Diver Death in Cayman

[Cave Diver]

Possible, yes, but unlikely. Here's a man, just out of training, who is used to following directions from DM. This DM tells him, no, you can not go to 100 ft, and you think he would do it anyway? That sounds like a wise guy and that is not how OP describes him.

This is the same man, just out of training that made the decision that he wanted to go to 100' even though he was likely taught in an OW course that 60' is the recommended limit. This has nothing to do with how wise he is, it was likely more an issue of ego.

 

[Cave Diver]

I gave them the scenerio - a group of divers with mixed levels of training and experience in warm water and good to excellent vis. Steep slopping bottom - they are the DM - the group has splintered (I didn't tell them why) and at half way they do a count. They are missing a diver - what do they do, what assumptions are they going to make?

They were allowed to ask me any questions to gain more information. The entire exercise lasted about 45 mins.

So it started off as a search and then they had to make the call on what they would have done if they spotted the diver deeper. The candidates made the assumption that after a quick search that if they couldn't spot him in good vis then he likely surfaced. When I asked them what their take would have been if I told them that was not what happened, the conversation turned to how deep they would be willing to try to make a rescue/recovery assuming they spotted him.

Sounds like a very interesting discussion. Would have been worth watching.

 

[Cave Diver]

Yup, and is reminiscent of that horrible, horrible self-filmed video on youtube.

Indeed, very much so.

 

[pilot fish]

That data is consistent with a bad case of narcosis and a diver "bouncing" off the sloping bottom, and slowly drifting deeper and deeper.

My first thought when I read that was he was unconscious.

 

[pilot fish]

Notice that the discussion never turned, as it should have, to what this DM could have done differently, or what he did that was manifestly incorrect? That "discussion" needed a better perspective.

Sounds like a very interesting discussion. Would have been worth watching.

 

[Cave Diver]

My first thought when I read that was he was unconscious.

Probably not unconscious at this point.

 

[pilot fish]

Indeed, very much so.

Can you link it? is that the one were a guy goes on a rescue dive and goes unconscious due to over-exertion at deep depth?

 

[Cave Diver]

Notice that the discussion never turned, as it should have, to what this DM could have done differently, or what he did that was manifestly incorrect? That "discussion" needed a better perspective.

I'll wait for the response by Moose on this.

 

[Cave Diver]

Can you link it? is that the one were a guy goes on a rescue dive and goes unconscious due to over-exertion at deep depth?

No, it was a guy that did a deep dive and at some point appears very narced. Erratic movements, bouncing off the bottom, etc. There are several breaks in the video where people interject comments and speculation on what happened. I'll see if I can find it.

 

[pilot fish]

Probably not unconscious at this point.

totally unaware of where he is though, I bet. Deep, dark narc. I had one at 125 ft and it scared the living hell out of me. I'm still scared when I think of it. fast carbon dioxide build up, over-exertion at 118 ft, then narc'd at 125 ft. Oh, I thought I was watching a movie.