Diver missing on Vandenberg - Florida

[MMM]

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

This thread has been moderated and some content split to a new thread located here: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ba...en-into-deep-wreck-overhead-thread-split.html

And here

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ad...ing-missing-diver.html?highlight=Difficulties

A reminder that this forum is for discussing the cause of the accident: in this case the missing diver who never entered the wreck, rendering any discussion about the wisdom of entering overhead environments off-topic. Also, the witness's skills and qualifications are not germane since the witness was not a victim. Also moved was all discussion about training programs for various types of overhead environments. Please feel free to continue that discussion in the new thread.

Also please familiarize yourself with the recently updated rules for this forum and focus on what caused the victim to become missing. Marg, SB Senior Moderator

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[Jim Lapenta]

I thought the fact that the guide was inside the wreck with divers not trained for penetration was a large factor in why the diver ended up missing. My analysis anyway and what I will use in the next class I teach on accidents and preventing them.

 

[Akimbo]

Jim, are you really comfortable reaching that conclusion? I thought the only fact available is a diver went missing when nobody was looking? Can we preclude a medial problem that occurred at a moment when everyone was looking at the wreck instead of holding hands? That could easily happen to any of us regardless of our wreck diving credentials.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

No but had they not been in the wreck would he actually have been missing? Or just dead and recovered in short order. Doesn't matter any more. What could have been a valuable lesson on a number of fronts was ruined. It could have been used to illustrate why proper buddy procedures and not exceeding recommended limits is a good idea. No one thing ever causes an accident. It's a combination. This was a combination of factors. The ones I noted didn't help matters any and may have indeed have contributed to it. There was zero need to split this thread. None.

 

[wgw04024]

The most obvious thing that comes to my mind here is a breakdown of the buddy system. The fact of the newness of the divers could have contributed to that breakdown as well. Speaking from experience, I did the Vandenberg dive on my first dive of Advanced OW training, which was my first dive after completion of OW training. Quite a rush. At that time then, and still, I was/am completely confident in my instructor. In that example, it was simply him, and me. I have also done the swim throughs at the Duane and Spiegal Grove as well. Also on AOW training dives as well as since on my own once certified. We don't have (that I saw) a direct report from the missing divers buddy. All I know is this, when I'm penetrating a swim through on either of those 3 wrecks, it's very clear between me and my buddy what the plan is. We verify 'ok' before entering. When I lead, as soon as I'm in and out of the way of the entrance, I immediately confirm my buddy has entered and is ok. In my mind, you cannot keep too close an eye on your buddy in those type of environments. I'm assuming visibility was not a factor, although I don't know what it was on that day. It's hard to understand how you lose someone in great vis like that down there. Just my opinions.

 

[Dhboner]

The only fact that appears to be clear is that the diver went to the surface without following ascent protocol and without communicating with anyone else on the dive. Although it is only speculation, that suggests either panic or a medical situation...neither of which could likely have been mitigated by a dive buddy in close proximity (a buddy might be able to calm a panicking diver but he also puts himself at great risk). So flogging the whole failure to maintain buddy contact his probably pointless. Regrettably we have a diver who likely experienced a serious medical event or who panicked. The outcome would not likely be any different had he been in close proximity to a buddy or had any additional wreck training (well I concede that more wreck training may have reduced the potential for panic).

 

[Akimbo]

No but had they not been in the wreck would he actually have been missing? Or just dead and recovered in short order...

Quite possibly, yes. This same outcome is equally possible when diving a wall, canyon, or large pinnacle offshore. It only takes seconds for a diver in a guided group or buddy pair to go un-noticed and disappear out of sight. I haven’t heard any known facts indicating the wreck was any more a factor than a natural topography would be. I’m not sure the focus should be the wreck even though it set the stage for other accidents that didn’t happen that day.

On a separate front, kudos for integrating accident analysis in your teaching. It is one of the most effective techniques I have experienced to engage people and create a culture of continuous thinking and analyzing. IMHO, too many instructors just cite rules and diving on auto-pilot… no thought required.

