Diver Incident at Dutch Springs Nov 6 2010

[Cave Diver]

Cold, have you talked with the manufacturer about the O2 connection on the head coming loose on you?

The O2 connection on the solenoid is a quick connect very similar to the LPI on a BCD hose. It takes a fair amount of force to push it into the "locked" position. Once locked, it's not coming loose very easily. My guess would be that it didnt fully engage in the locked position and popped loose once the unit was moved. Same thing will happen to your LPI hose if not secured properly. I doubt this was a manufacturer issue.

Here is a pic of the connection. Not the best, but gives you the idea. The O2 supply hose has a needle like connection on it that slips into a collar on the head. The collar is spring loaded and you pull it back, slide the connector in, then release it to lock into place.

 

[gypsyjim]

Thanks for all the information and feed back. One strong daughter there, and a real hero.

I am not rushing into rebreathers anytime soon. Even if they were in my budget. This is a good discussion, with plenty to think about, and be thankful for.

Someone recently said something about rebreathers that has stuck with me.
Roughly:
"The rebreather is constantly trying to kill you, and your job, when you use one is to keep it from doing so. You have to get it right every time. The machine only once."
Sort of set me back when I looked at it that way.

 

[padiscubapro]

Padiscubapro is correct about the hand set. I retrieved the unit from the police today. It was still on. I went and checked both bottles and they were on. I then went to the hand sets and both were set at .7. I did not put it in manual as I thought must have happened. I then hit the ADV and the O2 and both were operational. I went to the head and looked at the O2 connection on the head. It appeared to be connected. When I pulled on it it came out voila.

My assessment:
1. When I did my prebreath I had the unit lying down. I set it at .7 I saw it climb, breathed on it and watched it rise to a little above .7 hearing the solenoid fire. I continued to breath the unit watching the PO2 drop and hearing the solenoid fire and watching the PO2 rise back to the set point of .7. At this point the O2 connection on the head was still attached otherwise the set point could not have been maintained.
2. Somewhere between my prebreathing and donning the unit the O2 connection on the head was loosened. Perhaps when I uprighted the unit from laying flat to being upright so I could don it.

This is one of the reasons I have the solenoid checked for proper operation during the checklist and that the prebreath is done for 3-5 minutes while fully kitted up.. The swagelok connectors can become undone as they dont have a true lock function like some of the other QD on the market but are still a high quality connection thats superior to a standard LP inflator...

Were you diving air diluent or another gas?? I only ask this because with air diluent it should not drop that fast if the loop was up to 0.7 while you were in the rig.. It could have been less if it stopped functioning and you blew air into the loop instead of venting all the air from you lungs before starting to breathe on the loop again..

 

[openmindOW]

COLDSOUL, I am very happy that you are well.

Thank you for your honest posts here on ScubaBoard. You have helped all the readers.

Maybe daughter earned a warm water dive trip?

Keep diving, Coldsoul.

 

[dubravka]

Hi Everyone,
R. is a lucky guy and so his beautiful dauthter. My scuba buddy and I happened to be the people who came to their help right from the beginning with another diver (Sorry, I don't know his name but see him often at Dutch S.) being already in the water. When we looked down and saw the father's motionless body on the bootom (thanks to good vizibility) we realized the emergency of it and called for a help. The diver who was already in the water getting ready for a dive went in to fetch the father. From this moment and on everybody did a great job reviving R. Emergency Duch S. crew were on their toes applying CPR and Oxygen, calling for an assistance, writing a report, keeping the scene in control. It was a great relief when the injuried diver regain his breathing and later to find out that he survived.
As a participant in this event I couldn't help to think about the daughter witnessing her father's very graphic survival and the shock she went through. As a mother myself my heart goes for her in a big way. I never wish my son to experience this.
This brings me to think how your scuba buddy can help to save your life in similar situation if you're a large person? We had three big guys to pull R. out of water to the dry area and he was with out his gears that were taking of him in the water. His daughter no matter how much she wanted to save her father's life or anybody else would have a great difficulty to be in time to save a large diver like him singlehanded even with an Emergency Responce class certification.

 

[wedivebc]

Thank you for posting here your daughter is to be commended for her quick thinking and action.
I would like to make a couple of comments here regarding your accident.
This could have been a much more serious incident but could have easily been avoided. When I dive my meg I do a prebreath and watch my PO2 for about 5 minutes to insure it remains at the setpoint it was set at. The fact that you were unclear as to what your setpoint actually was and the fact that you even considered entering the water with the setpoint on manual tells me you have either neglected your initial training or forgot that part of it. I hope you use this incident as a wakeup call to be more vigilant and remember rebreathers will kill you if we become complacent.
I also think this once again demostrates, rebreather failures are rare, diver failures are common.
Thanks again for your post, dive safe.

Padiscubapro is correct about the hand set. I retrieved the unit from the police today. It was still on. I went and checked both bottles and they were on. I then went to the hand sets and both were set at .7. I did not put it in manual as I thought must have happened. I then hit the ADV and the O2 and both were operational. I went to the head and looked at the O2 connection on the head. It appeared to be connected. When I pulled on it it came out voila.

My assessment:
1. When I did my prebreath I had the unit lying down. I set it at .7 I saw it climb, breathed on it and watched it rise to a little above .7 hearing the solenoid fire. I continued to breath the unit watching the PO2 drop and hearing the solenoid fire and watching the PO2 rise back to the set point of .7. At this point the O2 connection on the head was still attached otherwise the set point could not have been maintained.
2. Somewhere between my prebreathing and donning the unit the O2 connection on the head was loosened. Perhaps when I uprighted the unit from laying flat to being upright so I could don it.

 

[netmage]

Glad your still with us....

If the rig is on your back and\or anywhere near falling in the water, your in the 'danger zone'... You MUST be aware of the loop pO2...

I couldn't keep track of the SP... IMHO - MAN is a setting for the bench, back of the car or boat ride out... Never for a loop in my mouth...

As Joe asked - what was your dil....? Please don't say 10/50....

 

[flots am]

Diver taken from Dutch Springs on 6 Nov did not have CPR performed on him. Once the diver had a mask placed on him he regained consciousness. This can be confirmed with the Hecktown Ambulance Service that responded. In addition, the diver suffered from hypoxia due to operator error. Nothing was wrong with the equipment. I know because I was the diver.

Glad you're OK!

I have a friend who had a similar experience. Now he only dives OC.

flots.

 

[Ayisha]

This brings me to think how your scuba buddy can help to save your life in similar situation if you're a large person? We had three big guys to pull R. out of water to the dry area and he was with out his gears that were taking of him in the water. His daughter no matter how much she wanted to save her father's life or anybody else would have a great difficulty to be in time to save a large diver like him singlehanded even with an Emergency Responce class certification.

You might be surprised how a much smaller person can rescue a much larger person with the right training. In my rescue course, the buddy that I had to save for two days was 305 lbs and I weigh about 100 lbs - but I did it. I thought I would fail, but I hauled him in, simultaneously performed rescue breaths, got his gear off, and got him up onto the shore every time in a variety of ways. I was taught ways to use leverage rather than strength because I am petite. When taking a rescue course, if you have any doubt about your own strength or your child's, ask the instructor to show you/them leverage techniques. Anyone can benefit from them.