Criminally negligent homicide?/Scuba Instructor Faces Charges (merged threads)

[adurso]

Man, that's harsh.

Just checking

 

[Thalassamania]

Harsh on whom?

 

[CJ Waid]

I don't think ditching the gear to cesa is a great idea with an OW student, I get the point of the skill, Kelp forest, old lines, etc, but the instructor should have been right there ready to slow the ascent in case a student did do something like this, I mean, it's a complicated skill, add that to a little bit of anxiety and BAM you have an accident cake hot and ready to eat, guess that's what happened though. Accidents happen, but something like that is avoidable and I believe that negligence is right on the money. I am the king of complacency when it comes to cleaning, and stuff like that, but when you have someone's life in your hands, respect that. - I have risked my own life doing tons of stupid stuff, but that's MINE to risk for MY own reasons (even if I don't have any), but when it comes to someone else, buckle up, be careful, and just like my course director told me: CONTROL IS YOURS, MAINTAIN IT. You can't control something that your not all over. - I even walk next to a pool if a student is doing a swim test, just to make sure nothing shy of swallowing half a glass of dirty water will ever happen, hopefully, but then again, HOPEFULLY, I don't feel sorry for the instructor, I got the deer in headlights thing when I went through the idc, but I thought about it and thought about it and yeah, I get it, I am responsible for someone elses LIFE, so... Better act responsibly with that responsibility or I shouldn't show up that day... And a side note, I LOVE MY GIRLFRIEND! She is so freaken hot and nice!!!

 

[Thalassamania]

I don't think ditching the gear to cesa is a great idea with an OW student, I get the point of the skill, Kelp forest, old lines, etc, but the instructor should have been right there ready to slow the ascent in case a student did do something like this, I mean, it's a complicated skill, add that to a little bit of anxiety and BAM you have an accident cake hot and ready to eat, guess that's what happened though.

The exercise is not designed to be a simulation of solving a problem, it is supposed to be complicated and demanding. The question here (at least in my mind) is not where was the instructor when the boy died, but rather where was the instructor when the boy and his buddy should have been learning how to properly perform the exercise? It's just not that difficult.

Accidents happen, but something like that is avoidable and I believe that negligence is right on the money. I am the king of complacency when it comes to cleaning, and stuff like that, but when you have someone's life in your hands, respect that. - I have risked my own life doing tons of stupid stuff, but that's MINE to risk for MY own reasons (even if I don't have any), but when it comes to someone else, buckle up, be careful, and just like my course director told me: CONTROL IS YOURS, MAINTAIN IT. You can't control something that your not all over. - I even walk next to a pool if a student is doing a swim test, just to make sure nothing shy of swallowing half a glass of dirty water will ever happen, hopefully, but then again, HOPEFULLY, I don't feel sorry for the instructor, I got the deer in headlights thing when I went through the idc, but I thought about it and thought about it and yeah, I get it, I am responsible for someone elses LIFE, so... Better act responsibly with that responsibility or I shouldn't show up that day... And a side note, I LOVE MY GIRLFRIEND! She is so freaken hot and nice!!!

I have rather a different philosophy than your CD. I believe in teaching the skills needed to minimize risk and then giving the student and his or her buddy a little elbow room. But then I have enough time to work with the students (100 hrs) and small enough ratios (basically two students to one staff) to actually get to know the students, not to mention weekly staff reviews of each student's progress.

 

[deepdiver1972]

As an instructor I constantly remind my students to breathe continuosly and never hold their breath. Any time the reg is out of their mouth I am watching to see if they are blowing bubbles. Even in the 4ft section of the pool on the first night and every night. When we do emergency out of air ascents I shadow them like white on rice the whole way to the surface to ensure they are exhaling and not in risk of embolizing. As an instructor the students life is in your hands. You either except this responsibility or you don't teach period. I don't care if I have to do 10 in a row. Each student deserves that attention until you are certain they know what they are doing and they are not going to kill themselves. I was taught to never let them get far enough out of reach where you can't at the very least grab them and slow their ascent. I wasn't there and I don't wish to judge this instructor as an armchair quaterback. I merely feel as an instructor you have the obligation to keep your students alive while under your watch till they know what they are doing enough to leave the nest. You've got to drill safe practices and proper proceedures into their brains over and over till it is second nature.

 

[Thalassamania]

... I wasn't there and I don't wish to judge this instructor as an armchair quaterback. I merely feel as an instructor you have the obligation to keep your students alive while under your watch till they know what they are doing enough to leave the nest. You've got to drill safe practices and proper proceedures into their brains over and over till it is second nature.

You are right. But you don't need to armchair quarterback, the incident speaks for itself .. far more eloquently than any of us could possibly.

 

[bill-da-ho]

En boca cerrada, no entran moscas!

I think you got that backwards there wizard! Into a fly your mouth has entered...

 

[bill-da-ho]

You think that a weekends worth of recreational SCUBA instruction is going to give you a superior education compaired to four months of college lecture and pool work?!?

No I think nothing of the sort, but I dont think the end all of learning lies with a university. do you think it is the only way for a person to learn how to scuba? by going to college, that is the idea that I am against.

 

[bfw]

Nifong?????

"My guess is the criminal case will be settled. Misdemeanor; small fine, no jail time and community service. The prosecuting attorney will like it, because in Tuscaloosa this is probably a high profile case."

As in, the prosecutor could seize on it as a way to get his 15 minutes, and go after it like a pit bull on crack.

 

[bfw]

I don't think ditching the gear to cesa is a great idea with an OW student,

Stop trying to fit everything into PADI pigeonholes. It's not a CESA drill; there is nothing in the PADI system with which to compare it.

I get the point of the skill, Kelp forest, old lines, etc,

Then no, you don't get the point. It has nothing to do with such things.