Coroner's findings in 5 scuba death's

[ShoalDiverSA]

I recently experienced nausea at 22m on a dive on the Aliwal Shoal. It was 10 minutes into the dive. My first response was to get my buddy's attention. I indicated that something was wrong with my stomach and thumbed that I was returning to the surface. He responded by asking whether I wanted to ascend solo. I replied that I wanted him to accompany me and he did not hesitate join me to the surface. I held onto his elbow with my right hand and held onto my regulator with the left (the "spit your regulator out at 22m" suicide reflex was very strong). We swam over to the DM and indicated our intentions. Upon ascending a few metres (to 17m), the nausea cleared as well as the panic attack that came with it. I then signalled that I was feeling better. We signalled this to the DM and continued the dive at that depth - with my buddy shadowing me.

My point is this: buddy diving is not a legal responsibility, it is a team activity. I feel that too much individual responsibility is abdicated by the diver to the DM or the buddy during a dive.

I am a trained diver. I took the examination(s) and proved my understanding of the material by performing exercises. I am aware of the contra-indications for diving and I undergo regular dive medicals with a trained diving physician in order to assess whether I can continue diving. I use the knowledge I have and the training I have undergone to assess whether I can dive each time I want to go diving (I had a cold this week, I have been feeling a bit off lately, my left ear is equalising with difficulty, etc). I continue to educate myself on the hazards of this sport and use this information to make better informed decisions.

It is my responsibility to ensure that I dive safely and return safely from a dive. This responsibility includes insisting that my buddy ascend with me if I am experiencing difficulty or expect to experience difficulty during the ascent. I agree that the standard must be that all ascents are done in buddy pairs if you have been trained for buddy diving. But this is not always the standard, depending on your location, charter, DM, etc. If I am still in a position to communicate, the buddy team functions and we discuss our options. If not, I would certainly hope that my buddy assists me to the surface!

It is up to me to ensure that the diving is undertaken within the parameters I feel comfortable with. If this cannot be done, I do not dive. This applies to a lot of things (depth, currents, conditions on the surface, etc) as well. Ultimately only the individual diver has control over the dives they undertake.

Cheers,

Andrew

 

[The Kraken]

This statement by the divemaster greatly concerns me . . .

"At about an average time into the dive, I don’t really know how long it would have been since we started, Jenny came to me, tapped me on the shoulder and showed me about 70 BAR of air."

The bold type is my emphasis.

 

[Diver0001]

This statement by the divemaster greatly concerns me . . .

"At about an average time into the dive, I don’t really know how long it would have been since we started, Jenny came to me, tapped me on the shoulder and showed me about 70 BAR of air."

The bold type is my emphasis.

Interesting. Why would that concern you?

R..

 

[fins wake]

Interesting. Why would that concern you?

R..

I guess he's concerned because the divemaster leading the dive would be expected to:
(1) check her gauges from time to time, including her timekeeper.
(2) as a buddy - and as a dive leader - ensure that she was aware of her buddy's gauges as well (remaining air).

I agree with many commentators that - although her actions were secondary to the tragic outcome - hers was conduct unbecoming an instructor leading a dive.

Many thanks to Iwood for making the Coroner's findings available to a greater public. They are all excellent for constructive accident analysis. Wish all reports were like this.

 

[Diver0001]

I guess he's concerned because the divemaster leading the dive would be expected to:
(1) check her gauges from time to time, including her timekeeper.
(2) as a buddy - and as a dive leader - ensure that she was aware of her buddy's gauges as well (remaining air).

I agree with many commentators that - although her actions were secondary to the tragic outcome - hers was conduct unbecoming an instructor leading a dive.

Many thanks to Iwood for making the Coroner's findings available to a greater public. They are all excellent for constructive accident analysis. Wish all reports were like this.

The way I read it, and correct me if I'm wrong, the guide was probably riding her computer and checking air pressure.

I'm not trying to necessarily defend or advocate doing this but if you were to do that you can certainly make a safe dive without needing to know your bottom time at every moment.

Certainly if the planning in main lines didn't set a time limit or if the time limit was long enough then it doesn't seem impossible that even a responsibly acting diver (guide or not) could lose track of bottom time and run the dive based on turn pressure and the no-stop limits.

R..

 

[DA Aquamaster]

A quick question:

"hookah" equipment is mentioned in relation to another of the deaths in this report. What is "hookah" equipment?

Hookah equipment consists of a small compressor usually mounted on a float that supplies air through 2 to 4 hoses 60-100 ft in lenght that connect to a more or less standard second stage that the diver uses. The hose is attached to the diver via a waist belt and the diver then tows the float and compresor around by the hose as the dive progresses. Works well enough as long as the compressor continues to run.

Hookah also often gets used in shallow mining and dredging operations where the compressors stays on shore and the diver/miner does his thing in a shallow creek or river.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

It is my responsibility to ensure that I dive safely and return safely from a dive. This responsibility includes insisting that my buddy ascend with me if I am experiencing difficulty or expect to experience difficulty during the ascent. I agree that the standard must be that all ascents are done in buddy pairs if you have been trained for buddy diving. But this is not always the standard, depending on your location, charter, DM, etc. If I am still in a position to communicate, the buddy team functions and we discuss our options. If not, I would certainly hope that my buddy assists me to the surface!

It is up to me to ensure that the diving is undertaken within the parameters I feel comfortable with. If this cannot be done, I do not dive. This applies to a lot of things (depth, currents, conditions on the surface, etc) as well. Ultimately only the individual diver has control over the dives they undertake.

Well said. Personal responsibility is something that is often overlooked by many people today. It is far more common and perhaps easier to just blame others.

Ms. Barington died because she should not have been in the water and knew it but chose to dive anyway. From that perspective her irresponsible decision not only placed her at risk but her buddy as well.

There is some question and arm chair quarterbacking as to the soundness of the judgement of her divemaster buddy in suggesting or even supporting a solo ascent. But as has been pointed out, Barrington had 25 yrs experience and recently and succesfully completed refresher training. She also looked calm under the water and agreed to return to the boat on her own.

In retrospect the decision made by the dive master may not have been the best decision that could have been made and may not have been the same decision that other divers/divemasters would have made, but I am not convinced that her decision was imprudent or significantly different than the decision that many other dive masters or DM's would have made.

An ascent from 60 ft in clear water with no current and 1000 psi of air to burn is not exactly a demanding maneuver for a calm, fit and competent diver and that is exactly what the DM thought she was dealing with.

 

[glbirch]

iwoods, thanks for the post. Very interesting reading.

 

[The Kraken]

Diver0001,
It concerns me because she didn't know how long it had been since they started the dive.
Would it not be a wee bit of problem figuring out when you should end the dive if you didn't know when you started the dive?

 

[bpacilio]

I know this goes in another direction but... I've read articles about relatives of diving victims attempting to sue/prosecute "buddies" by saying that the buddy agreement is a legal responsibility. The articles were more of a warning about being buddied with a stranger when your on a dive.