Unknown Dive tourist dies on Costa Maya excursion off Xcalak

[CathyE]

If I had the time I’d go through the lead posts in this forum and make a list over/under 65. I think it would work out pretty even.

 

[queennyac]

I know many people well over 65 who are divers and very well qualified to continue diving....matter of fact in my dive group, our oldest diver will be 88 this June and she never misses a trip nor a dive and we go on a live-aboard boat at least once a year.....(our big trip) and also one or two smaller trips during the year...she has been diving for close to 70 years - has instructor level status, is a Dr. (still working), etc., etc., etc. so age in my opinion does not really matter much - the health of the person is so much more relevant

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

Seems like the over 65 divers are overrepresented in these dive fatalities.

Seems like the over 65 population is overrepresented in any age-stratified listing of human fatalities. Just sayin'.

 

[Biotech Diver]

There is a reason divers over 50 need medical clearance from their doctor, per some diving organizations. I’ve been on dive boats where an elderly diver couldn’t climb up a ladder unless someone took their tank and BCD. I know it’s not a popular thing to say that when people get past a certain age they should reconsider a few things. Why do you think you see so many elderly riding 3-wheel motorcycles? Why do some states have additional periodic tests for elderly drivers?

Divers over 50 have 10 times higher risk of cardiac-related death while diving than for younger divers. I’m sorry to say but that rate doesn’t go down for divers 75 and older.

We’re all mortals and we’re all going to die one day. You can’t do the same things and take the same risks and get away with it when you’re 75 compared to when you’re 25.

 

[Saldiac]

diver couldn’t climb up a ladder unless someone took their tank and BCD.

There are lots of divers who can't climb a ladder wearing full equipment for a whole range of reasons, not just age. Depending on who you ask, some will claim some of these reasons should disqualify them from being divers.
Ultimately everyone is entitled to their own opinion but people will do whatever they want to do. Enjoy life however you can, the only certainty is that it will end at some point for all of us.

 

[therookie]

You can’t do the same things and take the same risks and get away with it when you’re 75 compared to when you’re 25.

I think some elderly persons can, and do, get away with it. In my personal case I agree with you - I am nowhere near 75 but no question there are many things that I now cannot do and risks that are much higher now than when I was 25. But some septegenarians (and above) are still in incredible physical and mental condition.

I must confess I am guilty of having made some assumptions about the incident that started this thread. I just assumed the cause of death was diving related, and I don't actually know that from the information in the news story. Cause of death had not yet been determined, and even if it was a heart attack or a stroke or something that may have been diving related, it could just as well have happened while she was a passenger in a car that her daughter was driving, or while sitting at home in her favorite chair watching a television program. We have no way to know.

Let's not forget that somewhere out there a woman who is probably only a littler younger than I am (and possibly an "older diver" by DAN standards herself) has just lost her mother, while doing something with her that presumably they enjoyed doing together. Depending on how she processes what happened a few days ago, we may have lost not just one diver in this incident, but two.

The takeaway from this incident for me is that life can change suddenly (or end) at any moment for any of us, regardless of our age.

 

[nldunn]

There is a reason divers over 50 need medical clearance from their doctor, per some diving organizations. I’ve been on dive boats where an elderly diver couldn’t climb up a ladder unless someone took their tank and BCD. I know it’s not a popular thing to say that when people get past a certain age they should reconsider a few things. Why do you think you see so many elderly riding 3-wheel motorcycles? Why do some states have additional periodic tests for elderly drivers?

Divers over 50 have 10 times higher risk of cardiac-related death while diving than for younger divers. I’m sorry to say but that rate doesn’t go down for divers 75 and older.

We’re all mortals and we’re all going to die one day. You can’t do the same things and take the same risks and get away with it when you’re 75 compared to when you’re 25.

I'm a 63 year old female, overweight by medical standards, but I'm muscular and strong. Had a cardiac check-up this year and I have a 3% chance of a cardiac event in the next ten years. I can get up a ladder just fine, likely better than a 20-something who has spent the last ten years glued to a screen. (There are studies showing the benefits of being very active in your childhood to early adolescence and most people my age lived outside playing our entire early lives.)
You can't just make people hang up their fins. I would bet divers over 60 would tend to be more cautious, as I am, because our egos aren't as involved in diving. I have nothing to prove. I want to do this because it's magical.