 

[boulderjohn]

The only fact that appears to be clear is that the diver went to the surface without following ascent protocol and without communicating with anyone else on the dive. Although it is only speculation, that suggests either panic or a medical situation...neither of which could likely have been mitigated by a dive buddy in close proximity (a buddy might be able to calm a panicking diver but he also puts himself at great risk). So flogging the whole failure to maintain buddy contact his probably pointless.

Quite possibly, yes. This same outcome is equally possible when diving a wall, canyon, or large pinnacle offshore. It only takes seconds for a diver in a guided group or buddy pair to go un-noticed and disappear out of sight.

I was the third in line doing a dive along a wall. It was dark enough at our depth that we were using light contact on the wall to communicate, but it was light enough that I could easily watch the diver in front of me. Everything was going smoothly. I reached down for my SPG, glanced at it, and looked back up as I reconnected it to my hip. The diver in front of me was gone. WTF? I looked around. I looked down. I looked up. I spun around. Eventually he drifted back down. and got back in line. He had screwed up a buoyancy adjustment to a degree embarrassing for someone with his experience and ascended enough to be out of my sight. As he got control, I swam a little past him. He was never all that far away from me, but with my limited vision, I couldn't find him.

If that diver had had a buoyancy control problem and corked, even a good, attentive buddy might have missed it.

 

[DandyDon]

I was out there when it happened but with a different operator. I typically use the operator he used that day but they were full.

We tried to locate him on the second dive by searching last known area. The conditions were rough on the surface but pretty tame and clear below with a moderate current.

The Vandenberg is a big ship but it is one of the safer wrecks I've ever done due to its condition, size of interior and lack of silt on the inside. We don't know all of the details yet but any incident like this is a reminder to personally respect best practices for the type of dive and assess your physical condition prior to getting in the water.

Very sad to see any incident like this

I was one of the divers on that trip, as most of you will see from my account I am a new diver and new to this site (referenced through my PADI instructor). Some of the information I've seen posted here is correct, other aspects are wrong. I hadn't searched for forums to discuss it for a while since it was under investigation and I didn't want to interfere with the process of the USCG, sheriffs dept since I know nothing of it. If they were going to release any of the relevant information they would have by now, so I'm confident that I can answer what questions you may have. More so I'm sure there is a plethora of knowledge that I can take from this as well, I've talked briefly with my instructor about the events on the Vandenburg, and I'd like to be able to share with the diving community however possible.
Also I am new to these forums, so forgive me for unfamiliarity with posting/replying and providing information. I simply hope to learn from this for my future dives.

DAN research does monitor this forum I am told, but gains little from the news media reports I find. They really want eye witness reports, so if you would please offer what you can to them at this link, it'd help a lot. You can do so anonymously, if you prefer. "All information obtained during the study, including the respondent's identity, will be kept confidential to the full extent allowed by law." See https://www.diversalertnetwork.org/research/incidentReport/

 

[bowlofpetunias]

Seems to me that we are fortunate in this case to have a very articulate "partial or almost witness" in Wavethrash. It also seems that according to his report that the guide checked everyone was Ok before entering the wreck. Wavethrash was aware enough and concerned enough for someone he did not consider to be his official buddy to check on him as well before entering the wreck.

Our guide checked that we were all ok and that we were going to penetrate straight through the ship. The space was only wide enough for one diver to enter at a time, but inside there was a room to our right, some space to our left, and another cut out where you could exit the wreck above in the center of the room. Again our guide led, and just before I followed I noticed James had sunk about 3 feet and was kicking with his hands relaxed in front of him. It looked like he was not establishing neutral buoyancy with his bcd, so I faced him, held up my bcd hose and pointed to it, to which he replied with the ok signal. (On reflection, it could just be that he was cold and wanted to warm up a bit. Being my first dive, I paid absolutely no attention to the cold, and I normally swim in cold water) The other diver was just next to us, so I turned and followed our guide through. About 20-30 seconds after I had finished my penetration the next diver exited, and James never followed.

The diver sure didn't seem to indicate to anyone he had a problem or the problem occurred pretty quickly after he had reassured everyone he was ok! To go from "I'm ok" to what appears to abandonment of the dive plan and aborting the dive with a rapid ascent rate sure makes me suspect a panicked diver. Cause...