Diver found missing in Laguna's Shaw's Cove

[Hatul]

Missing diver hospitalized - Coastline Pilot

 

[jar546]

Or Missing Diver Found?

 

[diverrex]

Found on the surface or underwater?

 

[00wabbit]

Found and CPR - Doesn't look good.

 

[kerrycorcoran]

Not a good way to end your week.

 

[mselenaous]

For continuity, here is what the above article Missing diver hospitalized - Coastline Pilot says:

A woman, right, is comforted at the scene where a 51-year-old diver from Orange County was reported missing and later found by rescue personal at Shaw's Cove. The diver was part of a group and after a head count it was determined he was missing. The man was rushed to Hoag Hospital on a lifeguard boat. (Don Leach / Coastline Pilot / April 12, 2013)

April 12, 2013 | 2:21 p.m.


A man Laguna Beach police said went missing for more than hour off of Shaw's Cove was hospitalized Friday.
Laguna Beach lifeguards, fire and police departments responded to the 1000 block of Cliff Drive after 911 callers said they heard people screaming for help in the ocean off Shaw's Cove at 11:21 a.m., a Laguna Beach police press release said.
The 51-year-old Orange County man had been participating with a diving class, police said.
Classmates conducted a head count and the man was missing.
Rescuers from Orange County Harbor Patrol, the Orange County Sheriff's Department, U.S. Coast Guard and Newport Beach lifeguards began searching the area.
They found the man at 12:40 p.m., placed him onto a Newport Beach lifeguard boat and started CPR. He was transported to Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach.
Police did not know the diver's medical condition or who he was diving with, as of 2 p.m. Friday. Police were not releasing his identity.

—Bryce Alderton

 

[MaxBottomtime]

From the OC Register: LAGUNA BEACH – A diving student who went missing in the water in Shaw's Cove was found after an hourlong search and later died at the hospital, authorities said. Mark Gibbs, 51, of Tustin was pronounced dead at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian at 1:28 p.m. Friday, Supervising Deputy Coroner Allison O'Neal said.

 

[peterbj7]

How can a diving student "go missing"? Where was the instructor?

 

[diverrex]

How can a diving student "go missing"? Where was the instructor?

My guess would be out in front of 6+ students who were trailing in viz that makes seeing 6 followers difficult. What were the assigned buddy teams, if any, and where was this diver's buddy? As usual lots of questions on how something like this happens.

 

[Bopper]

How can a diving student "go missing"? Where was the instructor?

Where was the dive buddy who should have alerted the instructor?

---------- Post added April 13th, 2013 at 03:59 PM ----------

My guess would be out in front of 6+ students who were trailing in viz that makes seeing 6 followers difficult. What were the assigned buddy teams, if any, and where was this diver's buddy? As usual lots of questions on how something like this happens.

Yep was thinking the same thing - Where was the buddy?

<PURE SPECULATION>
One way I see this unfolding is, like was said, an instructor was leading a group of buddied-up divers. One of the brand new divers lost their buddy, but since everybody looks the same to a brand new diver (and to a lot of experienced divers for that matter),the buddy latched on to another "diver in a wetsuit" and thought that was their buddy. At one point the instructor stops to assess, realizes there's an odd number, tries to figure out who's who and can't, asks everyone to make a safe ascent and at that point the buddy who lost their buddy realizes of it. It gets relayed to the media as a "headcount" when in reality there was more to the story than that. <END SPECULATION>

Personally, it seems to me that something like this could happen to any instructor, no matter how good you are. But then again, I'm not an instructor so ....