Diver dies on French Reef (Keys)

[bigken462]

Saved my arse once. My buddy (very sick) and I was at the bottom on this one for a few hours before being plucked. I learned allot that day, and grew up a lil too.

Kenny

 

[Fly Girl]

I'm a new diver, and this tragedy emphasizes to me that I'm already developing some lazy and bad habits. My snorkel is an annoyance most of the time, so I go without it. I don't know if the victim had her snorkel or not, but if I were in her situation, it would have been bad not to have my snorkel. My safety sausage is another thing just hanging off my BCD - come on, am I really going to need it anyway? Once again, I don't know if the victims were using something, but if it were me, and I was too lazy to have my safety sausage, I could very easily be in the same situation. Thank you to you experienced divers that point out things that would help in these situations. It really emphasizes the importance of the basics when horrible incidences like this happen.

 

[battles2a5]

It has always amazed me that any divers go to sea without such. I've worn mine on virtually every dive since OW, whether real diving or practice pit, only removing for a very few freshwater dives.

Much too easy. They probly didn't drop weights to float a little higher, or wave fins - just reacted with little or no thinking I'm guessing.

Yep.

Yep, but the diver would probly be alive if the more prudent approach had been used: Inflate sausage, float, wait.

Sad loss.

I agree, sad loss indeed. But how can you possilbly make these assertions without having been there, listening to any 1st-person accounts, or having anything to go on but a short article. We can all speculate on what exactly happened or how it could have been avoided, Monday morning quarterbacking with baseless assumptions like this isn't going to help.

 

[Missdirected]

I agree, sad loss indeed. But how can you possilbly make these assertions without having been there, listening to any 1st-person accounts, or having anything to go on but a short article. We can all speculate on what exactly happened or how it could have been avoided, Monday morning quarterbacking with baseless assumptions like this isn't going to help.

Actually it quite often does help. In this situation it has taken a turn to emphasize the need for a safety sausage. Though it is not often correct, speculating can lead to a lot of good information and what to do in bad situations.

fwiw, see the post above yours - that is where it matters.

 

[DandyDon]

Saved my arse once. My buddy (very sick) and I was at the bottom on this one for a few hours before being plucked. I learned allot that day, and grew up a lil too.

Kenny

Wow Kenny?! Did you write that up here? Let me insert your picture...

I'm a new diver, and this tragedy emphasizes to me that I'm already developing some lazy and bad habits. My snorkel is an annoyance most of the time, so I go without it. I don't know if the victim had her snorkel or not, but if I were in her situation, it would have been bad not to have my snorkel. My safety sausage is another thing just hanging off my BCD - come on, am I really going to need it anyway? Once again, I don't know if the victims were using something, but if it were me, and I was too lazy to have my safety sausage, I could very easily be in the same situation. Thank you to you experienced divers that point out things that would help in these situations. It really emphasizes the importance of the basics when horrible incidences like this happen.

I talked to a home area couple who got swept away from a boat dive off of Boaire but were luckily found by the boat ok. I asked if they had sausages. "Those were in our bags on the boat." :silly:

I agree, sad loss indeed. But how can you possilbly make these assertions without having been there, listening to any 1st-person accounts, or having anything to go on but a short article. We can all speculate on what exactly happened or how it could have been avoided, Monday morning quarterbacking with baseless assumptions like this isn't going to help.

Yeah yeah heard that before. I'm not trying to convict anyone, and I think it's too late to "help" here anyway. It's what the forum is for. To speculate & discuss so as to avoid similar accidents. It's fine if we cover a what-if that may save a reading diver here even.

Hope you tell your students of the learning opportunities here on A&I forum, even if you don't approve of all the posts.

 

[diver 85]

How does a dive boat not see divers 100 yards away and leave them struggling for 30 minutes?

bet it was more than a 100 & choppy seas.....if not, there are a bunch of D.A.s on that boat---both crew & customers.......


Plus, boat should have made a quick trip downcurrent(that's where they HAVE to be) after all customers (but 2) were on board.......hell, leave a DM tied up to the bouy if you're worried about them coming back & no boat------------------------THIS IS ASSUMING there's no dingy on board, if so deploy the dingy down current......

 

[vladimir]

Monday morning quarterbacking with baseless assumptions like this isn't going to help.

It seems like every Accidents and Incidents thread has somebody putting forth an objection to speculation similar to yours. It feels kind of unseemly to speculate about a person's death and I share your discomfort with it. Nevertheless, Monday-morning quarterbacking is precisely the reason this particular forum exists, as spelled out in the sticky:

The purpose of this forum is the promotion of safe diving through the examination and discussion of accidents and incidents; to find lessons we can apply to our own diving.
Accidents, and incidents that could easily have become accidents, can often be used to illustrate actions that lead to injury or death, and their discussion is essential to building lessons learned from which improved safety can flow.

Whether we discuss the actual facts (which in most cases will never be determined) or the facts as best as we can guess them, in my opinion the process is the same and yields similar constructive discussion.

The purpose is not to determine why this poor woman died--the coroner will do that--but to glean any lessons from her death that might prevent another.

 

[DandyDon]

I have never seen one with a dingy at Key Largo. Usual briefing is if you surface downcurrent, wait to be picked up. There are usually a lot of boats on that reef. Odd to hear of current at that location but I guess it happens.

 

[battles2a5]

Actually it quite often does help. In this situation it has taken a turn to emphasize the need for a safety sausage. Though it is not often correct, speculating can lead to a lot of good information and what to do in bad situations.

fwiw, see the post above yours - that is where it matters.

So you guys have determined that these people did not use a SMB, did not drop their weights, and did everything wrong, while casually determining that they "probably" would still be alive if they had just done these simple things. All this from a few lines in a paragraph. I'm all about trying to take lessons away from a tragedy where lessons can be learned, but at least get your facts before you start the "if only they would have *blank*

 

[Walter]

It really emphasizes the importance of the basics when horrible incidences like this happen.

Basics prevent this from happening. Where is the boat? You should always know your location in relationship to the boat. The boat should never be up current from you. Always start your dive into the current and ride the current back to the boat.

THIS IS ASSUMING there's no dingy on board

A very good assumption in the Keys.