Death in Cocos from shark attack

[drrich2]

I think everyone makes that decision for themselves when deciding whether to dive in the ocean. We know there’s a risk of tragedy.

Richard.

 

[boulderjohn]

In other words, we take deaths from shark attacks as acceptable losses.

Although this is true to a certain extent, the freakish nature of this incident is a major factor in that attitude. It has certainly drawn my attention because it is so very different from what you typically read when you hear about a shark attack on a diver. Those reports are rare to begin with, but when you read the details, you usually find it as a snorkeler, not a diver, who was attacked. You then usually find other details that indicate that the supposed attack was not what the headline suggested. It most often involves a shark sprinting up from the depth, making a single bite on a swimmer on the surface, going away, and not returning. The usual assumption is mistaken identity.

You also read about sharks going after hunters who are toting their kills. In his account of his second case of DCS, Dr. Richard Pyle wrote that he surfaced too early, skipping a lot of needed deco, because he was being harassed by sharks who were evidently excited by the fish specimens he was carrying.

When I dived in Maui nearly a decade ago, there had been a tiger shark attack there only a week before, and it was still hot news. A snorkeler was bitten on the thigh, and his fellow snorkelers took him to the beach to perform first aid on his massive wound. As they did that, the missing chunk of thigh floated in--the shark had evidently spit it out.

This case is very different from those. A shark was with the divers on ascent--no mistaken identity. The attack was persistent--not an investigative bite. There were no fish specimens being carried. It is thus very unusual. You almost never read a story like this. Because of the unusual nature of this case, I don't think it is going to make a huge difference in diver behavior, so, in a sense, I guess you could call a case like this an acceptable loss, as sad as it is.

 

[JohnnyQuest]

The one thing that I haven't read is why DAN didn't send a plane or helicopter to immediately evacuate her. I can't imagine that she wasn't a DAN member. Most liveaboards require it now, and she was an experienced diver. 300+ miles is a long was by boat, but pretty close by air. If the water was too rough to send a plane, I'd think a chopper would have worked.

This is from the DAN policy:
Emergency Evacuation means that, due to Medical Necessity,
the Member or Covered Family Member requires immediate
transportation from the place where such person has a
medical emergency to the nearest appropriate medical facility
where appropriate medical treatment can be obtained.

Medical Necessity includes any situation where it
is judged medically appropriate to move the Member
to another location either for treatment or for a
higher level of medical care. DAN TravelAssist will arrange
details of the emergency evacuation, using the
means best suited to do so, based on the seriousness
of the Member’s condition, and these means may include air
ambulance, surface ambulance, regular airplane, railroad or
other appropriate means. All decisions as to the means of
Transportation and final destination will be based solely
upon medical factors.
Transportation means any land, water or air conveyance
required to transport the Member or Covered Family
Member during an emergency evacuation or repatriation.
Expenses for special transportation must be
recommended by the attending Physician in conjunction
with DAN TravelAssist or required by the standard
regulation of the conveyance transporting the Member or Covered
Family Member. Special transportation includes, but is
not limited to, an air ambulance, land ambulance, and private
motor vehicle. Expenses for medical supplies and services
must be recommended by both the attending Physician and
DAN TravelAssist.

 

[flyboy08]

I would assume she succumbed to her injuries within minutes of the incident due to blood loss. An Air rescue by helicopter would have taken at least an hour to reach the boat.

 

[JohnnyQuest]

That's a reasonable assumption, but there are still a lot of unknowns. I was hoping the Undercurrent article would have shed some light. It seems that the DAN question should have been answered without it needing to be asked. Maybe a lot is being withheld for legal reasons. I don't know...

 

[diverdoug1]

I would not say acceptable, but sometimes unavoidable.

 

[KevinNM]

3rd world countries don’t have ultra long range helicopters. They will do their best, but they don’t have pave hawks capable of airborne refueling and the tankers to do it, which is what you need for a 600 km each way trip.

 

[JohnnyQuest]

Hmmm...

Alert Diver | New Emergency Evacuation Plan Announced By Aggressor Fleet and Dancer Fleet

"According to Wayne Hasson, president of the Aggressor Fleet and Dancer Fleet, "Cocos Island is one of the most remote destinations that we dive where the yachts are more than 300 miles away from the nearest medical facilities. Medical evacuations from Cocos are complicated due to both distance and environmental factors. We worked closely with DAN to create this program so that we can be prepared in the unlikely event of a medical emergency and ensure the evacuation process can begin immediately to provide the fastest possible access to medical care for our guests."

In medical emergencies time is always a critical factor. Due to the distance that must be traveled to reach Cocos Island, it is important that necessary evacuation services begin immediately. This new program benefits every passenger aboard, not only the injured diver. Currently if the injured diver's insurance plan fails to respond quickly enough with evacuation plans, the captain of the yacht is obligated to terminate the cruise early and head back to port, thus impacting everyone's travels. This new program minimizes this risk for all guests."

 

[dmaziuk]

That's a reasonable assumption, but there are still a lot of unknowns. I was hoping the Undercurrent article would have shed some light. It seems that the DAN question should have been answered without it needing to be asked. Maybe a lot is being withheld for legal reasons. I don't know...

I think the number for femoral artery is around 5 minutes. If it takes them 2 minutes to get you out of the water, you have 40% blood loss and with 40% blood loss your chances aren't great if you are already in ER. Out on a boat you're likely gone before the radio call is answered.

 

[DanBMW]

It does not look like this "new" plan below provides for transportation. Maybe I'm missing it. From my previous trip to Cocoas, we were told that there is not a way to get air evacuation from the island. The distance is too great for local helicopters and there are no airports on the island. The only way back is by boat.

COCOS ISLAND EMERGENCY EVACUATION PLAN

Emergency Evacuation Program Fee $30. When medical evacuation is needed, this fee establishes and funds pre-established and pre-authorized emergency evacuation protocols that have been created to facilitate the immediate dispatch of medical transport. Depending on the benefits under other policies held by the guest, their insurance carrier may or may not have logistics (services or funding) in place to deal specifically with Cocos Island - which could result in delayed response times for the medical evacuation and ultimate first responder care. This new program benefits every passenger aboard, not only the injured diver. Currently if the injured diver’s insurance plan fails to respond quickly enough with evacuation plans, the captain of the yacht would be obligated to terminate the cruise early and head back to port – thus impacting everyone’s travels. This new program minimizes this risk for all guests.

DAN’s Traveler EMS "Emergency Evacuation Plan"only provides 1st responder care (if available) during transport and transport to a medical facility. It does NOT provide medical care. All divers visiting Cocos Island are required to have some form of diving accident insurance and are encouraged to purchase Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance as well. Your diving and travel insurance policy(s) provide you the financial protection for the actual medical care plus any further medical transport above and beyond returning you from the yacht to a local medical facility on the mainland.