Diver Dies in the Galapagos on Peter Hughes boat

[DandyDon]

I'm sorry for you loss Nick. Hopefully as information comes to light it is made available to answer the questions that I'm sure everyone will have.

I should mention that sometimes participants in these discussions tend to forget that it's a real person involved in the accident, that left behind real friends and family. At times, the discussions can make a tragic event even more emotional. Your participation is welcomed and I hope it can be discussed here with the proper respect.

No, I don't think so at all. I think that we generally feel the fact that it is a real person lost that we are discussing, indeed one of our own that we lost, and but who knows why it's just not your or my loss. Sometimes it is uncomfortable to discuss thoughts here knowing that family members may have searched the lost diver's name and found this discussion thread, but this just makes it all that more important to uphold and explain the special nature of this forum. Excerpting from Special rules - Please Read at the top of this forum...

(3) ....no blamestorming. Mishap analysis does not lay blame, it finds causes.
(4) No "condolences to the family" here
(5) If you are presenting information from a source other than your own eyes and ears, cite the source.
(6) If your post is your hypothesis, theory, or a "possible scenario," identify it as such.

It is important for us as a community to assess and discuss diving accidents and incidents as a means of preventing them.

Do note that "condolences to the family" are prohibited here. I think that needs to be reworded somehow as of course we all feel compassionate regrets to and with the family for their loss. I don't have a good idea at the moment but may suggest such in Suggestions forum at some time.

I would like to return to the old "no names of injured or lost divers" rule. I don't see the need for names and including them does cause problems. Sometimes family members find these threads and are glad the did; sometimes they are not.

Steveleila, I am very sorry that any bad feelings were takne from any posts here, but I agree the posts have been to offer information only, not blame, in hopes of helping others. While the rule inappropriately prohibits condolences in this forum, I do join all the others in offering mine. A very sad loss indeed.

Thank you, Jorge, for your post.

As you may know, accidents are discussed on this Forum for the purpose of helping divers to learn about incidents in the hope that future dive accidents might be prevented.

Any accurate information can help to eliminate unwarranted speculation.

Thank you for contributing to this Forum.

Yep, thank you.

I feel I learned something valuable from this tragic accident regarding
nausea under water. I had one dive where I felt fine at the beginning
of the dive, but because I drank coffee, I started feeling nauseated
the last 15 minutes of the dive. After I surfaced I said I wasn't feeling
so good and completely lost it. Vomiting is usually strong enough
to cause an involuntary and immediate response to inhale afterwards. I
think it is important to keep it in mind that if you are feeling nauseated
underwater that you have your hand on your reg ready to press the
Purge button.

It really grieves me to hear of the loss of this woman. It is not
the way I would have wanted to learn this lesson.

Me too. While it may not have been directly involved with this loss, still - an important idea to learn. While I've never vomited in my reg,
I have kept the idea in mind that I wanted to keep the reg in my mouth if I needed to, but had not thot of purging. A very important plan to make for a possible time when there will no time to think - just act well.

 

[openmindOW]

It is also important for everyone to realize that anything that is sent to an agency in the way of a report will never be seen by any of us here, it will be used (and twisted) solely for the legal defense of the agency and the agency affiliated facilities and individuals. This is often at cross purposes to the best interests of the diver's reputation and the surviving family.

This is correct.

Any information reports concerning an accident should be handed over to duly authorized legal authorities, such as the police. Report writes should retain a copy of anything they give to the police. E-mail reports can be helpful as it si easy to maintain a copy.

 

[fairybasslet]

May we suggest that from immediate effect that no more posts to this thread are added as it is too painful for those of us who have lost a dear friend to read.

As much as I can empathize with your loss, might I suggest that you and the others simply refrain from reading this thread? If you look at the other discussions of accidents and incidents in this forum, you will see that divers always discuss accidents as a way to become more knowledgeable about our sport and to hopefully keep ourselves and our buddies safe. Knowledge is power.

 

[graywhale]

...l find your conclusions somewhat premature.

I am dumbfounded why you say I have stated a conclusion. I clearly have not done so. It is the more perplexing that you seem intelligent enough to clearly comprehend what I wrote. Please refrain from characterizing my statements in such a way in your posts that is misleading to others. I would appreciate it.

I think it is very import to learn from Donna's death. As such, we can not dismiss anything out of hand, especially because she was an experienced, well trained, safety minded and capable diver. Salt Water Aspiration is something that sneaks up and can easily go on unnoticed while it is happening as the symptoms only occur later.

Again, to be perfectly clear, I am not stating a conclusion, I am not stating this is what happened as nobody knows the reason yet - including Thalassamania. I am merely advocating this be investigated as one possible cause or one possible contributing factor. Why anyone would be against that is beyond me, as it would be fairly easy to do.

May Donna teach us something more yet........

 

[Cave Diver]

No, I don't think so at all. I think that we generally feel the fact that it is a real person lost that we are discussing, indeed one of our own that we lost, and but who knows why it's just not your or my loss.

Don, I think you missed the point of my post. I was trying to gently let the poster know that the course of these discussion can be difficult for someone who is close to the deceased to watch. If you need proof of that, look at how the Diver Death in Cayman thread and a few others went at times.

 

[DandyDon]

Don, I think you missed the point of my post. I was trying to gently let the poster know that the course of these discussion can be difficult for someone who is close to the deceased to watch. If you need proof of that, look at how the Diver Death in Cayman thread and a few others went at times.

Ok thanks, and agreed.

 

[Cave Diver]

Ok thanks, and agreed.

 

[RonFrank]

Unfortunately we may have learned all we are going to.

The Autopsy will confirm drowning.. it almost always does! However it sounds as if that has already occurred, and there does not appear to be much forthcoming.

My condolences to Donna's family, and friends.

 

[Thalassamania]

Which brings upthe usual questions, where were the people who might have been able to help her? Buddy? Guide? Group?

 

[openmindOW]

The Autopsy will confirm drowning.. it almost always does!

A good point. If a Medical Examiner finds water in the lungs, then he or she, appropriately, write, "Drowning." But the CE might not know what caused the water to get into the lungs or what started the chain if event leading to that.