Diver Indicted in 2003 GBR mishap
- Thread starter shakeybrainsurgeon
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fisherdvm
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I think there are many people who are pathologic liars, and he might be one of them. These people lie whenever they can, even if it makes them more of a suspect in a crime they didn't commit. And he might be one of them.
There are some people who have a disconnect between what is adequate help for another, and inadequate. And he might be one of them.
There are some folks who take rescue class, lifeguard class, get an EMT certificate... and yet can't even help themselves out of the water, or bandage a cut finger. And he might be one of them.
You've seen screw up people all your life, who are doctors, mechanics, and other professionals. This guy isn't a professional, and I feel that folks who say he should have known what to do because he has a rescue C card forgets that cards are handed out everyday to incompetent people. Ask me about my experience with ACLS (advance cardiac life support) class of recent years, and you will understand what I mean by standards has dropped across the board for all credentials.
There are some people who have a disconnect between what is adequate help for another, and inadequate. And he might be one of them.
There are some folks who take rescue class, lifeguard class, get an EMT certificate... and yet can't even help themselves out of the water, or bandage a cut finger. And he might be one of them.
You've seen screw up people all your life, who are doctors, mechanics, and other professionals. This guy isn't a professional, and I feel that folks who say he should have known what to do because he has a rescue C card forgets that cards are handed out everyday to incompetent people. Ask me about my experience with ACLS (advance cardiac life support) class of recent years, and you will understand what I mean by standards has dropped across the board for all credentials.
Ayisha
Contributor
I'd like to know how his former wife died. From the article "Gabe Watson faces murder charge over Watson's scuba death" linked above:
I'm sure her death had nothing to do with him, but just in case...
I'm sure her death had nothing to do with him, but just in case...
SPG3K
Contributor
InTheDrink
Contributor
If Watson was as proficient a Rescue diver as he was a Liar, then indeed, his abilities would have to be suspect. Goes to prove Bertrand Russell's observation, whilst in jail, which I'll paraphrase badly: people in prison differ from people on the outside not so much in terms of their morality, but in their intelligence levels.
Clearly someone as dim as Watson will fit in right away.
Clearly someone as dim as Watson will fit in right away.
Surely a defence lawyer could as easily call their own expert witness to cast doubt on the PADI certification? They'd probably call MikeF from hereas he doesn't rate any training ever
That isn't quite correct. I just don't "rate" the training that's most prevelant in the industry. Nevermind what I rate though because I'm more than happy to demosnstrate my point any time either over a copy of the standards or, preferably, in the water.
I don't think anyone's arguing that certification level is always a good indicator of a persons abilities. I'm only AOW for example, and I'm amazing
PADI training can certainly be something of a joke (although I have heard that the rescue diver course is fairly energetic) but this misses the point somewhat; being that in this case there were so many inconsistencies in the person's version of events that it's fairly difficult to give him the benefit of the doubt, of any doubt. If the case simply revolved around a rescue diver not being able to rescue his wife, I think you're points would be absoltely valid. However, it's all the other details and inconsistencies taken together, that really damn this chap.
He might be a liar who isn't very smart but if he's like most divers, he doesn't know what happened and, for example, doesn't know where the two minutes went. LOL, divers go up when they want to go down and down when they want to go up and how the hell would they know where they'd been of why?
Again, something that I'd be happy to demonstrate with any group of randomly selected divers...or do it yourself. Just pick a few divers and ask them to do a timed free ascent/descent and stay together.
you want to make it really fun? Pick some recreational diving instructors for the test. You know? The ones who teach the rescue class.
InTheDrink
Contributor
Forgive my ignorance, but what do you mean by a 'timed free ascent/descent and stay together'? Not being facetious, just don't know exactly what you mean.
I can't really comment on picking some instructors for the test until I understand what the test is.
Thanks,
J`
I can't really comment on picking some instructors for the test until I understand what the test is.
Thanks,
J`
K_girl
Contributor
Well, if Gabe does remember anything about the Rescue Class, he will remember that there are two kinds of panicked divers: 1) those who struggle to get to the surface; and 2) the catanonic diver who is paralyzed and unable to move and unable to respond and unable to reach-out with their arms, eyes begging for rescue. His description of their hands clutched together, he loses his grip on her, then her arms reaching for him, eyes begging for rescue, sinking to the bottom and not kicking or using her arms to swim - does not fit either of these descriptions of a panicked diver. I highly suspect is the reason that the medical examiner ruled out panic as a potential cause of accidental drowning. Go back and read your Rescue book or go back and look at your Rescue diving video.
This is an intentional embellishment to garner sympathy for himself - whether he is guilty or innocent. And that my friends, is disgusting and not something you should be doing at police inquiry. Which is what he did shortly after the incident, before he left Australia - watch the video of his interview. This is not a loss of memory years after the incident and remembering it differently. He also did this with Tina's father as he described to her father how he tried to comfort her while she died. He wasn't even with her when she died. You can't even classify that as an embellishment, it was a flat-out lie in order to garner sympathy for himself.
This is an intentional embellishment to garner sympathy for himself - whether he is guilty or innocent. And that my friends, is disgusting and not something you should be doing at police inquiry. Which is what he did shortly after the incident, before he left Australia - watch the video of his interview. This is not a loss of memory years after the incident and remembering it differently. He also did this with Tina's father as he described to her father how he tried to comfort her while she died. He wasn't even with her when she died. You can't even classify that as an embellishment, it was a flat-out lie in order to garner sympathy for himself.
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InTheDrink
Contributor
Back from my dinner.
I don't do many free ascents but don't we all do free descents the whole time or am I missing some part of the puzzle here? And during free descents I have no problem whatsoever staying with my regular buddy. Not entirely sure why staying together when ascending freely would be a drill particularly worth doing but happy for you to explain why it is. But I'm fairly sure my OW instructor and DM buddy wouldn't have any problem with it - I'll suggest it and let you know the results honestly.
But ultimately, I still don't see the relevance to the thread. I know you are saying that in these situations everything becomes a blur and events and time likewise. And this guy could simply have been a poor diver. Indeed, granted. But it's everything else surrounding this case that makes it stink. The certification level is incidental.
I don't do many free ascents
but don't we all do free descents the whole time or am I missing some part of the puzzle here? And during free descents I have no problem whatsoever staying with my regular buddy. Not entirely sure why staying together when ascending freely would be a drill particularly worth doing but happy for you to explain why it is. But I'm fairly sure my OW instructor and DM buddy wouldn't have any problem with it - I'll suggest it and let you know the results honestly.But ultimately, I still don't see the relevance to the thread. I know you are saying that in these situations everything becomes a blur and events and time likewise. And this guy could simply have been a poor diver. Indeed, granted. But it's everything else surrounding this case that makes it stink. The certification level is incidental.
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