Cozumel Incident 9/4/11

[MXGratefulDiver]

That happens a lot in life doesn't it? I watched my dad his last year or so drift into that situation - us making sure he got the best medical care possible, him unable to leave the hospital on his on power, then unable to get out of bed, wishing he could so he could go end on his own, asking us to help him leave, but of course we couldn't. Sad but what do you do?

Yes, Don ... it happens. But there's a big difference between it happening to someone at the end of their alloted years and to someone who has decades of life to look forward to.

This is such a waste. And for what?

For those who rationalise this type of diving because they do it all the time down, there ask yourself this ... if Opal had a chance to turn back the clock ... knowing what she does today ... do you think she'd do that dive again?

I don't. There's a big difference between knowing what can happen and believing that it can happen to you ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Doubler]

Yes, Don ... it happens. But there's a big difference between it happening to someone at the end of their life and to someone who has decades of life ahead of them.

This is such a waste. And for what?

For those who rationalise this type of diving because they do it all the time down, there ask yourself this ... if Opal had a chance to turn back the clock ... knowing what she does today ... do you think she'd do that dive again?

I don't. There's a big difference between knowing what can happen and believing that it can happen to you ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Bob,
You are 100% correct.
Jim

 

[cmalinowski]

... this was simply a normal thing for them that they've done many times before. Luck just ran out...

Luck should not be calculated into dive planning.

If I walk blind-folded onto a freeway every morning and live every time, that doesn't make it a good travel plan. It doesn't make me some sort of magic traffic walker. It makes me lucky. And thinking that since I survived every other time that I am now experienced at it, and that it's okay to continue doing it, just makes me stupid on top of lucky.

Chris

 

[gypsyjim]

I don't. There's a big difference between knowing what can happen and believing that it can happen to you ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)


Right. "It can't (won't) happen to me", has resulted in an awful lot of pain and loss.

But, it is a human quality that can cut/work both ways though, as while an awful of pretty horrid things have happened to folks because of that attitude, a lot of discovering and exploring might never have happened if such an attitude were not a part of the make up of some human beings.

 

[gypsyjim]

Luck should not be calculated into dive planning.

If I walk blind-folded onto a freeway every morning and live every time, that doesn't make it a good travel plan. It doesn't make me some sort of magic traffic walker. It makes me lucky. And thinking that since I survived every other time that I am now experienced at it, and that it's okay to continue doing it, just makes me stupid on top of lucky.

Chris

Simply surviving while driving on that freeway, without the blinders can require a bit of luck too, though.

While caution or lack of the same sure effects the odds, there is always an element of luck to every second of our life. Even the best laid plans can go south in an instant. Poor planning does end up depending more on the luck factor tho, that is certain.

 

[DiverG]

....Even stunt men and women take reasonable precautions when performing......

The sad thing is that the third diver is a professional stunt man with movie credits.

 

[halocline]

Maybe it's different in Mexico but the captain is God at sea. If someone is going to do something that jeopardizes his other passengers, crew, or his vessel a responsible captain is going to put a stop to that.

I could be mistaken, but I believe that in this case, the captain of the small boat was an employee of one of the divers. So he would have been in the position of vetoing his boss's dive plan. Not an easy position.

 

[c0r3yz]

Right. "It can't (won't) happen to me", has resulted in an awful lot of pain and loss.

Whereas, "It can't/won't happen to me because I'm not stupid enough to try it" works every time.

 

[MMM]

That is why you have a health care directive and that you make sure its contents are widely known among family and friends. You DO have a health care directive don't you?

I don't want to hijack this anymore than it has drifted at times, but still - after watching my dad as I mentioned, I wonder: If I think I am having a heart attack, do I really want to call for help, knowing that they will load me in a chopper and I won't have any recourse from there on?

 

[Mossman]

The captain on every boat I've been on knew how long each diver was going to be down. Either because he set the time or in the case of technical dives because he had to know when to start looking for divers. Maybe it's different in Mexico but the captain is God at sea.

I've probably had Jesus as a boat driver in Mexico, but never God.

AFAIK, it is different in Mexico. These aren't usually actual sea-faring captains that could command a huge vessel and crew, but rather locally trained guys who are good at motoring an outboard a mile or two to spots they know well and then watching for bubbles, probably changing tanks and helping divers out of the water as well. The DM, who might even be the owner of the operation and the captain's boss, is the one who usually seems in control, determines the dive site and profile, etc. So using your terminology, DMs are Gods in Mexico. And just like Gods everywhere they appreciate offerings, but nowadays it's usually a cash tip instead of a sacrified chicken.