gypsydiver19
Guest
I'm sorry to hear we've had another accident. To all involved, Thank You!!!!! To his family and friends, you're in my prayers. Dive Safe!!!!!
Diver death at Haigh Quarry (IL.) today...
- Thread starter Rockdivr
- Start date
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Jacque Coustrape
Registered
Quarries scare me for some unknown reason, you would'nt catch me anywhere near one!! Rather odd thing for me to fear, seeing that I dive in the ocean about every other day with all kinds of dangerous things swimming around. Maybe it's the cold?!?!?
I did a search on the net and didn't come up with any stories on this incident- but sounds like there was a similar incident almost a year ago.
almitywife
Vegemite Mod
youre right polly
back in may 2005 there was a accident that i think was heart attack contributed (heheh, CD has the media link somewhere)
i havent found anything about it in the news either (im looking because i post scuba news on my local scuba forum)
as far as diving in a quarry - im a spoilt sydney person, so whats a quarry (thanks a joke folks)
back in may 2005 there was a accident that i think was heart attack contributed (heheh, CD has the media link somewhere)
i havent found anything about it in the news either (im looking because i post scuba news on my local scuba forum)
as far as diving in a quarry - im a spoilt sydney person, so whats a quarry (thanks a joke folks)
MoonWrasse
Contributor
Jacque Coustrape:
I agree - I grew up around stone quarries, and they were known to be dangerous. I had at least one friend die there during my school years.
Gravel quarries I recall, were said to be even more dangerous and you'd get deaths there every summer.
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Chicago teacher died there last May: ABC7Chicago
SB thread from last May: Haigh Quarry
I can't find anything on the latest loss, either.
SB thread from last May: Haigh Quarry
I can't find anything on the latest loss, either.
scubapolly:
Aye, I posted that link incorrectly (the story I read wasn't dated, the story I linked was from a more esteemed source that was dated to indicate I had linked the previous incident.)
As for the latest incident the only link I can find is in the local Kankakee paper "Authorities Investigate Divers Death", but it is subscription only content. If any Daily-Journal subscriber has the text or a paraphrase of the article to share or PM to me that would be appreciated. Haigh is the local watering hole and training area for many in GLWC. I don't believe any/many shops are conudcting training this early and fear that the victim may be known locally or even personally, we're not exactly a large community braving the conditions this early in the year.
My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends
I did not know the diver and was not diving with him, but was part of the rescue attempt, as you'll read in a moment.
Interestingly in the two most recent times I've dived at Haigh this year piror to diving on 23 April, both my buddy and I have had occasion to share air. Once his reg was free-flowing and once my reg was breathing hard. I've always known how important diving with your buddy is. Sadly, I've now experienced the terrible consequences that may occur when you don't.
Below is essentially the account I filed with PADI as part of an incident report. I have also shared this with Haigh Quarry:
"I was diving at Haigh Quarry Sunday April 23, 2006 as a wreck class student. My first dive was completed (according to my computer) at 9:47 a.m. About ten minutes later, after my buddy and the other three divers in my group had exited the water and were beginning our surface interval I heard someone in the water shouting "Call 9-1-1!" My first thought was that it was a drill, with someone mistakenly shouting for "9-1-1" as opposed to "calling for a pizza" or offering a similar non-emergency shout. Hearing it again, I moved to the water, about 150 yards away. As I was approaching the water I shouted to a diver in the water "Is this a drill?" He said "You don't know me. Call 9-1-1!" As I started to run to the registration area to call, I noticed another man already on his cell phone to 9-1-1. At the registration area I asked for and was given a green plastic carrying box containing an oxygen bottle. Returning to the water's edge, I saw a diver - unknown to me - on his back with my dive buddy over him ensuring his airway was clear. I put my head to the diver's chest and looked up at his head to see if I could see / hear / feel any respiration or pulse. I didn't. I also felt for a pulse at his neck. The diver was overweight and while I may have detected a small pulse, I wasn't sure. I positioned my arms to begin administering CPR. Three people on the scene assured me he was breathing. I said that I wasn't sure, but was again told by all three people he was and that I should not administer CPR. I did administer oxygen with a demand valve. Whether or not I administered oxygen before or after wanting to begin CPR, I do not recall. After watching the man for several seconds, I said again I wasn't sure that he was breathing but was told that the bubbles coming from his mouth were an indication that he was. We put the man in recovery position. Clearly he was not recovering. We rolled him on his back and my buddy began delivering mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Soon thereafter an emergency medical team and local police arrived. The diver's gear was secured and left as it was when taken from his body. I don't know who took responsibility for the gear once the officials came. I helped the diver's buddy off with his BCD and weight belt. The buddy went to his car to retrieve the diver's wallet with his identification information. The buddy was not with the diver during the beginning of the rescue. I was told the divers were separated with the buddy retrieved from the water at the surface after the rescue had already begun, but I do not know for sure. After my group completed our second dive and was checking out, I asked how the rescued diver had fared. I was told he had died."
