Diver missing on Andrea Doria

[Basking Ridge Diver]

One certainly doesn't know if a buddy could have intervened successfully in any of these cases. Denton Byers had an attentive and highly capable buddy, and died anyway. But without a buddy and a tale to recount, none of the friends or family know anything about what happened, and I can't help but think that they would forever wonder if the outcome would have been different, had the diver not been alone.

Your point is reasonable and I understand the premise.
Would it not be better to have a frank discussion with your loved ones and have a discussion on the inherent dangers of diving? It seems to me at the level of proficiency that divers must have for the Doria - a conversation is and should be in order - on how would you feel if my body was not recovered.

I think everyone should be thinking about it if not talking about it with buddies and family. How much personal danger do you want your buddy to endure to try and save you? Personally I am ok with not being found (I do not want anyone to risk getting hurt) and I have had this conversation with my wife - it may be remote based on my general diving profiles for my body not to be recovered but I wanted her to hear it from me and make sure she was ok with that decision. I did not want her worrying about me more than she does. Had she not agreed - I would have had to come up with a different option or stop diving. We are all closer to our final day than our first day - because we don't know when that day will be.
I feel bad for everyone on the boat, friends and family. But I believe - it is going to happen at some point to someone you know or on a dive that you are a party to and there will be nothing you can do to stop the inevitable. So maybe a conversation is in order.

 

[oldschoolto]

Your point is reasonable and I understand the premise.
Would it not be better to have a frank discussion with your loved ones and have a discussion on the inherent dangers of diving? It seems to me at the level of proficiency that divers must have for the Doria - a conversation is and should be in order - on how would you feel if my body was not recovered.

I think everyone should be thinking about it if not talking about it with buddies and family. How much personal danger do you want your buddy to endure to try and save you? Personally I am ok with not being found (I do not want anyone to risk getting hurt) and I have had this conversation with my wife - it may be remote based on my general diving profiles for my body not to be recovered but I wanted her to hear it from me and make sure she was ok with that decision. I did not want her worrying about me more than she does. Had she not agreed - I would have had to come up with a different option or stop diving. We are all closer to our final day than our first day - because we don't know when that day will be.
I feel bad for everyone on the boat, friends and family. But I believe - it is going to happen at some point to someone you know or on a dive that you are a party to and there will be nothing you can do to stop the inevitable. So maybe a conversation is in order.

Every dive may be your last... You play in high risk sports like we do, You are gonna bury friends along the way... Some may just never return.. This is the life I/we choose to live... This is the life I have chosen.... My family has understood this and accepted it....

Jim...

 

[Doppler]

The diver's name has been released, Thomas Pritchard, my condolences to his friends and family

Diver missing at Andrea Doria site identified - News - capecodtimes.com - Hyannis, MA

Crap! Tom was very good people. Sorry to hear this.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

The article makes it sound as if almost ALL the deaths on that wreck were associated with that particular dive boat. Why such a high mortality from ONE operation? Also when tallying up deaths from people ascending alone, Wes Skyles name should probably pop up as well.

 

[waterpirate]

That boat is far from the only operation to lose people on the Doria. The Doria has posed a lot of risk from the first salvage dives done on her to the present day. I mourn the passing of another soul, and grieve for the loved ones left behind.

Before this thread escalates to a debate, let me just say that the expectations of divers as individuals up here is very different from other places. As with any fatality in our chosen past time, it will leave more lingering questions than any solid answers.

Eric

 

[RJP]

The article makes it sound as if almost ALL the deaths on that wreck were associated with that particular dive boat. Why such a high mortality from ONE operation?

The John Jack goes to the Doria often - four or five multi-day trips a year. (They're back on the Doria this weekend and again next weekend.) It's also a big boat, so it takes a lot of people. Lots of divers, lots of trips, lots of dives... statistics will work against you

Ultimately, it usually doesn't make much sense to try to assign any sort of contribution to mortality rate to a dive charter op in general... much less on a wreck like the Doria.

I don't mean this in the typical "legal disclaimer" way, but a dive charter boat in the northeast is really a taxi service. You bring your own gear, your own gas, your own buddy, and your own plan. The boat drives you out to the wreck, ties up... and you do your dives. There's no "guided tours" or anything like that. Unless the boat runs the victim over, abandons them, or fails to render reasonable aid in a given situation there's not really much an op can do to contribute to - or prevent - mortality.

PS - Note that the article says "7 deaths in the last 10 years" on the Doria, and "six since 2002" on the John Jack. So you're comparing a 10yr period to a 13 year period. Doesn't seem like much... but it is a 30% difference.

 

[The Laconic]

The article makes it sound as if almost ALL the deaths on that wreck were associated with that particular dive boat. Why such a high mortality from ONE operation? Also when tallying up deaths from people ascending alone, Wes Skyles name should probably pop up as well.

Serious question, though: is the mortality rate any higher than it was on the Seeker?

 

[Drin]

Serious question, though: is the mortality rate any higher than it was on the Seeker?

I suspect if the data were normalized to correct for the fact that the JJ does more annual trips than the Seeker (and I believe holds more divers) the difference in the mortality rate wouldn't be statistically significant.


-Adrian

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I have no idea how many trips are done, but if one boat has most of the fatalities, it makes me curious.

That wreck has been on my bucket list for almost 40 yrs, but I doubt I will ever get the motivation to do it. If that boat is just a shuttle service, do they ever check certifications etc.?? Would they give me a ride if I wanted to do it with a big single, a pony and maaybe a deco bottle...assuming I have no tech certifications?

 

[Norseman1]

I have no idea how many trips are done, but if one boat has most of the fatalities, it makes me curious.

That wreck has been on my bucket list for almost 40 yrs, but I doubt I will ever get the motivation to do it. If that boat is just a shuttle service, do they ever check certifications etc.?? Would they give me a ride if I wanted to do it with a big single, a pony and maaybe a deco bottle...assuming I have no tech certifications?

A wonderful question for the skipper but not really for this thread. Any Doria waiver I ever signed required me to verify a Trimix certification. When I dove the wreck from the John Jack the first time Zero was still the skipper and he required Trimix and a referral from someone he knew and trusted.

A single tank? If you want your own thread in this forum too maybe.

All due respect of course.