Diver entangled 3 hours, escapes, bent

[DandyDon]

From Diver airlifted to hospital after escape from tangle -- Port Angeles Port Townsend Sequim Forks Jefferson County Clallam County Olympic Peninsula Daily news

COYLE — A scuba diver was airlifted to Seattle for hyperbaric oxygen treatment after he managed to disentangle himself from a line and had to race to the surface.

The 49-year-old man was diving alone off the Toandos Peninsula for geoduck clams when he was caught in a line to his boat Wednesday, according to Adina Vierra, spokeswoman for the Quilcene Fire Department, which did not identity the diver.

He spent three hours underwater before freeing himself and escaping to the surface, Vierra said.

The diver was in 60-foot-deep water when he became entangled and was underwater for an hour longer than he had intended, Vierra said.

Once he became disentangled, he rose to the surface in 15 minutes — one-third the recommended time to emerge from that depth, Vierra said.

After he climbed into his boat, he called rescue personnel on his cellphone, Vierra said.

Noon call

The call came in a little before noon. Also responding were the Coast Guard and tribal police, said Vierra, who did not know which tribal police responded.

He was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center and transferred to Virginia Mason Medical Center to receive hyperbaric oxygen treatment, Vierra said.

Coast Guard spokesman Nate Bradshaw said his agency received notification from Jefferson County dispatchers and diverted a helicopter from Air Station/Sector Field Office Port Angeles, but by the time it arrived, another helicopter was on the scene.

 

[supergaijin]

Another massively inaccurate bit of reporting on a subject that the journalist clearly knows nothing about.

Next!

 

[koozemani]

Was his air surface supplied?

 

[eelnoraa]

I also want to know what he used as air supply to last 3 hours in 60ft

 

[Herb-alaska]

See what you make of this one, as it just doesn't add up to me. From Diver airlifted to hospital after escape from tangle -- Port Angeles Port Townsend Sequim Forks Jefferson County Clallam County Olympic Peninsula Daily news

I am not sure what you all are confused about for this story. At least in Alaska most geoduck clam harvesters are diving hookah and can have some unreal bottom times. The find the looses computer possible and dive the most on edge profiles that you can ever do.if most of his dive was at 40 feet and he planned a 2 hour dive he would be about a X. His computer would give him credit for shallower periods and charge him for his 60 foot period. Most geoduck harvesting happens in the 40 to 60 foot range.

 

[DandyDon]

I am not sure what you all are confused about for this story. At least in Alaska most geoduck clam harvesters are diving hookah and can have some unreal bottom times. The find the looses computer possible and dive the most on edge profiles that you can ever do.if most of his dive was at 40 feet and he planned a 2 hour dive he would be about a X. His computer would give him credit for shallower periods and charge him for his 60 foot period. Most geoduck harvesting happens in the 40 to 60 foot range.

Yeah, I am going to edit my remarks above.

1: I just didn't think of him being on hookah; and

2: I misread "in 60-foot-deep water" as being at 60 ft for 3 hours, while he might have got tangled at a shower depth, or even been working on a shallower ledge or slope.
​

I think I would have abandoned my entangled gear and gone for CESA in less time, but we don't know his reasons. I bet he carries cutting gear in the future.

 

[fisheater]

With surface supplied air the standard, it makes sense to me.

After all, had he been on scuba, the article would have mentioned his "oxygen" tank. ;-)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Dive Bug Bit Me]

Hmmm 60ft for 180 minutes on air. . . i can just squeeze that on my double 120s.
Wrestling with entanglements and a little stress I am probably in trouble.

Software says I now need 144 minutes of deco with air as my gas. . . I am in big big trouble.

---------- Post Merged at 08:28 AM ---------- Previous Post was at 08:15 AM ----------

Addendum

Reduce the depth to 45 feet and the software says I need 50mins deco. Closer to what the article mentions.

I can probably squeeze 180 mins at 45 ft with 50 mins of deco out of my 120s, but would never plan a crazy dive like that.

 

[koozemani]

I am not sure what you all are confused about for this story. At least in Alaska most geoduck clam harvesters are diving hookah and can have some unreal bottom times. The find the looses computer possible and dive the most on edge profiles that you can ever do.if most of his dive was at 40 feet and he planned a 2 hour dive he would be about a X. His computer would give him credit for shallower periods and charge him for his 60 foot period. Most geoduck harvesting happens in the 40 to 60 foot range.

I am not a geoduck harvester in Alaska. Confusion explained.

 

[ivakdiver]

I am never going to be a Geoduck harvester but if I was I think I'd want someone on the boat while I was down below harvesting. At least they would have been able to alert emergency services a bit sooner.