Diver Death near Sparrow Island (vicinity of Lillie Parsons) - Brockville Ontario

[mheaster]

Brockville Recorder and Times - Ontario, CA

I heard this initially this morning JUST as I was boarding a local Dive boat going to dive the Lillie Parsons. Apparently occurred last evening 6:30 -7:00 pm.

I "heard" initially it was a probable air embolism injury (rapid ascent) although that is somewhat contradicted by local newspaper report that indicates the buddy had witnessed regulator issues shortly after descent.

Last line of article (continued below advertising) is even more confusing! Article stated name withheld until after the autopsy but last line reads:

"XXXX had been attempting to swim from one boat to another about 100 feet apart but failed to reach his destination."



I am truly saddened to hear this news and prayers go out to his family and buddy!

 

[Oside Jimc]

Last line of article (continued below advertising) is even more confusing! Article stated name withheld until after the autopsy but last line reads:

"XXXX had been attempting to swim from one boat to another about 100 feet apart but failed to reach his destination."

The last 2 lines are about a another death that occured there on Monday, so this makes 2 divers dead in 1 week! (see quote below from article!)

This is the second death of a Gatineau man in this area since Sunday.

 

[Ayisha]

My condolences to the family and friends of yet another diver lost in Ontario this summer.

If this accident was on/near the Lillie Parsons, it can be a very tough dive. The current is always swift, sometimes ripping. It can easily rip your mask off or your reg out if you turn the wrong way. I had a very strange occurence with my reg on the Lillie earlier in the summer. Just after leaving the Lillie, I turned to look at our other buddy pair behind me. As I turned back, it was like my reg was yanked out of my mouth, but nothing was right near me. I kept trying to put my reg back in, but the current kept pushing it strongly across my face, not letting it go into my mouth. I finally got it back in and then one side of the mouthpiece popped out. I pushed that side back in and the other side popped out, then all of it popped out again. I finally turned my head away from the wall with the current completely at my back and easily put the reg back in with no further issues. If it was my mask, I think I would have automatically done that because it's happened before, but I'd never even thought it would happen with a reg. That is the type of ripping current that can go through that area, and many issues can be compounded with that kind of current.

 

[bleeb]

The last 2 lines are about a another death that occured there on Monday, so this makes 2 divers dead in 1 week! (see quote below from article!)

IIRC, the first death was not a diver. It was someone trying to swim between two boats. Both at anchor, I think.

 

[mheaster]

The last 2 lines are about a another death that occured there on Monday, so this makes 2 divers dead in 1 week! (see quote below from article!)

The name just seemed to have been brought up with no prior reference.

Ok makes a little bit more sense. I read it quickly and was pretty tired after 3 dives yesterday. Current on Parsons yesterday was moderate but manageable and like the article stated "may" have been a regulator issue? Will have to remain patient for more details.

 

[mheaster]

Brockville Recorder and Times - Ontario, CA

Nothing much new but Post-mortem confirms diver's death as drowning

 

[ScubaSteve]

It is never good to hear we have lost another of our own. Only the equipment check will confirm it, but I wonder if there was a problem with his reg (as apparently indicated by his buddy) or if something else heppened (such as Ayisha mentioned) to cause the man to drown. No matter what, it is terrible news.

 

[girlydiver]

I was on the boat last Wednesday that the diving death occured on. Not a pleasant feeling coming back from a great dive to find out someone you spent the whole day with died while you were in the water. From what his buddy told us the dive itself was 5 minutes from when they jumped in the water to when he surfaced. They went down the line for the Lillie and everything was fine. He got an Ok before they left the line and started drifting. He got a couple more OK's from his buddy and the next time he turned to check him out he was floating without his reg. He swam right over and put the reg back in but there was no fight or struggle and his eyes were unmoving. They were only at 40 feet and they had just barely made it to the bow of the wreck. He immediately inflated his BC and brought his buddy up and the boat was only 200 feet from them. He waved the boat over and a fellow diver jumped in and began CPR while a second dive boat was called over by radio to come and get the diver and bring him to shore as all the divers from first boat were all still in the water except for two. It appeared to those that witnessed the diver on the surface and on the back platform that he embolised because there was blood coming from his eyes, ears, nose and mouth as well as froth from the mouth.

What I would love divers to learn from this is...Please when your buddy asks you if you are OK don't say yes unless you are actually OK. There is no way for your buddy to know you need help or you need to stop and regroup if you don't tell them. I would rather cut my dive short because you don't feel right then have the above happen to you. Diving is a great sport but panicking will make the most experienced diver a begginer if they don't stop and think.

 

[Ayisha]

It is also advisable to dive side-by-side and within reach so you are always aware of what is going on with your buddy.

I think it is much harder for buddies to always keep track of each other when one is the leader and one is the follower. There can be a lag from the time an incident happens and when the lead diver becomes aware of it. It may only be seconds, but a lot can happen on SCUBA in seconds. It's also harder to keep the same pace between buddies when they're in a line.

 

[mheaster]

Thanks Girlydiver for your details!

Do you know of any pre-dive difficulties with regulator/equipment or the experience level of the deceased?

It is truly a tragic death and our prayers go out to the diver's family, friends, buddy and the many others involved in this event such as yourself. I can only imagine how difficult it has been for all involved.