Diver death in Lake Minnewanka, Alberta, Canada

[scubaeskimo]

Seriously. We don't care about whatever you guys are arguing about. All we want to discuss is the incident. Please start a separate thread for your discussion.

 

[Cave Diver]

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

I've removed further comments over comprehension, etc. after my last post. If you wish to be able to participate in the accident discussion, then do so and leave the personal bickering out of it.

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[Roko]

I'm almost afraid to post this article because of the fuzzy hand-waving-half-assed-journalism "maybes" and inaccuracies (i.e. the stunning research finding a Dam built in 1923......), but perhaps a couple of details, perhaps just tripe. It's dated from the 10th, so nothing "new"

Man missing after diving lesson in Banff found dead - CTV News

 

[DaleC]

Accident investigation and reporting is not part of, and has never been part of, the AUC mandate.

The AUC has never issued incident reports. Not 20 page ones, not 30 page ones, not even 1 page ones. I have no idea where you got the idea that is something the AUC does.

Brian, where would one look for a complete list of western Canada divers deaths in a given year (or is there such a thing)?

 

[nadwidny]

Brian, where would one look for a complete list of western Canada divers deaths in a given year (or is there such a thing)?

There isn't one. There is no working council in BC and hasn't been for years. Alberta doesn't compile those stats. I'm not sure if Saskatchewan is still active. Manitoba does not appear to collect those kind of stats.

If one wanted to compile a list the local RCMP detachments and various city forces may keep those stats, especially the detachment responsible for Whytecliff where most deaths seem to occur.

 

[Crush]

Is there one agency that analyzes the scuba gear involved in accidents/incidents nationally, or is this at the discretion of the local police?

 

[nadwidny]

Is there one agency that analyzes the scuba gear involved in accidents/incidents nationally, or is this at the discretion of the local police?

I believe it is who ever the police pick. I don't know what criteria they use to choose.

In the case of the compressor explosion in Waterton back in the mid-90s, they picked Jack Madro from Subsea in Edmonton to look at the compressor to determine what went wrong.

 

[nadwidny]

So I did some checking on who does the testing. Apparently DRDC in Toronto (used to be DCIEM) does a lot. Other times police agencies have been known to send it to a different LDS other than the one the victim was renting/buying from. I've heard this is the case with the gear from the Minny incident.

I also heard that the Minny incident was the 2nd dive of an AOW course.

 

[Roko]

So I did some checking on who does the testing. Apparently DRDC in Toronto (used to be DCIEM) does a lot. Other times police agencies have been known to send it to a different LDS other than the one the victim was renting/buying from. I've heard this is the case with the gear from the Minny incident.

I also heard that the Minny incident was the 2nd dive of an AOW course.

Interesting. I didn't realize they did diving research in Toronto. But it would make sense why they send it there.

About DRDC Toronto - Fact Sheets

 

[Crush]

This is obviously off-topic, but I'd like to utilize the breadth of Alberta diving experience on this thread right now.

About two years ago my dive buddy and I found a weight belt (no diver in it) with a plastic buckle and about 40 lbs of lead fastened shut at about 50 feet in Cameron Bay in Waterton Park, Alberta. This was a surprising amount of weight, and it was also surprising that the buckle was closed and no one was in it.

Can anyone shed some insight into the history of this item? Were there any incidents at Cameron Bay in the past several years?