Diver dies in Islamorada

[mbwilliamn]

We don't know what happned, but we can review possible lessons. So lessons: Instructors: Know your dive crew, what your expectations are and what they will do. The operators I dive with would have had a DM in the water ASAP if the student was handed off to them and then did not make a clean exit. I've dove with operators that I would not necessarily take students to. Train, overtrain and overlearn to minimize aborted dives and stress; JUST SAY NO....some times its best to stay on the boat.

Divers: What could have happened? Basic rule review....Keep your reg in and mask on until you are sitting on the boat (lessons for life in Scuba Mag last year...guy drowned with 1500 PSI in his tank at the surface); GRAB the tag line!; How much air do you come to the surface with?....depends on the surface conditions. If it's rough and you have extra air, its just uncomfortable; If you have to degear, what comes first? Fins, weights then BC....REG still in, mask still on; What else? What else? If someone dies, we better learn all we can.

 

[jasonnocks]

My heart goes out to the victim and everyone involved in this tragedy.

I applaud everyone doing their best to learn from this incident. I'd like to add some emphasis to some general steps a diver can take should they find themselves at the surface struggling to get back to a boat. Of course, I welcome feedback to this list.

• At the surface, establish positive buoyancy. If adding air to your BCD doesn't seem to be working, drop your weights.
• Leave your mask on your face and your regulator or a snorkel in your mouth until you are back on the boat.
• Remain calm. If you are having trouble breathing, try to slow your breathing down. Possibly put your face in the water and float for a minute. With positive buoyancy and a regulator in your mouth you are OK. A little bit of air in your tank should last a really long time at the surface.
• Be aware of your surroundings. If there is a stationary object nearby, grab onto it. Don't focus solely on trying to swim to the boat, exhausting yourself in the process. There's often another mooring ball, tag/current line, etc. right next to you. Stop and think about what you are doing. Look around you.
• If it looks like you might not make it back to the boat, STOP, even if there's nothing nearby. Don't exhaust yourself. Inflate an SMB (safety sausage) and float. If you don't have an SMB, you can wave one of your fins to make it easier for the boat crew to keep an eye on / find you.
• Know your limitations. Yes, you paid a lot of money for airfare, hotels, etc. Took time off of work, etc. But, if the dive professionals are warning you that it's going to be very rough out there, consider whether or not you are really comfortable doing the dive.
• Improve your health. Look at the divers around you. We could all eat a bit better and do a bit more exercise. Normally diving is an easy, relaxing sport. But, there are times we have to deal with current, rough seas, etc. If the conditions are beyond your comfort level, maybe skip the trip. Diving is supposed to be fun.

I wasn't there. I don't know the woman. I don't know what she did or did not do. Speculation is understandable. Trying to learn from incidents like this is normal and can be beneficial. However, Monday morning quarterbacking can be taken a bit too far. There's certainly no need for hurtful insults.

Just my opinion. Hope some of the above helps.

Cheers.

 

[DandyDon]

Just my $.02 on the matter, but... Because we know

it is difficult for one person to pull an unconcious person onboard

it is not uncommon to encounter an emergency situation during a dive (instructional or otherwise)

I believe there should be someone standing by on the deck ready to hit the water at the drop of a hat to save a life as needed.

I have read and re-read the post and I don't believe its an assumption that there was someone standing by to provide such assistance, but rather an assertion that there should have been. I can tell you right now, that any DiveOp that operates with everyone in the water with the exception of the captain, is a DiveOp that I would not use. I understand that this seems to be the norm for a number of DiveOps from what I am reading here, but that just isn't the way I would want to dive.

I would want to know that should something happen to myself or another diver, there is a trained professional ready and available to jump in and provide assistance immediatly. To be honest I am really shocked that this is not a requirement.

I learned a great deal in my OW class, and had a very knowledgable instructor, but I have learned even more about being safe by reading this forum.

