Diver Death in Cuba

[Duke Dive Medicine]

All five were nauseated and had headaches after the first try-dive? CO poisoning?

Concur with gas contamination. Unfortunately it's doubtful that carboxyhemoglobin level will be part of the autopsy report.

 

[flots am]

All five were nauseated and had headaches after the first try-dive? CO poisoning?

I don't see that in the original post. Am I just missing it?

flots

 

[Bopper]

I don't see that in the original post. Am I just missing it?

flots

It's mentioned on page 11 of the report Ayisha posted in Post #17.

 

[vancouverdiver]

There are some posts that question the safety of Cuba's dive ops. I can only comment on my Cuba trip in 2009. I think with the exception that the the tanks looked pretty beat up, I thought the dive op and and DM operated as one would expect. In any event, we did not have any problems with the gas.

I have also experienced a number of dive operators in Mexico, Bonaire, and Hawaii. All were fine except one dive operator in Mexico. In my opinion, it boils down to the individual dive operator/and DM not the whole country.

 

[Ayisha]

Sorry, should have mentioned to please scroll down to the third and last out-of-province fatality this year. Scroll down to the 3rd Appendix for online articles and links from when the accident happened in June.

All five were nauseated and had headaches after the first try-dive? CO poisoning?

CO poisoning is strongly suspected. Please check the recommendations as to some ways to possibly prevent this type of accident.

Concur with gas contamination. Unfortunately it's doubtful that carboxyhemoglobin level will be part of the autopsy report.

A local coroner was asked for an opinion on this accident with other information available combined with the Cuban police report, and came to the same conclusion as you and most: gas contamination.

From the information we have, it does not seem that the tanks were analyzed or a carboxyhemoglobin test was done, but we will not know until the autopsy report is received, which is expected in the late winter/early spring.

 

[flots am]

It's mentioned on page 11 of the report Ayisha posted in Post #17.

5 divers and 5 headaches? Yeah, that would do it.

I had stopped bringing my CO monitor on dive trips because it always read within limits, but I guess you really can't trust anybody where you don't know the fill station.

Looks like I'll need to start packing it again.

flots.

 

[tankdives]

Scary. I planned to dive with Alex and Gaviota Cayo Santa Maria in late August. Didn't happen due to the tropical storm. The scuba equipment Alex was using in pool training was in terrible condition. After reading these postings, I''m glad I didn't get to dive. I won't be going back there.

 

[mdax]

CO analyzers have been out for a while now, folks need to use them to check tanks, scuba organizations should approach CO testing just like O2 testing...doing it for every fill. I can't believe that the expense of a CO tester would preclude folks like padi implementing it in their programs.
I've only found one tank that exceeds CO levels while diving in mexico. I drained the tank and used another and reported it to the fill station. Testing EVERY tank is worth the time and expense.

 

[Ayisha]

Hi mdax. This was an Introduction course. People who have never been diving before surely can't be expected to carry CO analyzers.
PADI does not regulate courses in Cuba and it was not a PADI course.

 

[Dr. Lecter]

Concur with gas contamination. Unfortunately it's doubtful that carboxyhemoglobin level will be part of the autopsy report.

Of course not. AGE can always be blamed on the diver's ascending too rapidly and/or failing to maintain an open airway. CO poisoning means a local up, and we all know that could never be allowed to happen.