Deaths at Stoney Cove

[scubadude79]

I advocate the attachment of weight belts with explosive bolts...linked to detonate from a heart rate monitor..... no worries

Holy crap, nothing like getting kicked in the nads to get you out of a panic if the heart rate goes high, or it might even be considered an alternative method of resuscitation if it hits zero.

 

[Cavs42]

I advocate the attachment of weight belts with explosive bolts...linked to detonate from a heart rate monitor..... no worries

I like it!!!!

Just don't sneeze.

 

[Jack Scuba]

I love the idea of underwater explosions but I am also thinking my dive a month ago would have gone a lot different...

Leisurely dropping off a ridge with about 6 feet of vis when I realize that the blue log below me is actually a wolf fish, and I am about to drift right into him. Heart jumps into my throat and then ***BOOM*** I am flying to the surface. I know they're docile, but I just don't believe it is wise to get close to anything with a mouth like that.

In response to the OP. I don't see how adding an additional task would help anyone. Like it has been mentioned preexisting medical conditions and poor decision making (leading to panic) cause deaths. My personal issue with PADI is that after the OW check out dives the divers are certified but they don't have enough experience to call a dive off when they should due to cold, disorientation, insufficient weight, etc.

 

[Rick Inman]

For the record, please don't drop my weights unless I am a body recovery. If you need to get me up and I'm not dead, there are a bunch better ways (as any rescue diver knows). For one, I am most likely neutral (or close) on the bottom, and a little one finger push upward will start the gasses in my BC and DS expanding and away I'll go. By the time I hit the surface, everything will be fully inflated and I won't have any chance of sinking back down. Besides, if you release my weight belt it will just get caught on my crotch strap anyway, and besides being in trouble, I'll look silly on the surface with it hanging from me.

The only time it might be a good idea to drop your weights is right after you jump off the boat without turning on your gas, without doing a gear check, without inflating your BC, without a buddy to help, without the skills to turn on your own tank underwater, and without being able to swim yourself up because you are overweighted. Then you might want to drop your belt so you can climb back onto the boat and start at once looking for a new hobby, like maybe bowling.

 

[Doc Harry]

...Teach people to remove and hold on to there weight belts if they black out or become unconcious then they drop the belt and will be positivley bouyent an will surface. ....

Yes, we also need to teach people not to wear their seat belts when they drive. If they wear a seat belt and get into a crash and become unconscious, they won't be able to release their seat belt to escape.

 

[InTheDrink]

For the record, please don't drop my weights unless I am a body recovery. If you need to get me up and I'm not dead, there are a bunch better ways (as any rescue diver knows). For one, I am most likely neutral (or close) on the bottom, and a little one finger push upward will start the gasses in my BC and DS expanding and away I'll go. By the time I hit the surface, everything will be fully inflated and I won't have any chance of sinking back down. Besides, if you release my weight belt it will just get caught on my crotch strap anyway, and besides being in trouble, I'll look silly on the surface with it hanging from me.

The only time it might be a good idea to drop your weights is right after you jump off the boat without turning on your gas, without doing a gear check, without inflating your BC, without a buddy to help, without the skills to turn on your own tank underwater, and without being able to swim yourself up because you are overweighted. Then you might want to drop your belt so you can climb back onto the boat and start at once looking for a new hobby, like maybe bowling.

Can we make this sticky please ?

Only half joking. Have spoken to some DMs whose approach to a problem (e.g. panicked diver) is, drop their weights, press the elevator button and send them up. Little appreciation of anticipating the problem developing upstream and preventing it.

Hey ho. I'm tired and narky so pay no attention. But I agree with Rick - dropping someone's weights is a BIG deal. Make sure they're damn near dead first.

 

[lord khram]

I see another diver has died at the ill fated Stoney cove in Lestershire England(thats 25 now), Why are so many divers being found at the bottom of open water conditions with there weight belts still in place. Its about time that the trainning organisations took this on board, Teach people to remove and hold on to there weight belts if they black out or become unconcious then they drop the belt and will be positivley bouyent an will surface. All you instructors out there remember that an embolisum Pnumathorax etc can be treated, ok the diver may never dive again but they will be alive, I feel that its time to push all the trainning agencys to change there attitude to divers loosing there lives. Lets act now before the authorities such as the HSE do.

Your opinions are invited along with your suggestions on how can we improve the saftey of all of us who enjoy the underwater world, we just want it safer.

A few years ago there were a number of deaths at Stoney Cove in one year, I was unfortunate to witness one incident myself.
Following this stoney Cove introduced a membership scheme, where each diver pays anually as well as for each individual visit. One of the reasons for this was stated as to improve diver safety. The first two years when it became operational, I joined the scheme myself, I was not at any time asked to produce my diving qualification when I became a member, or on any subsequent visit to the site. To this day when you visit stoney cove, you are only asked to produce money. The only difference I have seen is the disclaimer form that all divers now have to complete, and an increase in cost for a non member to dive from £5 up to £15. In my mind this scheme was only used as a method of charging customers more, indeed, not long after the introduction of this scheme and the revenue in the coffers it no doubt produced, a number of quite ambitious construction projects commenced at the dive site, draw your own conclusions about that one.
The deepest point of stoney cove is 35-36 m as some of you will be aware, also at times the viz down there can be poor to say the least, and the water cold. Some would consider this part of the quarry to be quite a challenging dive, but just pay your money, turn up and dive, regardless of your experience.
I am afraid, untill some training agencies, and businesses involved with the diving industry actually do as they say and put diver safety in front of profit, unfortunate incidents like the one described by citysparks will continue at an unacceptable frequency.

 

[String]

Personal responsbility. Why should they nanny adults who are trained and able to decide what element of risk to accept themselves?

Everyone going there should be able to choose for themselves what depth to dive to, when and with what gear.

In fact, one of the few good things about the UK is it doesnt try to nanny people by demanding qualifications and paperwork for any activity.

IF somone wants to take a risk them let them - its their life and their choice.

 

[fisheyeview]

Maybe we need to look at a new certification designation. Instead of a DM, we could be trained as a DN, Dive Nanny.

 

[lord khram]

Personal responsbility. Why should they nanny adults who are trained and able to decide what element of risk to accept themselves?

Everyone going there should be able to choose for themselves what depth to dive to, when and with what gear.

In fact, one of the few good things about the UK is it doesnt try to nanny people by demanding qualifications and paperwork for any activity.

IF somone wants to take a risk them let them - its their life and their choice.

Yes I agree entirely everyone should be able to make their own choices, and indeed should be responsible for their own actions.
But what about people that make irresponsible choices and inadvertantly endanger other well intentioned divers that might try to rescue them.
What about other people that may not receive attention from emergency services as quickly as possible due to them attending divers that caused their own problems through their own irresponsible actions.
Unfortunately your attitude and consideration towards other people here seems blinkered and totally selfish to me. An attitude that regretably nowadays more and more people seem to subscribe to.