As always, just my $.02

It's really quite common for a six-pack boat to be staffed only by the captain, larger boats to include a DM who operates as First Mate onboard but doesn't stay onboard - working for tips and free diving only in some cases. This is an adventure sport and while it's safer to dive in buddy pairs, even that is optional. Like many adventure sports, if you need help - you'd best be self sufficient while you wait. I know Calf boats often keep lifeguards onboard watch but that's uncommon around the Caribbean and Latin America dive locations. At least it's safer than shore diving where you are totally on your own until the Coast Guard is alerted to a problem.

There are also larger boats around CALA that do keep a larger staff, charge more, and keep two hands on deck as well as a DM in the water, and it's fine for newer divers to seek those operators out. For me, I'm happy enough to be a boat equipped for diving, not just a fishing boat lacking an o2 kit, but to each his/her own call. I've seen o2 kits fail too; how many of us ask to inspect those when we board?

And most people don't have the guts to do any of what we do, some of whom never learned to swim. There are more swimming pools that dive boats in the US I'm sure, and shallow end ropes for non-swimmers to stay out of harms way.

Log onto DAN's site tho, download any Annual Accident report (you don't even have to be a member any longer), and read over the cases. It's seldom that the crew can make a difference. It's a real adventure sport; learn and drill on self saving with jasonnocks' fine list immediately above as a good starter list to print out even.

 

[sydney-diver]

It's really quite common for a six-pack boat to be staffed only by the captain, larger boats to include a DM who operates as First Mate onboard but doesn't stay onboard - working for tips and free diving only in some cases. This is an adventure sport and while it's safer to dive in buddy pairs, even that is optional. Like many adventure sports, if you need help - you'd best be self sufficient while you wait. I know Calf boats often keep lifeguards onboard watch but that's uncommon around the Caribbean and Latin America dive locations. At least it's safer than shore diving where you are totally on your own until the Coast Guard is alerted to a problem.

I agree, most of the larger boats I've dived on have a captain and first mate on board but the smaller ones only have 1 crew member. In the Islands (Samoa and Fiji) the captain would lead the dive, with a mate left on the boat.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Most (not all!) six pack boats here in S FL are run by a captain and have no DM aboard. There's no USCG requirement to do so and it's not financially feasible for them to pay for one.

I think it is reasonable to make a distinction between the safety of a capt operating his boat solo while drift diving versus an anchor dive. When the boat is anchored and a diver gets in trouble behind the boat, the solo capt has few good options, the primary one being to untie from the anchor, drift back away from the dive site and then fire up the engine. Most people would think this is impractical and unsafe for a variety of reasons. Most likley, if the diver was really in trouble, this would take so long that the diver might be drown by the time the capt. got to the diver.

Conversely, on a drift dive, where the boat is "live" and has the ability (and the necessity really), to move the boat while divers are down; well in this situation the captain could conceivably drive the boat over to a struggling diver very quickly, grab them and haul them into the boat. This would be a tough thing to accomplish and might be practical for a 200 lb captain and a 100 lb victim and not vice versa, but the situation IS different in my opinion.

 

[Scott L]

I think it is reasonable to make a distinction between the safety of a capt operating his boat solo while drift diving versus an anchor dive. When the boat is anchored and a diver gets in trouble behind the boat, the solo capt has few good options, the primary one being to untie from the anchor, drift back away from the dive site and then fire up the engine. Most people would think this is impractical and unsafe for a variety of reasons. Most likley, if the diver was really in trouble, this would take so long that the diver might be drown by the time the capt. got to the diver.

Conversely, on a drift dive, where the boat is "live" and has the ability (and the necessity really), to move the boat while divers are down; well in this situation the captain could conceivably drive the boat over to a struggling diver very quickly, grab them and haul them into the boat. This would be a tough thing to accomplish and might be practical for a 200 lb captain and a 100 lb victim and not vice versa, but the situation IS different in my opinion.

Good points...

 

[DandyDon]

In general, I think it's wise to adopt the mindset that you are on your own from the time you step/roll off of the boat until back aboard, whatever that may require - so be sure you are prepared. Totally prepared.

 

[deepstops]

I think it is reasonable to make a distinction between the safety of a capt operating his boat solo while drift diving versus an anchor dive. When the boat is anchored and a diver gets in trouble behind the boat, the solo capt has few good options, the primary one being to untie from the anchor, drift back away from the dive site and then fire up the engine. Most people would think this is impractical and unsafe for a variety of reasons. Most likley, if the diver was really in trouble, this would take so long that the diver might be drown by the time the capt. got to the diver.

