Diver Died in Panama City FL

[Pullnglide]

I use the PCB jetties for training dives and have at least 100 dives there. The best time to dive across the jetty is slack tide. Even then the vis can be minimal. I've rarely seen great vis out there but have seen 50' vis but also only a few feet. This incident happened on a DSD, I know this as a fact and I know the business it was with. I have seen this operation in action many times and to be quite honest it is lucky that there haven't been more accidents. A reel is attached to a fixed point in the shallow portion and ran across the jetty. Students are typically kept on that line. A DSD is done with the students and they are immediately taken over the rocks. Once the tide turns the current gets VERY strong and someone can easily be swept out to sea and to greater depths, I've seen 74' out there. This is also the main pass so surfacing away from the rocks is extremely dangerous. It's a shame it's happened! I haven't been to the jetties in about a month so I don't know if the business is still there conducting dives, (highly doubt it) they are there typically every Saturday and Sunday conducting DSD's. The following is hearsay from a reliable source.... The person conducting the dive is a DM and was uninsured.

 

[AmberB]

The man that lost his life is my father. My Step Mother has filed suit against the diving company and its affiliates.

 

[AmberB]

It's likely that we won't hear anything new on this incident for quite some time.

Hazarding a guess, there's some serious investigation that has to be done by law enforcement and various and sundry other agencies, not the least of which will be an incident report filed with whatever agency the dive school is affiliated with and their insurance company. The instructions that all the professionals directly involved with the incident will then probably receive are pretty simple: clam up.

This is a tragedy for all concerned.

The man who lost his life is my Father. My Step Mother has filed suit against the company and its affiliates

 

[KeithG]

The man that lost his life is my father. My Step Mother has filed suit against the diving company and its affiliates.

Hi Amber. Welcome to SB. This forum is all about trying to learn from others experiences and make scuba safer.

Please note that this forum has special rules: Special Rules for the Accidents and Incidents Forum

We are all interested in trying to become safer divers by learning. Do you have any information you are willing / able to share?

 

[meatsim]

Family of drowned diver sues dive shop provides some extra information

 

[asimpkinsjr]

Is it normal to do "discover scuba" or try scuba in open water? 7 or 8 years ago when I started diving my discover scuba was done in a pool, years later when I had my 3 young sons go through a discover scuba theirs was also done in a pool...

 

[KevinNM]

I remember doing it in open water in the late 80s in Maui. We might have done some pool stuff first, it was a long time ago.

The store I was talking to about doing a DSD with my nephew said they did a pool session and then, if the instructor felt you were up to it, they might allow one in fairly controlled open water.

 

[Steve_C]

About 12 years ago I did one in Maui. We had a pool session and then a break. Then we did a shore dive into maybe 20 ft of water off a sandy beach. No current. Lots of viz. There were three of us. Myself, the instructor, and a third certified diver from NY who tagged along. He ignored the guides weight recommendation. Was my first dive and was great. Swam with sea turtles, etc. Went home and got certified a few months later and have been diving every since. Not sure I would have been so excited if had done just a pool. Did not find the pool all that interesting or exciting. I was relaxed from the start.

Oh, and the guy from NY. I looked around part way through the dive and there were just the two of us. I signaled puzzlement to the guide and he pointed up. NY " I am an experienced diver" was low on air and swimming on the surface following us.

 

[Pullnglide]

DSD can be done in OW and the diver can be taken to 40' after a pool session. I would not typically take someone over the rocks at the PCB jetties with a DSD. I did mine in the pool and then did a dive to 40'. It was in Nassau so no current and 100'+ vis.

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

My wife did a DSD at Blue Heron Bridge last year - no pool work - class work then straight to the bridge at high tide - in the first 40 yards she saw an octopus - her dive was 70 mins max depth was 23 feet. It was 1 on 1 with the instructor and I towed the flag. She loved it but did not follow up on certification.