Diver Death in Cayman

[Cave Diver]

I agree Terry.

The computer profile (and possibly the one from the DM/DG's computer as a comparison in the early stages of the dive) is the single biggest piece of information that is missing from this thread.

Best Regards
Richard

It would clear up a lot and likely add just as many new questions as well.

 

[bsee65]

I posted this before the last lockdown and it received no comment. Now that we're seemingly back on the analysis track, maybe it's worth a read?

Fosterboxermom,

I believe you are telling us that the DM stopped at about the midway point of the dive, and that this was just before everyone was supposed to turn left to stay with the reef instead of following it over the edge. At this point, he tried to locate all the divers and Brendan was missing. 3-4 minutes later, if the computers were synched up and operating properly, Brendan's computer had him dropping toward 200'. That would mean one of three things.

First, Brendan had drifted off to the side of the original path the rest of the group was taking by a distance on the order of, or in excess of, the visibility avaliable. When the group stopped, he was out of sight and continued as he had been going.

Second, he somehow got ahead of the group and followed the reef over the edge before anyone realized he was gone.

Third, he was lagging way behind everyone while you were trying to locate him. After the dive continued and everyone else turned, he was moving ahead trying to locate the group and missed that you all had turned.

Two pieces of information might help determine which of these it was. One is what Brendan's computer had to say about his depth between minutes ten and twelve while you all were stopped. If he was already below 100' by then, he was probably ahead of the group, or maybe off to either side. If he started descending during the time you were stopped, he must have been off to the left or right. If he didn't start dropping until minute twelve or thirteen, maybe he was lagging behind or off to the right. The other is where he was found on the surface, if that suggests anything about the path he had taken. I'm not sure how accurate a picture you have of the GPS path the dive followed or the location where Brendan surfaced.

Additionally, I suppose questions of his swimming ability and personality might factor in. Was he the type to stop and look at every piece of anything he saw along the path that might have put him behind the group? Would he have chased an interesting fish as it went left or right away from the group and lost touch? Would he have tried to race ahead of the group and had the speed to do so? I don't necessarily expect you to have the answers here, though you may have some recollection if the group was spreading out below you over time.

When you said the group made a left turn at the start of the dropoff, I was initially thinking that you might have stopped to regroup right after the turn and that Brendan had missed it. Stopping at, or just ahead of the turn, seems the more sensible approach to ensure no one gets lost, but I made the assumption that the DM screwed that up as well because it provided an easy explanation for how Brendan became separated.

Also, I am now assuming that the dive profile was a triangle. You went down from the boat to the bottom, headed out perpendicular to the wall until it started to drop off, then turned left along the edge before turning left again to head back to the boat. Is that correct?

Also, I have read that the moorings for the dive you went on are in just under 60'. Does that match your recollection? If so, did you all drop to the bottom together and then separate into two groups as the rest followed the bottom deeper while you and Pam maintained 60'? I don't know the site personally other than what I have read in trying to solve this puzzle.

-bob

 

[pilot fish]

It would clear up a lot and likely add just as many new questions as well.

Do I rememeber this correctly: the DM gave his puter to the deceased's GF but got it back from her just prior to entry?

Question: in DM training, are you taught to lead a dive from the rear of the group, or front?

 

[CDNScubaMoose]

Question: in DM training, are you taught to lead a dive from the rear of the group, or front?

In the PADI course you are exposed to both methods when "in-water" and the pros/cons of both.

 

[fosterboxermom]

I spoke to my husband and he said Brendan was the last diver in the group. Yes, as we descended down the line at the beginning of the dive Pam and I got to 60ft which was our max depth, we all did our OK's and the rest of the group went on and kept desending to their max depth of 100ft. Pam saw Brendan take one pic at the beginning of the dive. The only thing I know about his computer is at 14 mins he was at a depth of 184, at 14 mins he was at 199 and his total dive time was 23 minutes.

 

[fosterboxermom]

Do I rememeber this correctly: the DM gave his puter to the deceased's GF but got it back from her just prior to entry?

Question: in DM training, are you taught to lead a dive from the rear of the group, or front?

Yes he put his puter on Pam and then before entry took it back. She didn't even know how to use it and didn't want it.

 

[pilot fish]

In the PADI course you are exposed to both methods when "in-water" and the pros/cons of both.

thx. Which is preferred, or safest?

 

[fisheyeview]

In the PADI course you are exposed to both methods when "in-water" and the pros/cons of both.

Correct. If you are to point things out, or navigate a particular route you usually lead. When I do this I wear a mask that allows good peripheral vission. I also spend a lot of my dive looking back between my legs doing head counts. I will stop periodically to point something out even if it is not that interesting if someone is lagging behind.

 

[pilot fish]

I spoke to my husband and he said Brendan was the last diver in the group. Yes, as we descended down the line at the beginning of the dive Pam and I got to 60ft which was our max depth, we all did our OK's and the rest of the group went on and kept desending to their max depth of 100ft. Pam saw Brendan take one pic at the beginning of the dive. The only thing I know about his computer is at 14 mins he was at a depth of 184, at 14 mins he was at 199 and his total dive time was 23 minutes.

No way this man should have had a camera on his first dive post cert.

 

[fisheyeview]

thx. Which is preferred, or safest?

Keeping tabs on people is easier from the back of the group, but people can rush ahead on you. In clear water this is not a major problem usually.