Diver dies in Islamorada

[Indian Valley Scuba]

A few weeks back I was diving in the Keys with a different boat. With their ladder, one must doff fins before climbing aboard. Mine hang on my wrist as I ascend. One new diver (completed her OW dives during the few days on the boat) had knee issues, and could not board the boat via the ladder when geared up. She would hold the trailing line and doff not only fins, but also her tank/BCD/reg. I wonder what she would think, and how her diving habits would improve, if she were to read this thread?

Are you somehow also suggesting that by reading this thread, it would also heal her knees? If you need to take off your gear to board, so be it! THe point is to dive, and enjoy what we do! Life is full of exceptions, enjoy them!

 

[oldfindog]

Anything further than speculation has a cod been reported yet ?

 

[DivingPrincessE]

We rarely ever get to read any official report, and only sometimes do we find out the official Cause of Death. That's why I find it interesting when people pipe in with the "boo hoo stop speculating, wait for the official report". ...the official report we never get to read...

Also the official causes of death that I've read about on this site usually end up being either cardiac arrest or drowning. We're still left to speculate about HOW those things happened. Was the diver overexerting or panicking...did that lead to heart attack or drowning? Just b/c we get an official COD, that's a far cry from understanding what exactly occurred.

 

[kaerius]

I say this also because when I was in Cozumel a couple years ago this happened to a diver who I did not know she started to freak when she let go the line and then realized without her fins she could not make it to the boat, she calmed down instantly when I told he to chill sit back and wait for the dive boat so we just floated together while having a conversation until the dive boat had everyone on board then came at got us, admittedly the surface conditions where fairly calm but I wondered after what if I had not been there as she was obviously out of shape and breathing very heavy.

Why didn't you just tow her? Or were you both finless?

 

[lilady35us]

I wanted to comment on this article because I know some of these answers to the questions that are on here. There are so many nice people posting on this I really appreciate all of you saying kind words about XXXXX. She was one of my dearest friends. I would like to help anyone that wants to learn from this situation. Although, I dont know EVERYTHING that happened, I dont think anyone ever will, I see lots of questions here that I have answers to.
She didnt have any major medical problems that caused this. She worked out regularly and was in great shape. Her cause of death was drowning. There was four divers altogether on this boat (including her). This was a certification class. The catain threw her a rope after he yelled at her a couple of times to put her respirator back in. There was only one divemaster that brought her up and a Captain on the boat and that was it. She didnt have her flippers on. She had taken them off. No one knows why she went up originally. No one asked her (this is the part that really bothers me). It took longer than 15 to 20 minutes for the boat to go find her (incorrect in news story). All the other divers had to come back up from the bottom and load up on the boat. There is questions to if she was properly weighted.
David_57 thank you for your post , I think that you are the closest to what may of happened then anything I read here.
Most everyone on here sound like such nice people it honestly warms my heart to read this. I know that when someone passes everyone tends to say nice things about them, whether they were nice or not but this woman was truly one of the nicest people I have even known. She would have really appreciated all your nice comments. For those that post "rules and regulations" of this post, I hope this one falls under your "rules" because I would really like everyone to see this and learn from it and hopefully be safer themselves.

 

[DandyDon]

Thank you very much for the information Lilady, and I am sorry for the loss of your friend. Always sad to lose one of our own as well.

Removing a regulator (breathing mouthpiece) before back onto the boat is something I try to avoid and encourage dive buds to avoid, but I don't know why or what. I'll need to read back over the 165 posts in view of yours to see if I can answer you better, but can't now - so I'll wish you the best in your loss and maybe someone else will sooner, perhaps better than I could anyway.

 

[Puffer Fish]

lilady35us, a second "thanks" for posting the details.

Why did she go up? Well it may have been nothing more that an ear or sinus issue, or her reg was leaking.

But with some people, inhaling even a small amounts of salt water can cause problems.

This seems such an avoidable event, particularly when you consider that she had a full tank of air.

 

[Mike Boswell]

We rarely ever get to read any official report, and only sometimes do we find out the official Cause of Death. That's why I find it interesting when people pipe in with the "boo hoo stop speculating, wait for the official report". ...the official report we never get to read...

Also the official causes of death that I've read about on this site usually end up being either cardiac arrest or drowning. We're still left to speculate about HOW those things happened. Was the diver overexerting or panicking...did that lead to heart attack or drowning? Just b/c we get an official COD, that's a far cry from understanding what exactly occurred.

As a result of this fatality and the frustration of not having any information other than press reports, I started a new thread about the role of the Coast Guard in reporting scuba fatalities. Hopefully someone will enlighten the rest of us.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/advanced-scuba-discussions/336291-role-coast-guard.html

 

[lilady35us]

It was so avoidable. That is what is so hard about the whole thing. I am so happy you responded Puffer Fish because I read about 25 articles on this and didnt have time to read anymore but remember your posts as being so nice and caring, along with most others but the reason I remember yours the most is because my friends favorite fish was a Puffer Fish. She even brought one to the Vet that was sick for xrays to see what was wrong with it. =)

 

[Puffer Fish]

It was so avoidable. That is what is so hard about the whole thing. I am so happy you responded Puffer Fish because I read about 25 articles on this and didnt have time to read anymore but remember your posts as being so nice and caring, along with most others but the reason I remember yours the most is because my friends favorite fish was a Puffer Fish. She even brought one to the Vet that was sick for xrays to see what was wrong with it. =)

Thank you.

Over the years, I've known 4 or 5 people that had a violent reaction to inhaled salt water. Oddly, they were all women, and all over 30. Not sure if that is just random sampling, or it is more common in woman.

But the effect can be life threatening all by itself, and suddenly not being able to breath is one possibility.