 

[peeweediver]

I think this is a very important topic that, infortunately, hijacked this accident thread. Thoughts are with the survivor and family.
Moderator, is there a better place for this discussion?
For now: Spouse and I are having these same conversations between us. We're 72 and 70 and have been diving for 33 years, with a break to raise and eject our kids into the world. Both of our doctors know we take a dive trip each year and we discuss fitness, etc. We are becoming less interested in fighting current and do find that weighting takes a day to figure out on each trip..."But I wore 12 pounds last trip, WTH?"
Neither of us want to have an incident on a trip that either harms us or anyone else, or even causes any trauma. We just returned last week from Coz (5th trip) and had a wonderful trip with only one dive, up North to see eagle rays, where we could have done without the pretty strong current. Southern sites were all amazing and chill...for us. I had a bit of a problem climbing the ladder due to neuropathy in my feet from chemo 11 years ago. The ladder had very thin steps and it hurt. I climbed very slowly and the crew did help by grabbing the tank value for the last step. The ladder for the shore dives was a piece of cake for me because the steps were wider. I don't want to continue this problem for the crew, so I'll be switching to my other booties that have a much thicker and harder soles. If that doesn't work, back to the drawing board.
All in all, we do take seriously the concept that age does limit activities at some point. Having done a dive trip with an 89 year old, I'm pretty sure I won't be diving then, but not ready to hang them up just yet. We'll listen to our docs and our bodies. If either says, "time to stop" we absolutely will. I am curious if anyone has hit that wall and how did they know? That's why I'm wondering if there is a better place for this discussion.
BTW, on this board, it does seem that older folks have the incidents. However, in the Scuba Magazine "Lessons for Life" section almost all dive deaths were folks in their 20s to 40s diving beyond their training or being really, really "cowboy". So, dive incidents are not limited to the "old folks".

Rob

 

[boulderjohn]

So if I am supposed to give up diving when I am 75, that gives me only about 4 more months of diving. I guess I had better get in some dives soon. I'll go tomorrow.

But I will admit that the concept of being aware of your age limitations is a good one. I was teaching technical diving until two years ago, and I decided then that based on my age (etc.) I had better hang it up. I have given up instruction, and I will be gradually whittling down the difficulty of the dives I do. Deep technical dives will likely be the first to go.

The problem is that it is hard to make objective decisions on this. I wrote a short article about that some years ago. I called it the Bob Marley syndrome. People may be surprised to learn that Marley was a fitness fanatic who loved playing soccer. When he was diagnosed with melanoma in his toe, the doctors wanted to amputate, with one wanting to take most of the leg. He shopped around until he found a doctor who agreed to treat him without amputation so he could go on playing soccer. When that treatment was done, he stopped going to doctors. He died of melanoma at the age of 36.

 

[peeweediver]

So if I am supposed to give up diving when I am 75, that gives me only about 4 more months of diving. I guess I had better get in some dives soon. I'll go tomorrow.

But I will admit that the concept of being aware of your age limitations is a good one. I was teaching technical diving until two years ago, and I decided then that based on my age (etc.) I had better hang it up. I have given up instruction, and I will be gradually whittling down the difficulty of the dives I do. Deep technical dives will likely be the first to go.

The problem is that it is hard to make objective decisions on this. I wrote a short article about that some years ago. I called it the Bob Marley syndrome. People may be surprised to learn that Marley was a fitness fanatic who loved playing soccer. When he was diagnosed with melanoma in his toe, the doctors wanted to amputate, with one wanting to take most of the leg. He shopped around until he found a doctor who agreed to treat him without amputation so he could go on playing soccer. When that treatment was done, he stopped going to doctors. He died of melanoma at the age of 36.

Was an instructor until I did the classic perception narrowing trying to fix an equipment problem for a student while on the bottom of a 15 foot pool. Came home and said to my spouse, "I'm done". Absolutely did not want my last act as instructor be to injure a student. I was a volunteer and my "retirement" was the right thing for all.