I've checked daily since last Sunday for information on the diver - his name, any family, where he was from, what it was that took his life (drowning? heart attack?). I haven't been able to find any information.
I did review my rescue and EFR books and discovered that my instincts were right, I should have begun CPR immediately and continued it until EMTs arrived. Whether or not that would have helped, who knows? I had been told the man was speaking at the surface then went unconscious, but that is second (if not third hand) information. If the man suffered a heart attack, my understanding is there is only a 5% recovery rate.
I wish I had been able to help save his life. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to do that. Know that the lessons I learned from that experience will be with me the rest of my life and I will make sure they are shared with others as is appropriate.
Any additional information on this sad incident will be greatly appreciated, both for me personally and to share with others as part of a difficult learning experience.
Safe diving to everyone and please always stay with your buddy. It makes diving much more fun and infinitely safer.
- ScubaTime
Interestingly in the two most recent times I've dived at Haigh this year piror to diving on 23 April, both my buddy and I have had occasion to share air. Once his reg was free-flowing and once my reg was breathing hard. I've always known how important diving with your buddy is. Sadly, I've now experienced the terrible consequences that may occur when you don't.
Below is essentially the account I filed with PADI as part of an incident report. I have also shared this with Haigh Quarry:
"I was diving at Haigh Quarry Sunday April 23, 2006 as a wreck class student. My first dive was completed (according to my computer) at 9:47 a.m. About ten minutes later, after my buddy and the other three divers in my group had exited the water and were beginning our surface interval I heard someone in the water shouting "Call 9-1-1!" My first thought was that it was a drill, with someone mistakenly shouting for "9-1-1" as opposed to "calling for a pizza" or offering a similar non-emergency shout. Hearing it again, I moved to the water, about 150 yards away. As I was approaching the water I shouted to a diver in the water "Is this a drill?" He said "You don't know me. Call 9-1-1!" As I started to run to the registration area to call, I noticed another man already on his cell phone to 9-1-1. At the registration area I asked for and was given a green plastic carrying box containing an oxygen bottle. Returning to the water's edge, I saw a diver - unknown to me - on his back with my dive buddy over him ensuring his airway was clear. I put my head to the diver's chest and looked up at his head to see if I could see / hear / feel any respiration or pulse. I didn't. I also felt for a pulse at his neck. The diver was overweight and while I may have detected a small pulse, I wasn't sure. I positioned my arms to begin administering CPR. Three people on the scene assured me he was breathing. I said that I wasn't sure, but was again told by all three people he was and that I should not administer CPR. I did administer oxygen with a demand valve. Whether or not I administered oxygen before or after wanting to begin CPR, I do not recall. After watching the man for several seconds, I said again I wasn't sure that he was breathing but was told that the bubbles coming from his mouth were an indication that he was. We put the man in recovery position. Clearly he was not recovering. We rolled him on his back and my buddy began delivering mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Soon thereafter an emergency medical team and local police arrived. The diver's gear was secured and left as it was when taken from his body. I don't know who took responsibility for the gear once the officials came. I helped the diver's buddy off with his BCD and weight belt. The buddy went to his car to retrieve the diver's wallet with his identification information. The buddy was not with the diver during the beginning of the rescue. I was told the divers were separated with the buddy retrieved from the water at the surface after the rescue had already begun, but I do not know for sure. After my group completed our second dive and was checking out, I asked how the rescued diver had fared. I was told he had died."
I've checked daily since last Sunday for information on the diver - his name, any family, where he was from, what it was that took his life (drowning? heart attack?). I haven't been able to find any information.
I did review my rescue and EFR books and discovered that my instincts were right, I should have begun CPR immediately and continued it until EMTs arrived. Whether or not that would have helped, who knows? I had been told the man was speaking at the surface then went unconscious, but that is second (if not third hand) information. If the man suffered a heart attack, my understanding is there is only a 5% recovery rate.
I wish I had been able to help save his life. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to do that. Know that the lessons I learned from that experience will be with me the rest of my life and I will make sure they are shared with others as is appropriate.
Any additional information on this sad incident will be greatly appreciated, both for me personally and to share with others as part of a difficult learning experience.
Safe diving to everyone and please always stay with your buddy. It makes diving much more fun and infinitely safer.
- ScubaTime
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Thanks sharing Scubatime. Do take care of yourself. You did your best, and you were his best friend at the time. Good go.
Don't forget what you read about CIS, and do keep letting it go...
Don't forget what you read about CIS, and do keep letting it go...
Ironhed
Contributor
don't feel like you did anything wrong the simple fact that you helped with what you can speaks volumes of what kind of person you are. I am guessing he was bent from a panicked ascent but that is just a guess. I have read stories of heavily bent divers surfacing and going unconcious and dying. my prayers go out to the family what a sad loss it will be.
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