Conversely, on a drift dive, where the boat is "live" and has the ability (and the necessity really), to move the boat while divers are down; well in this situation the captain could conceivably drive the boat over to a struggling diver very quickly, grab them and haul them into the boat. This would be a tough thing to accomplish and might be practical for a 200 lb captain and a 100 lb victim and not vice versa, but the situation IS different in my opinion.

I 100% agree with you on these points and it provides further proof it's never prudent to generalize and say "one size fits all". I avoid boats that want to anchor whenever and wherever possible.

 

[jasonnocks]

I thought I'd also respond to a few points that have been brought up:

As for the boat crew not throwing out a line:
Most of the dive boats in the upper keys already have lines with floats attached trailing from the ladder. These are often called tag/current lines. Most dive briefings in the upper keys include detailed descriptions of the proper way to enter/exit the water (don't let go of the line).

If there is some current and you are not holding onto this line, you will quickly become out of the immediate reach of the boat crew. It will take at least a minute or two for the crew to get more line and swim it out to you. If the current is really strong, seas are really rough, etc. it may be quicker for the boat crew to unhook from the mooring line and go try to pick you up.

As for the instructor not staying with the diver until she was seated on the boat:
Let's imagine the instructor stayed the entire time it took her to get out. What would everyone in this thread be saying if something happened to a student left unsupervised for about 10 minutes on a deep dive planned to about 100 feet (their first deep dive)?

Personally, I also wouldn't recommend bringing the entire group to the surface to get beat up in rough seas waiting for one diver to get out of the water.

I don't know if there is anything I would have done differently. I wasn't there. I don't know if the woman let go of the line, struck something, etc.

Again, my thoughts are with the woman's family and everyone involved in this incident.

Just my opinion.

Cheers.

 

[ScoobaDood]

I thought I'd also respond to a few points that have been brought up:

As for the boat crew not throwing out a line:
Most of the dive boats in the upper keys already have lines with floats attached trailing from the ladder. These are often called tag/current lines. Most dive briefings in the upper keys include detailed descriptions of the proper way to enter/exit the water (don't let go of the line).

If there is some current and you are not holding onto this line, you will quickly become out of the immediate reach of the boat crew. It will take at least a minute or two for the crew to get more line and swim it out to you. If the current is really strong, seas are really rough, etc. it may be quicker for the boat crew to unhook from the mooring line and go try to pick you up.

As for the instructor not staying with the diver until she was seated on the boat:
Let's imagine the instructor stayed the entire time it took her to get out. What would everyone in this thread be saying if something happened to a student left unsupervised for about 10 minutes on a deep dive planned to about 100 feet (their first deep dive)?

Personally, I also wouldn't recommend bringing the entire group to the surface to get beat up in rough seas waiting for one diver to get out of the water.

I don't know if there is anything I would have done differently. I wasn't there. I don't know if the woman let go of the line, struck something, etc.

Again, my thoughts are with the woman's family and everyone involved in this incident.

Just my opinion.

Cheers.

I would agree, the group still on the dive should not have had to surface, and they should not be unattended either. It appears that what I would prefer/expect in a AOW class is out of the norm. I would think that during a training dive a second DM or Instructor either in the water or on the boat would be ideal. This way the remaining diviers continue on their dive with the Instructor and the person aborting the dive is escorted to the surface and returned to the safety of the boat.

Now this is just because this was instructional diving. If you are AOW/Wreck trained and you are looking for a DiveOp that provides these types of dives, you have a different SOP Im not saying that a DM standing by is not a good idea in this case, but saying that it is not as important as all of your divers are advanced/deep/wreck trained and so long as they stick with their buddies, they should be good to go on. In addition the dive buddy of the person aborting the dive would be the escort to safety as, when 1 member of your buddy team is aborting, ideally you both are aborting.

This is again just the observations and opinions of someone who has not been diving long, and as always is just my $.02