difficulties of finding a diver's body

[tomfcrist]

On a more somber note, has anyone been looking for this guy? Are they just searching the drift area, or are they planning to do a legit search of the wreck? I could imagine a search inside that wreck would take weeks to do systematically.

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

This thread was split from a discussion in the Accidents and Incidents forum. While it was off topic from the discussion analyzing the accident itself, it was sufficiently useful and interesting to be a thread on its own. Marg, SB Senior Moderator

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[Octopusprime]

The artical I posted on page 3 implies that they will continue underwater search after vis increases. Currently they are searching from the surface the drift area. They are going to reach out to dive community for boat search. Since bottom time at depth is short they will need lots of divers to search and ones with tech deco diving experiance will be helpfull....

i saw saw one post that this will be one of the biggest wrech searches, due to size of ship and since it was scuttled for reef and diving many area are accessible and possibilities as to where he went are endless.

 

[Wookie]

On a more somber note, has anyone been looking for this guy? Are they just searching the drift area, or are they planning to do a legit search of the wreck? I could imagine a search inside that wreck would take weeks to do systematically.

I have not been briefed, because that's how Key West is, but I'm the only guy with a ton of helium, and I let it be known that I would be happy to gather deep divers and go sit on the wreck and at least provide hot coffee and a bunk for divers. No takers. I'm told by the guys at TowBoat that none of the divers are allowed deeper than 100 feet, so the search has not been effective because the bottom vis is only about 20 feet. Again, that is heresay from TowBoat. For all I know, the Army SF guys swam out there in Mk-16s and are in sat doing an inch by inch search looking for clues. Or not.

CG surface assets as well as flying assets have been conducting a large surface search, to no avail.

 

[KeysCuda]

They were still looking Tuesday...Search continued for missing Vandenberg diver; Illinois man not seen since Saturday | News | KeysNet

In a separate case a boater went missing Wednesday off Key West (boat found, operator not) so resources may be diverted but it's still the general area.

A group of tech divers reportedly did some searching early on, in the obvious places on the wreck.

 

[Wookie]

It is my belief that this diver will be found with a sonar in 160 feet of water, within the boundary of the anchors.

 

[tomfcrist]

It is my belief that this diver will be found with a sonar in 160 feet of water, within the boundary of the anchors.

If I were down there I would take a scooter and just run a grid search.... If he was sinking quickly back to the wreck, I would imagine he would be found close by as you imply...assuming that was the end of his dive. If he went into the wreck...who knows. 20' viz is fine...not really a barrier.

 

[Johnoly]

.....and I let it be known that I would be happy to gather deep divers and go sit on the wreck and at least provide hot coffee and a bunk for divers. No takers.....

Not just the Spree crew has been turned down but other dockside chats from spearo's who've offered to go deep have heard similar denied responses. MCSO does not have 40 tech divers that will go to the sand. In My Own Opinion, the immediate family is going to have to get ugly, call BS and go public for a push for MCSO to open it to volunteers and local charters willing to assist.

And I agree with Wookie, teeny chance he's inside the wreck, he's in the sand (and sure hope not neutral). With just a very few short minutes of sand time search in low viz, it's going to take alot of divers and you may get 1 -2 days they can afford off of work to volunteer. It's January and dive weather blows us out, finding a window is not easy.

 

[tomfcrist]

If the wreck isn't off limits, why not do the family a favor and put together a search group to find him? You don't even need helium at that depth, just some scooters and 3-4 guys 10ft apart driving circles around the wreck. You could search everything within a couple hundred yards of that wreck in a day.

 

[ReefGuy]

I've recovered one diver in open water. It is not an easy search, by any means. Took us a week, and really was chance that we found him. He was about 1/4 mile from where he was last seen (at the back of the boat).

 

[Wookie]

I've recovered one diver in open water. It is not an easy search, by any means. Took us a week, and really was chance that we found him. He was about 1/4 mile from where he was last seen (at the back of the boat).

Yeah, I had a friend who found a body off of the Oriskany. He spent about 3 hours towing his side scan around the wreck, found a couple of interesting looking contacts, jumped in, and found the body in about 15 minutes, he went to where the props should be, swam out 100 yards, and lo and behold, first contact.

It is very unlikely that anyone would put together a search with a gas other than 21/35 or even 20/20. The wreck is in 157 feet, and although you and I could dive it (and I have) on air, it just isn't the standard. Imagine the lawsuit when someone gets bent looking for a body for the county as a volunteer and helium wasn't provided. It just isn't prudent.