Diver dead on the Andrea Doria

[Blue Sparkle]

Almost sure no usable information will ever come to light IMHO. I am not trying to be negative but the trend with this tread generally only leads to speculation. I wish someone would make it compulsory that diving fatality information become public. This WILL help reduce the very high fatality number.

I have another point of view. First of all, I agree with you in wishing that we could get more factual information on diving accidents and incidents. Oftentimes there is little to go on, and/or the press makes it worse because they don't understand diving terminology. Knowing more facts would be very useful.

And yet, I do find good value in the threads anyway, and even in speculation - as long as it is very clear that the ideas put forth are speculation when they aren't known fact.

The thing is, I've read numerous threads in the A & I forum, in which speculation has led to some really productive exchanges, from which I have learned a lot, and even beyond that, sat and thought "oh, right, so if W happens, X might be a good reaction (and Y not so much, for Z reason)."

I think a big difference is in how the speculation is worded. If someone says "Well obviously they had no clue about X," then that isn't so constructive. On the other hand, if someone says "Well here is a scenario that might have happened, here is why I'm thinking that, and here is what might have been done differently," then even if that wasn't the actual scenario, I can learn from it. And it's clear that we're not sure, but just speculating. We're not blaming or assuming then.

Blue Sparkle

 

[Rhone Man]

Not to sound too much like an accountant, but is that the first rebreather death on the Doria? Unless I am mistaken, all earlier fatalities have been on open circuit?

 

[EastEndDiver]

I know of one In July of 2006 used a rebreather and died on the Doria,there might be more.

 

[Thalassamania]

At least one other: Terry DeWolf, 28 July, 2008.

Found another accident: David Bright, 10 July 2006.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Stuff happens and there isn't anything anyone can do about it. Mechanical things break with no warning. As long as divers get in the water people will die. All we can try to do is get the best and most comprehensive training we can, pay attention to that training, and keep our skills sharp by diving regularly. Even at that there will be fatalities. This activity is not all fun, sun, beautiful places and people having a good time without a care in the world. The sooner it starts being communicated that while these kinds of dives SEEM to kill more people than the warm water shallow reef touristy dive, the fact is that even the most benign dives can kill very quickly and in some very nasty ways.

Those who do technical dives know the risks and take every precaution they can to minimize them. But even then that may not be enough. Non-tech divers need to approach this in the same manner relative to the dive they are doing. I'm sure the diver here took every possible precaution, coupled with years of experience, and still something went wrong. Think about that the next time you decide to skip a buddy check, not check your regs, or not do a proper weight check with that new suit or BC. You may end up the same way.

 

[TSandM]

I don't think diving is considered "very dangerous". But deep technical diving is riskier than shallow reef diving, and wreck penetration is riskier yet. People who do these dives have usually done a lot of diving and a great deal of training to be prepared for the things that can go wrong. Yet, as the recent WKPP death proved, humans can and will make mistakes -- and the ocean environment is a dynamic thing, and aging wrecks are potentially unstable, and there are some situations where no amount of training or preparation will salvage the situation. People who do such dives are aware of the issues, and have done their own risk/benefit assessment and concluded the dive is worth it. I don't know that any of us would do a dive if we were told we WOULD die doing it, but all of us who do the riskier dives inspect the odds and accept them. Every once in a while, the chamber holds a live round.

 

[Garth]

TSandM: the wkpp incident was interesting but do we know what rebreather the diver was using. From my understanding the wkpp rebreather doesn't monitor po2... Is that right? Pscr? I don't think we can compare the two incidents at this point until we know what rebreather was being used. Maybe I'm way off but an O2 sensor would seem to have saved the Wkp guy.
So you know I don't dive rebreathers but would like to know if or why I am wrong on this.

 

[Scot M]

Garth, TSandM was not comparing the technical aspects of the two incidents. She was making a point about human limitations.

Yet, as the recent WKPP death proved, humans can and will make mistakes...

 

[Garth]

Garth, TSandM was not comparing the technical aspects of the two incidents. She was making a point about human limitations.

Okay. I see.

 

[rigdiver]

At least one other: Terry DeWolf, 28 July, 2008.

Found another accident: David Bright, 10 July 2006.

Terry died of a heart muscle infection/endocarditis.