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

[ligersandtions]

As much as I agree that she should have been supervising the students better (i.e. one-on-one), I feel that if you don't have the mental capacity to listen and comprehend what you're told (i.e. constantly exhale as your are ascending, even though it's very shallow), then you have absolutely no business attempting to dive. Diving is an inherently dangerous sport....we are all aware of that when we decide to take on the challenge and open the doors to the underwater world. Do I feel for the guy who died and his family? Of course....but do I think it's 100% her fault, and thus deserving of criminal charges? Nope...

Now, if she's not a certified scuba instructor, that changes the picture somewhat....but I still think that every diver, from the not quite certified to the very experienced, needs to be competent and follow through with you're taught (at least on something as important as constantly exhaling to avoid embolisms...).

 

[CoralSeaMan]

Since the only scenarios I can think of to get to "criminally negligent" involve knowing someone will get an air embolism in a swimming pool, this case should frighten every dive professional.

 

[ucfdiver]

There's one more incident dealing with a diver death while with an instructor that I'm hearing is bringing criminal charges here recently. Sad that it's coming to this.

 

[Thalassamania]

...

Now, if she's not a certified scuba instructor, that changes the picture somewhat....

I don't think that it changes the picture at all, the question is not her "credentials" but her abilities. If the university knew what she was doing and chose to have her do it, what PADI or NAUI or SSI says is just irrelevant noise, they wouldn't know how to conduct a university program if it bit them in the rear, it not their thing.

 

[mrvollmer]

Hopefully more details will emerge, in the mean time as an Instructor, this really worries me.

I worry every time I do a dive with students, that something might go wrong, and some one gets hurt or dies..I wonder how will I live with myself, if something were to happen to someone.... last thing I need now is to worry about criminal charges!

You can only supervise to a point, you can not control all variables.

 

[String]

There are 2 threads on this already - 1 in basic scuba, the other in the instructor forum.

 

[noladiver]

and one in accidents and incidents please merge them mods

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

I don't think that it changes the picture at all, the question is not her "credentials" but her abilities. If the university knew what she was doing and chose to have her do it, what PADI or NAUI or SSI says is just irrelevant noise, they wouldn't know how to conduct a university program if it bit them in the rear, it not their thing.

You're right, Thal. I wonder if she's being prosecuted based in part on lack of credentials though.

I'm not an instructor. I do recognize that training procedures and protocols have changed since I was certified, I do agree that "regulator in the mouth" is a safer way to perform CESA (reg-in-mouth CESA was how I was taught in 1976), but I still believe that in this case the problem was really not an "unsafe" ditch and recovery drill, but most likely a problem with the instructor/student interaction, or simply a "problem student". In any event, still a very sad day for everyone involved.

Safe Diving!

 

[rollerboi]

Agencies do not give college credit, only colleges can. PADI has gone though the trouble of getting A.C.E. "recommendations" as to the academic value of their courses (as PE activity classes, not academic subjects). When I taught at university we issued NAUI cards and CMAS cards and the university awarded 4 credits in ocean engineering.

My college offers scuba classes through a local dive shop that's affiliated with SSI. I can also apply to have my PADI OW cert. class accepted as college credit.

 

[Grish]

We did it in my YMCA OW class ... that was in 2001. Dunno if it's still in there.

NAUI doesn't require it until DM training ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Yeah I was going to say.....the boyfriend doesn't teach that skill till divemaster. it seems a little advanced for an open water skill, at least as far as demonstrating comfort in the water. I had to do a reg in mouth emergency ascent for my open water, but the instructor was right there with me, hand over my reg, ready to stop me if the bubbles stopped. it seems to me that anything that COULD cause lung expansion related injuries or death should be supervised one on one in open water classes, no exceptions, no matter how many times you talk about blowing bubbles.