30 seconds.

I am surprised the boat operator could not mark the position (MOB) to facilitate the recovery divers to find the victim. Surely the diver would be close to where he started his over weighted descent?

Where there DM's in the water? Did the operator begin an underwater search right away or were other divers down already and unaware, so any search would necessarily be delayed?

I had an incident with a brand new BP/W once. I had done two boat dives with it and had no issues. I was diving in horizontal trim (drysuit) so the problem didn't reveal itself until I did the third dive which was a shore entry.

We went out to the spot we chose to descend. I went down upright so I could keep an eye on my wife who was coming down a buoy line to a small wreck. I lifted my inflator hose and added air. I kept dropping. I gave it two more tries and switched to adding air to my drysuit. Something was clearly wrong.

Long story short the jet dump cable was a bit short so whenever I lifted the hose away from my chest it opened the jet dump and no air went into the bladder. I ordered a whole new hose and cable, replaced and tested it. Did a couple more dives and really never liked that rig even after I made it work safely.

So is it possible this person had a similar issue or did someone see that his inflator hose wasn't attached?

 

[thomschoon]

I am surprised the boat operator could not mark the position (MOB) to facilitate the recovery divers to find the victim. Surely the diver would be close to where he started his over weighted descent?

Where there DM's in the water? Did the operator begin an underwater search right away or were other divers down already and unaware, so any search would necessarily be delayed?

I have used this boat several times and always found them to be very safety focused. It is a nice heavy Newton and more stable for those of us chewing Dramamine all day like breath mints.

There is quite a current in many of the places they drop divers, and they do not put a DM in the water.

This is a sad tragedy for the family, hopefully we will find out what actually happened. It also appears to reinforce the predive buddy check.

 

[DandyDon]

Totally agree but only thing I'd like to add to Steeleye's is that my buddy and I usually look at each other's gear before we go in.

It's been decades but isn't that taught in OW class?

Don't hesitate to name them. As a community we can hold them accountable to a higher standard.

Scubaboard had to come up with a lot of money once after being sued for that even tho the suit was thrown out.

 

[johndiver999]

I dive off boats like these all the time in Pompano, but I've never used Dixie Divers for various reasons. First, these operators don't setup your gear unless you specifically ask for help.

Second, yes, they're supposed to ensure your air is on, and regulator in your mouth, before your giant stride entry. They also check to make sure your inflator hose is connected and your mask is on.

Third, I've rarely heard of boats that go out in 6 ft. seas. Unless of course the seas were calmer when they left the marina. If this diver was over-weighted, could not add air to his BCD and panicked, he could have sunk quickly and been pulled away from the boat quickly if the current was strong. These boats always do drift dives (unless it's a wreck dive) so you don't have to fight currents (which almost always go north). If the current was strong and it took several minutes before other divers could enter the waters to search, that's a terrible situation to be in.

The current doesn't matter so much, but the wind can definitely separate a diver and the boat quickly.

In any regard, I would expect the capt to try to press a button, when "something" of value is lost overboard. Perhaps that was done. It is possible, that there was very little (or no) drama or panic on the surface and it took a while for the buddy to ascend, and in those situations, the capt. would be delayed for a minute or two, before he could be alerted that there is a problem and even with diligent action, the GPS number would not be accurate, without adjusting for the wind. It IS surprising to me that with decent visibility, that a recovery was not attainable.

I have forgotten to turn my air on several times and have watched other people do it many times as well. I even witnessed a near fatality due to that situation. It is a big F'n deal, especially if people have no droppable lead.

I like to check the valve position of other divers before they splash. I've had very few complaints about it (often because I am discrete), and have found valves off several times.

 

[TMurrr]

It's been decades but isn't that taught in OW class?

Yes, mine was ~2019?

Scubaboard had to come up with a lot of money once after being sued for that even tho the suit was thrown out.

For naming dive operations with questionable safety standards?

 

[Chavodel8en]

This may be too early to discuss here, when we dont know everything, and maybe the information provided here isnt accurate.

I know that "balanced rig"/ no ditchable weight is looked on with favor by many, and there are safety reasons why folks advocate for no ditchable weight.

I myself, diving wet in CA, squarely believe that ditchable weight is the safest way for ME to dive (I've got about 10-12 lbs ditchable, the another 5-9 lbs in BP or trim). I will also admit that convenience is a factor for me. I dont want to be struggling with my buoyancy at the end of my dive, so I choose an easier route.

I wont say that everyone must accept my view of ditchable weight. What I will say is that you better be very well dialed into your gear and your correct weighting, even in warmer waters, if you arent gonna have any ditchable weight. No ditchable weight should not be ventured lightly. Also, the option of ditching your entire rig, sometimes discussed, just doesnt seem like a good, realistic option to me.