Diver Indicted in 2003 GBR mishap

[RowingMunkeyCU]

Haven't read this thread so I apologise if this has been asked and answered, but what does "there was florid evidence of air embolism" mean (in the Coroner's report)?

I saw that too, it doesn't really seem to be an appropriate description from the googled definitions I've found of 'florid'. Can anyone shed some light?

It would also have been trivial for him to inflate his wife's BCD and send her up.

Equally all rescue divers are taught how to bring an unresponsive diver up safely - I concur that not all certifed rescue divers are capable of doing so but I think most divers would be able to attract the attention of nearby divers and/or inflate the BCD at a minimum.

His actions (if they are as reported in this thread) are not consistent with a loving husband nor a panicked diver.

Agreed. I was certed through NAUI, and we even covered the basics (including actual practice) of rescue techniques in our regular OW class.

And on the note of life insurance stuff, I'm planning on being married in about a year, and fully intend on upping my life insurance policy. (fiancee has a son, we have student loans, my parents have some of my student loans as well) I want to make sure the people I love the most are taken care of. Maybe it's just me, but even being young (24) I still tend to think and plan way ahead.

Still think he's probably guilty though.

 

[Crimson Ghost]

I don't recall him requesting her to "up" the insurance - I thought the request was to change the beneficiary from her father to him...It's been a while since I read it, so perhaps its both?

With each life event we increase our insurance as well - so in that regard its not unusual. However, did he increase his as well or just request the change to her policy??

 

[bubba105]

Didn't he say that he couldn't equalize? How far can you descend without equalizing? Have you ever surfaced an unresponsive or paniced diver?

When I was a DM candidate I was on a dive with an instructor and a diver on their first post-cert. The new diver sunk out of control and an instructor was unable to descend after her due to inability to equalize.

I went after her and got her to the surface but she was in full blown panic by then and the ascent was anything but controled or pretty and I don't know how long it took. Sometimes we were going up and sometimes we were going down. If all you had eas a snap shot in the middle you might not have been able to tell whether I was trying to save her or kill her.

Mystery in the deep blue sea - Crime reports - MSNBC.com
Page 5

(Police tape)
Gabe Watson: I went down. Started kicking down and I was kicking down but as fast as I was kicking down to go get her, she was ... she was going down just as fast.
​

But the dive computer said that never happened. It showed no attempt to sharply descend after Tina.
And it also contradicted his account of bursting to the surface after he'd made the decision to go for help ASAP.

(Police tape)
Gabe Watson: So from that point, I just ... I pretty much just turned and pretty much just rocketed to the top and, you know, I'm amazed that I didn't end up with the bends or something.
​

But the dive computer recorded a downright leisurely ascent:

Brad Flynn: It took him over two minutes to cover that distance.

Dennis Murphy: To go 40 feet?

Brad Flynn: Forty feet.


He also said to the parents in their first conversation after her death that "she winked at me as she descended". Ever hear of a panicked, sinking diver winking at the only person available to save them?

If that were my little girl, you'd be discussing MY TRIAL.

 

[Gussy]

GUILTY!

Can't equalize? We're not talking about proper procedures to rescue some stranger. We're talking about your spouse..in only 40 feet of water!

 

[Sheepdog]

I am by no means defending this guy, personally I think he is guilty. That said I will play devils advocate. Maybe the guy new she was in trouble and completely panicked himself. We all know that once panic sets in your done! I have not been in a dive emergency so I can't tell you how I will react. I have been in combat and had to hold pressure on a friend while he bled out, so I have a general understanding of how I will react in stress. For those that have never been in a situation you just never know what the response will be.

I have some friends that are firefighters, emts and paramedics. They had a situation last month were an EMT's girlfriend colapsed on the floor and stopped breathing. He was more then quailifed for CPR, but he froze. Completely cracked under the stress having to work on someone he cared about. Instead he ran down the hall yelling and someone else woke up and realized the situation.

 

[InTheDrink]

You're right - if this guy does get off, the only vaguley convincing plea will be that he's an absolute moron, imbecile, poor liar, idiot, etc.

Like I said, guilty or no, he should be taken out of the gene pool.

(tho he is guilty)

 

[Geoff_H]

That said I will play devils advocate. Maybe the guy new she was in trouble and completely panicked himself.

His 15 feet/minute rate is not consistent with a panicked diver.. Most panicked divers will breath faster and be unable to control the bouyancy and rocket to the surface. Going 44 feet in 2.5 minutes is not panicked Polaris behaviour.

 

[Sheepdog]

Valid point I think I missed that part or forgot about it when I was typing.

 

[jim2386]

I was skimming through the channels tonight and stopped on Nancy Grace on CNN discussing the case. I guess she's a diver as well. Now don't get me wrong, the guy sure seems guilty to me (with the facts presented so far), but it bothered me when she said you could rocket to the surface from 40-50 feet without the bends. Now I know it depends how long they stayed down at that level, but theoretically isn't it possible to get the bends from that deep. Maybe I'm just cautious.

Then again I guess if the person is near death, a case of the bends isn't as bad as say....being dead. :/

 

[bowlofpetunias]

I agree responsible, loving people are more inclined to increase insurance coverage at significant milestones but most need to be reminded otherwise there would be no need for insurance agents. I would really like to know if he increased his insurance in favour of TINA? It is interesting that he inherited his current home from TINA and he finally gave up the law suit against his travel insurance company because it made him look bad!

So let me see....
1) Ask her to increase work insurance to the maximum $1,030.00 & change beneficiary
2) Sue travel insurance company for heaps
3) Inherit a house........ hmmmcan't see motive there

Don't see anything strange here either:
1) His Mother is notified and has time to purchase a ticket to Australia so she can be present at his police interviews for "support"
2) Her family doesn't get notified for over 12 hours!
3) He makes no attempt to get to the boat where they are trying to save his wife untill after he knows she is dead.
4) He gives a heart rending description of being with her as she died on the boat. (God wouldn't decency say you would want to spare her family those images?)
5) Weird overtures to her best friend in the Xmas card
6) Removing flowers from her grave (some might understand his anger since her family seems to be pushing for more investigation):11:

:no but come on what are we really learning for our time here?

EVERYONE support new divers and encourage them not to dive beyond their limit try to provide a supportive environment where they are comfortable saying no to potential pressure to dive.
EVERYONE watch out for other divers and be prepared to help immediately not just report it later like the good doctor seems to have.

Could either of those things saved TINA? Who knows but they could make a difference to someone some day if we take them to heart!