Diver death in Lake Minnewanka, Alberta, Canada

[Jax]

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?

Absolutely no knowledge of that area, but a boat I was on had several weight belts that were spare weights, normally fastened around a seat support, but one was not and we lost it on acceleration.

 

[Crush]

Absolutely no knowledge of that area, but a boat I was on had several weight belts that were spare weights, normally fastened around a seat support, but one was not and we lost it on acceleration.

But Jax, that is a boring story. I want excitement! I want to hear of valiant struggles, dangerous conditions, and human failing!

All kidding aside, what you propose is a reasonable situation for diving in general. You mentioned that you are not familiar with the area. Cameron Bay is a shore dive and the belt was a good 100 feet or so out from the shoreline. I suppose that it might have been a boat dive, but with ready vehicular access and a foot path, it seems to be that a boat would have been over-kill.

Come up and try some very cold and not too clear water...

 

[Roko]

Do people ice dive there? I've seen weight belts disappear down holes in the ice before.. And I know I like to carry weight belts around closed as it's easier for me.

Edit: Oh, you want valiant struggles. It was an instructor's weight belt being handed to him, and it slipped down the ice and through the hole. The look on the kitted-up instructors face was priceless as everyone scrambled to try and save it without falling in themselves.

This one was recovered, as there was apparently a nice plume of silt marking it's position at the bottom of a line that was dropped straight from the corner it fell in through

 

[Crush]

Do people ice dive there? I've seen weight belts disappear down holes in the ice before.. And I know I like to carry weight belts around closed as it was easier.

It is certainly possible to ice dive there - heaven knows there is enough of the stuff. However, I have personally not heard of anyone ice diving in Waterton. Now, my basic OW dives were in Waterton at 34 F and 36 F in a 7 mm two-piece wetsuit (had to say it) and there was slushy ice on the surface of the lake, but it was not iced over and therefore not an ice dive.

 

[Jang]

I've been following this thread since it began. I would like to ask the moderators to move the diversion of the weight belt issue to a different forum. I'll apologize for the request if it offends anyone, but this thread was discuss the fatality at Lake Minnewanka.

I am truely sorry for the victim's family and his classmates. In addition, I know the instructor and DM involved and feel their pain (no, I will not identify them or their shop and will let due process take it's course). In fact, I was asked to DM the class at the last minute, but the DM involved volunteered before I was able to respond. I shudder to think about the accident happening to anyone.

 

[nadwidny]

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?

No deaths. That doesn't mean there were no close calls. Lethbridge people would know more since the shop there is the primary user of that lake for training.

40 lbs is a lot of weight. Too much, doesn't matter the excuse. Rumour has it the death in Minny had about the same on his belt. Could be true, could not. Just what I've heard.

 

[nadwidny]

Come to think of it there may have been a death there a few years ago but I believe it was a heart attack on the beach. I'll have to check and see if anybody remembers something like that within the past 10 years.

 

[nadwidny]

I've been following this thread since it began. I would like to ask the moderators to move the diversion of the weight belt issue to a different forum. I'll apologize for the request if it offends anyone, but this thread was discuss the fatality at Lake Minnewanka.

And it's been discussed about as far as these things usually go. At least a little thread wandering keeps the topic going instead of fading quickly away into oblivion the way most of these threads do.

I am truely sorry for the victim's family and his classmates. In addition, I know the instructor and DM involved and feel their pain (no, I will not identify them or their shop and will let due process take it's course).

It was The Dive Shop. Don't need to wait for due process since the shop was identified already on the news.

In fact, I was asked to DM the class at the last minute, but the DM involved volunteered before I was able to respond. I shudder to think about the accident happening to anyone.

Indeed.

 

[Tessie03]

Hi
Have been following the posts here + the news on Google. How did you know it was The Dive Shop. You mention the news stated it but can you point to the article where it was posted, or was it on the TV news?

Thanks
Tessie

 

[nadwidny]

Hi
Have been following the posts here + the news on Google. How did you know it was The Dive Shop. You mention the news stated it but can you point to the article where it was posted, or was it on the TV news?

It was on the TV news. I can't remember if it was Global or CTV but they showed the storefront.