Death at Dutch Springs

[FM1520]

Lights may be necessary to see stuff. They should not be necessary for survival for OW divers.

What does this mean?

 

[RJP]

God forbid, if I should die in a dive accident and my story finds its way to ScubaBoard, my demise will be likely be a direct result of my actions or inactions and I would want a robust discussion about what happened or may have happened so that others might learn.

I'd want the same thing.

But, additionally, if someone claimed that my buddy watched me sink to the bottom with no lights, and then went on his merry way without telling anyone...? Well, I'd want someone to spend a lot of time and effort looking into that, too.

 

[chillyinCanada]

That's not what she said RJP. Perhaps you are reading it that way because of what you know or think you know?

 

[DandyDon]

I've had buddy arrangements that really pissed me off. Whether or not I am a good diver or buddy is certainly open to opinions, but I have learned the hard way to not skip this discussion - even with a repeat buddy: "As buds, we enter together, stay together, and exit together - ok? Chew me out post dive for something if you want, but we are dive partners or we can make other plans." I only wish I'd learned that one sooner.

 

[chillyinCanada]

I learned to not buddy up.

 

[RJP]

...if someone claimed that my buddy watched me sink to the bottom with no lights, and then went on his merry way without telling anyone...

That's not what she said RJP.

6) The buddy alleged that the victim quickly disappeared after entering the water. His buddy made a brief attempt to locate him underwater, but did not see him or any lights to indicate his position, so he continued his dive with other divers present.

Perhaps I need a new prescription for my reading comprehension glasses.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Perhaps.

 

[DiverGirl1972]

I believe the buddy's alleged characterization was that the victim ditched him before he could submerge. I never stated that the buddy watched him "sink to the bottom".

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I believe the buddy's alleged characterization was that the victim ditched him before he could submerge. I never stated that the buddy watched him "sink to the bottom".

Well that is a critical piece of the puzzle.

And this should be obvious, but I did not remember seeing it. Two buddies, one has a scooter, the other does not. This will require some serious dive planning and it REQUIRES that the diver w/o scooter must lead the dive and the scooter diver follows him, at HIS pace and buzzes around him. Even in the best of conditions, with highly experienced divers and good vis- this type of arrangement has 2 strikes against it with regard to maintaining good buddy contact. Trying to do it in the dark would make it even more difficult.



If they did not have DETAILED discussion of this and a firmly agreed upon dive plan, their buddy system was of little or no value from the instant they hit the water.

 

[RJP]

I believe the buddy's alleged characterization was that the victim ditched him before he could submerge. I never stated that the buddy watched him "sink to the bottom".

Ok, you said that the victim "disappeared"

Toh-MAY-toh, toh-MAH-toh.

Either way, I'd notify someone if I we're the "hypothetical buddy" in question. And I wouldn't wait ("hypothetically") until several hours had passed to hypothetically do so.