TBBS - Two Belly Button Syndrome
Diver missing at Cove 2, West Seattle
- Thread starter Gdog
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ElliottM
Contributor
Has the diver who died been identified publicly? If so, would someone post a link? Being from the Puget Sound myself, I have met a few divers in the age range of the diver who lost his life here, and i would like to know who it was.
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heidihart88
Registered
I really appreciate this website and everyone's participation. I think it's very important to be able to discuss and learn from accidents such as this.
Now- on to the good, thank you everyone who posted ideas/information/advice. I read all the stuff on mammalian reflex and learned a lot. I agree that the response to the physical changes in our body could in fact lead a diver to bolting to the surface. Cold water in the face, changing heart rate, changing body functions, whether consciously noticable or not- could freak you out, make you want to bolt to the surface. I get that.
I have also been thinking about this all week, I think it's important we talk about, important we all learn. Here is what has been driving me crazy, might be a stupid question, but....if the class was at depth, say 70-90 feet (not super important to my question) and the diver panicked and began a rapid ascent (as the others in the class said he did) how could his body return to depth? As he got higher in the water column and the air in his equipment expanded, he would rise faster and faster, reaching the surface, right? I just don't understand how he would then descend back down?
I know we'll probably never know the real truth of exactly what happened- but I think discussing the "possibles" can only help.
Now- on to the good, thank you everyone who posted ideas/information/advice. I read all the stuff on mammalian reflex and learned a lot. I agree that the response to the physical changes in our body could in fact lead a diver to bolting to the surface. Cold water in the face, changing heart rate, changing body functions, whether consciously noticable or not- could freak you out, make you want to bolt to the surface. I get that.
I have also been thinking about this all week, I think it's important we talk about, important we all learn. Here is what has been driving me crazy, might be a stupid question, but....if the class was at depth, say 70-90 feet (not super important to my question) and the diver panicked and began a rapid ascent (as the others in the class said he did) how could his body return to depth? As he got higher in the water column and the air in his equipment expanded, he would rise faster and faster, reaching the surface, right? I just don't understand how he would then descend back down?
I know we'll probably never know the real truth of exactly what happened- but I think discussing the "possibles" can only help.
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Over the years there have been several such cases where a diver who bolted for the surface was found on the bottom ... including one in adjacent Cove 1 about three years ago. If the diver was swimming up, then the chances are pretty good that despite air expansion, he was still negatively buoyant. Should he stop swimming ... due to unconsciousness or some other reason ... he'll sink again.
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
EastEndDiver
Contributor
Could the beginning of this article refer to the gasp reflex you were refering to?
4 PHASES OF COLD WATER IMMERSION?
4 PHASES OF COLD WATER IMMERSION?
Divewolf
Registered
Being on the east coast I'm not familiar with the site or the conditions. Plenty has been mentioned in this thread about the site but I haven't seen (and its possible I missed it) what the water temp was at the time of the accident. Could somebody educate me on that.
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- Messages
- 97,396
- Reaction score
- 98,429
- Location
- On the Fun Side of Trump's Wall
- # of dives
- 2500 - 4999
That may be what I'm talking about ... but due to your use of scuba equipment, it feels somewhat different. There may be an initial gasp response ... but with a regulator in your mouth it's of no consequence. What occurs over the next few seconds ... and worsens as the time duration increases ... is an increasing difficulty breathing. Let me emphasize that this is something that affects different people differently, and can easily be trained out of even the worst affected ... but the longer one goes without a mask on ... or with a flooded mask ... the harder it becomes to breathe. It literally feels like your regulator is breathing water. It's not ... it's just your brain messing with you ... but that's what it feels like.
For the uninitiated or the uncomprehending, it's a very frightening feeling ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
EastEndDiver
Contributor
Without a mask on if someone "suffers" from a gasp reflex they might inadvertantly inhale water through their nose without realizing it causing a major problem .
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