Cozumel Incident

[RubberDucky]

This is, in my opinion, the biggest reason to always have a snorkel when you dive. One with a splash guard is even better.

Please understand that I'm not judging the situation regarding the unfortunate tragedy in this thread, but relaying my own personal experiences. Perhaps the victim did have a snorkel. Maybe she was in the process of switching to it when the wave came at her. Or maybe not. Maybe she did in fact have one and was using it or adjusting it at the time. I don't know. I'm only going off of what R0gue said about the regulator having been removed, and then an unknown amount of time and an unknown sequence of events later water being aspirated due to a wave.

I've been on a few dives where I was asked if I'd like to leave my snorkel behind, as it's kind of big and looks cumbersome underwater. I refused. In my short collection of experiences, the waters in Cozumel tend to be fairly calm (referring to the west side only). So calm that it's easy to get complacent about things like needing a snorkel. However, you never know what can happen, and if you ever end up needing to swim to shore, you'll be thankful you had your snorkel. You might also surface to find that there is no boat (it happens). You could end up sitting in the water for a very long time. Snorkels are too cheap and manageable to go without, and they'll help protect your airway in the event that you are no longer able to use your regulator (tank ran dry for whatever reason, equipment problem, etc).

Just my 2 cents.

 

[polyester1970]

Updated information.
She had been certified a week prior to the trip and was on one of two boats that polyester1970 mentioned.
During the dive she runs low on air and signals the DM and they conduct an AAS ascent without incident.
On the surface they meet up with another couple that had surfaced just prior and the DM leaves the diver with them and returns to the group below.
While waiting for the boat, at some point she removes the regulator and a waves hits her head on and she aspirates water. Unable to breathe there is a call for help.
Boat arrives and they try to get her on board, but due to her size she falls back in the water. More help is on hand and when she is on board rescue breaths and CPR are administered until they are at the dock and with EMS.
During the briefing divers were told that due to surface conditions they were to leave their mask and regulator in place.
polyester1970 maybe can confirm surface condtions and that their boat may have had a similar briefing.

R0gue - thanks for sharing the information.

I didn't dive with ScubaDu, but with another dive op - I just saw how big the group was.

Hurricane Ida was over Nicaragua that week causing a lot of rain in Cozumel. The swells were a bit bigger than they normally were, but it wasn't out-of-control otherwise I suppose they would've closed the ports and not allowed any diving. The following weekend Ida crossed over Cozumel.

It's pretty interesting and this is a great lesson to be learned about keeping your snorkel or reg in when at the surface, and not get too comfortable up there.

 

[DandyDon]

Excerpting...

While waiting for the boat, at some point she removes the regulator and a waves hits her head on and she aspirates water. Unable to breathe there is a call for help.

I've read of such happening to divers. So many accidents happen back on the surface after the dive and this seems to be the cause in at least some of them. I don't understand it exactly, but it can be amazing how little water it can take to choke and drown a person.

During the briefing divers were told that due to surface conditions they were to leave their mask and regulator in place.
polyester1970 maybe can confirm surface conditions and that their boat may have had a similar briefing.

Briefings are so important. Often I am eager to get in, or wanting to finish with my gear & buddy check, and it's tempting to not give them full attention at times - but they are given for good safety reasons.

Sometimes on the surface I feel tempted to remove my reg and talk to others floating, but I try to avoid that temptation - or at least make sure that the water is super calm. And I remember a Coz dive with my home buddy after a too long dry spell, him learning the feel of diving again and like many newbies he was requiring too much lead to sink at first, then at the end of the dive his rental BC just didn't float him well. I can still see him in my mind on the surface after one dive, reg in his hand, gasping with a little bit of splashing, me firmly telling him "Put the reg back in your mouth!" After 3 times, I was just about to dive for his weight belt but he finally did. It scares me now to think of how close he was to being in the same position as this lady. He bought a 44# lift BC like mine when we got home, but we still work on ideas like keeping the reg in our mouth, grabbing weights in case we feel a need to jetison, etc.

Like RubberDuky, we both carry snorkels - folding models in our pockets with Oceanic Velcro attachments - in case of a long surface need. Switching to one is not something to be taken lightly tho; only with a full breath held for the transfer! If one surfaces with a 500# reserve tho, that should last a very long time on the surface and remains my first choice - keep the reg in my mouth until I am back on the boat and comfortable with removing it. The surface doesn't seem as dangerous of an environment as below, but it really can be.

 

[SNorman]

Eh, so was she a "long time diver since a young age" or was she certified a week previous?