Diver Accident Death

[wilz]

It is difficult for those involved in a diving accident, even as a bystander, not to be significantly impacted by the event. Having been there, I can tell you it will require a lot support from their mates, along with getting back on the horse and ultimately letting go. We try to draw some parallel between the diving and the accident, but in the end it is just life. As instructors, we try to impart the importance of safe practices, but in the end, every diver is accountable to himself and fellow divers. Terrible accidents happen every day, in every lifestyle. We must soldier on and share our strength with those we can help.
Namaste

 

[tejasdiver]

I will say a prayer for everyone involved. Such a terrible accident......

 

[MMM]

Losing a father is bad enough. Under the described circumstances, unimaginable. Daughter may wish to consider PTSD counseling at some point. Lost a sister under related circumstances and it took me years to figure out the trigger. Doesn't sound like anyone's fault except maybe genetics or lifestyle. If that makes anyone feel better.

 

[cicopo]

Very tragic, and I'm sure it will have an impact on the DM as well as the op, even though it's not looking as if they or anyone else could have prevented it unless they could see into the future & therefore prevent him from diving. As someone who is at risk of suffering a heart attack due both to age & family history plus based on the other comments that does seem like a strong possibility as a contributing factor. My thoughts & prayers too, and I hope his daughter gets the help & support needed from her friends & other family members.

Larry

 

[NotLloydBridges]

Yikes -- I've been diving w. Scuba Mau for the past few days and have not heard a word about this incident. That's disturbing in its own right, i.e., how do you not hear that somebody on another boat died on a dive, somebody who might have been on your boat another day? Man, I dove with a guy who had his teenage daughter diving with him one day. . .

As everybody else notes, what a tragedy for the family. I've got an 11 year old daughter who I hope will dive with me some day. This kind of news gives one pause.

 

[SavetheSharks]

I really don't have anything more or different to say then what has already been posted. But my thoughts are with everyone involved. Such a sad situation. Losing a parent is always devasting, I can't imagine having to deal with this sort of shock. I pray that his daughter has tons of family and friends that she can lean on for support.

 

[firstdive2005]

Yikes -- I've been diving w. Scuba Mau for the past few days and have not heard a word about this incident. That's disturbing in its own right, i.e., how do you not hear that somebody on another boat died on a dive, somebody who might have been on your boat another day? Man, I dove with a guy who had his teenage daughter diving with him one day. . .

As everybody else notes, what a tragedy for the family. I've got an 11 year old daughter who I hope will dive with me some day. This kind of news gives one pause.

Hi NLB-I do see your point for sure. I think it wise to let customers enjoy their holiday. A very tough descion on the dive ops' part. But nescessary. They are very sensitive to their clients and their holidays. If it was absolutely nescessary to let YOU know about this tragedy and ruin your holiday they would have let you know. Erring on caution they elected not to. Be easy on them. They just care about everybody and this time is for the family that lost a member.
I know you mean well and it is hurtful to know you had a chance meeting.....

 

[ReefHound]

Yikes -- I've been diving w. Scuba Mau for the past few days and have not heard a word about this incident. That's disturbing in its own right, i.e., how do you not hear that somebody on another boat died on a dive, somebody who might have been on your boat another day? Man, I dove with a guy who had his teenage daughter diving with him one day. . .

I disagree especially since the dive op and DM do not appear to be at fault. Should they greet every new customer with the morbid news? Perhaps hang a sign in front of the shop? Why? What relevance does it have to anything? What purpose does it serve to someone on vacation except put a black cloud over the day? If I check into a hotel should I be informed that a recent guest had a heart attack and died in the room I'll be sleeping in? If I go to a restaurant should I be told a customer choked to death last week? I would definitely want to know if a business was doing something unsafe that might put me in danger but I don't see that is the case here. I dived with Scuba Mau 4 weeks ago and will be diving with them again in 3 weeks and this incident does not give me the slightest pause. I just hope it wasn't our DM Pablo, and if it was then I hope he will be ready to return and be our DM in three weeks.

 

[scubawife]

Yikes -- I've been diving w. Scuba Mau for the past few days and have not heard a word about this incident. That's disturbing in its own right, i.e., how do you not hear that somebody on another boat died on a dive, somebody who might have been on your boat another day? Man, I dove with a guy who had his teenage daughter diving with him one day. . .

As everybody else notes, what a tragedy for the family. I've got an 11 year old daughter who I hope will dive with me some day. This kind of news gives one pause.

There's usually a lot of speculation, theorizing after an accident before the real facts are known... if they are ever made public. Why would a dive operator (or tour operator, hotel, etc.) make a big announcement to all their customers at the time that an accident resulting in a death occurred? The shop and staff didn't play a part in the accident. It could have been any shop and any DM. I don't have any experience with the shop of their staff, but a diver death under these circumstances would not turn me away from considering using them.

My heart breaks for this young girl. A new diver sharing an amazing experience with her father and having it end in such a tragic way. I hope she has all the love and support she needs to get through this.

 

[NotLloydBridges]

It is a hard call, but I think it is better to err on the side of disclosure. There are countless posts on this site and others about how hard it is to get information about scuba accidents. In fact, the operators of this site solicit contributions for defense of a lawsuit brought, as I understand it, by a dive shop unhappy about comments made here about accidents that may have been associated with the shop.

I am enjoying my time with Scuba Mau, and think they are a good op. The facts as described suggest the diver experienced some health problem, e.g., an MI, while underwater and panicked.

Still, I would have liked to have known. On my first dive Monday afternoon, the DM appeared distracted underwater and kept leaving me and the other diver behind to check on a DM-in-training who had another group. At some point, my buddy (who I only met on the boat out) and I exchanged the universal WTF sign, and finned back furiously in the current to get back with the DM. Now, he may have been similarly distracted under normal circumstances, or he may have been overly worried because of the accident that day (if I have the timeline correct). Either way, of course, he used bad judgment. If the DM-in-training needed watching over, the DM should not have split us into two groups in the first place.

Aside from that dive, safety practices have been first rate.

In any event, I would have felt safer diving w. SM if they freely disclosed that an accident had happened that day.