Diver missing at Cove 2, West Seattle

[markmantei]

I thought it was a bigger tank, I'll try to find specific details, but I don't think this detail enlightens much other than shedding light on who was or wasn't narc'd when they found him... Maybe it adds a stressor to the dive, but I can find enough of those as it is...

Obviously if there was 700psi in the tank the cylinder size was not an issue in this particular incident, however it is fair to question if the tank size was suitable for the dive that was planned or if, generally speaking, classes doing this dive should be using larger tanks.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

He had 50 mostly warm water dives, so this was likely one of his first drysuit dives, too.

Yes, that I had already been informed about. What I was hoping to find out was a dive plan, or profile. If it was just to Olive's Den and back, I don't see that as a particularly unreasonable plan ... not too dissimilar to the profile I use for the same class in the same cove. On the other hand, I wouldn't take a new drysuit diver that deep until I was assured they were completely comfortable using the suit, and we had done some basic drysuit safety drills.

I don't know if we'll ever find out the real cause of this accident, but it would be good to examine as many specifics as we can identify and ask what could have been done differently to reduce the risk of this type of outcome ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[lamont]

Yes, that I had already been informed about. What I was hoping to find out was a dive plan, or profile. If it was just to Olive's Den and back, I don't see that as a particularly unreasonable plan ... not too dissimilar to the profile I use for the same class in the same cove. On the other hand, I wouldn't take a new drysuit diver that deep until I was assured they were completely comfortable using the suit, and we had done some basic drysuit safety drills.

I don't know if we'll ever find out the real cause of this accident, but it would be good to examine as many specifics as we can identify and ask what could have been done differently to reduce the risk of this type of outcome ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

As far as anyone knows that was the dive plan and what they actually did, and that matches the instructor and the students reports.

The original plan had been to drop down the white can buoy and go to I-beams. That plan changed when they showed up at the dive site and the white can buoy was not there, so they dropped down the yellow buoy on the boundary line and went down it to the logs (and top of the logs / Olive's Den area to be precise).

There's been a lot of speculation placing them elsewhere. I think most of that is driven by the typical "looking for a reason" reaction to tragedy -- and I was guilty of that as well in the first few hours and days after the accident. Having gone through that, though, I think the account is accurate. It was an AOW dive to Olive's den down and back the boundary cable.

And really that makes this accident all the more sobering...

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

As far as anyone knows that was the dive plan and what they actually did, and that matches the instructor and the students reports.

The original plan had been to drop down the white can buoy and go to I-beams. That plan changed when they showed up at the dive site and the white can buoy was not there, so they dropped down the yellow buoy on the boundary line and went down it to the logs (and top of the logs / Olive's Den area to be precise).

There's been a lot of speculation placing them elsewhere. I think most of that is driven by the typical "looking for a reason" reaction to tragedy -- and I was guilty of that as well in the first few hours and days after the accident. Having gone through that, though, I think the account is accurate. It was an AOW dive to Olive's den down and back the boundary cable.

And really that makes this accident all the more sobering...

... seems like a pretty reasonable dive plan to me ... that's an easy and well-marked route. Completely appropriate for an AOW deep dive ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Ayisha]

...one does have to wonder what would cause a diver coming upslope from a deep dive to bolt to the surface.

It wouldn't be the first time that a new drysuit diver was ascending and didn't vent as fast as the drysuit and BCD were expanding as they got shallower. Even new divers in thick exposure protection have some difficulty keeping up with buoyancy and depth changes. They often start venting when the ascent is already in full swing and it's too little too late or they pull the dump and arrest the ascent and fall drastically, adding air again in the quest to become neutral. Perhaps the victim had issues venting as they were ascending?

The airway can be closed or restricted not only by holding the breath, but also by significant congestion or certain respiratory illnesses.

 

[lamont]

Apparently it'd be nice if we knew his profile of his computer, but nobody has talked about that info.

His equipment all checked out and was working. He didn't have a digital depth gauge, so there's no overall profile. His analog gauge, however, had a max depth indicator of 105, so it didn't go any deeper than that on that day; either on the dive or on the recovery. His buddy on the dive had a digital computer and a max depth of 95.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

His equipment all checked out and was working. He didn't have a digital depth gauge, so there's no overall profile. His analog gauge, however, had a max depth indicator of 105, so it didn't go any deeper than that on that day; either on the dive or on the recovery. His buddy on the dive had a digital computer and a max depth of 95.

... about what I figured, given where they found him ... from the buddy's computer depth it sounds like they didn't even make it to Olive's Den ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[DiverLaura]

From the dive description they were on top of the logs doing flash card drills when the students indicated to the instructor that they were cold. The dive was turned and the incident occurred shortly after that point.

Ayisha, he was negative on the bottom when I clipped off the marker. At some point he was able to dump his suit and bcd, and according to those on shore, never hit the surface, which implies regaining some measure of control on the way up, sadly too late, the damage had been done. His buddy probably passed him on way up within feet, she is still beating herself up over this, despite the fact that with only a handful of dives she made a very solid decision to make a controlled ascent when her buddy bolted on her with the hopes of meeting him on the surface. She ascended essentially alone (everything happened so fast, but instructor was not far behind - she looked at him and gave the up signal i think is what i heard), and waited on surface... My heart goes out to her.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I hope she's getting counselling, Laura ... survivor's guilt is a hard thing to deal with, even among seasoned veterans.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[SeahorseDeb]

Visibility yesterday was 25-30 feet ... excellent by Puget Sound standards ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I dive there often, and have never been afforded that type of viz, usually it is no more than 10 feet, occasionally 15 down on the I-beams. Bob, you are lucky to be there at the right time!! Since the city rebuilt the small ferry dock there, the bottom was ripped up and silts easily. Does anyone know who the certifying agency was?