Diver missing on Vandenberg - Florida

[dumpsterDiver]

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).

Think what you are saying. The diver was there one minute on the deck of the ship and then a short time later, he was gone. The witness thought he saw him on the surface. If strict buddy diving protocol was followed, perhaps the DM/guide would have signaled to ascend immediately when one of his customers was missing and he would have been found. Either on the surface or sinking back down in a trail of bubbles or something (probably). He might have still died but the family would have a body to bury. That is important to some families and to some insurance policies.

 

[Akimbo]

… 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...

I would not be surprised if your suspicion is correct but it can also be an equipment malfunction, equipment operator error, partially debilitating medical condition, and/or a small misperception of elapsed time by the witness. As with most diving accidents, your closing icon on the above quote sums up the base problem in this thread.

Panic is a tough one and highly individual. TSandM’s thread on the subject is well worth studying:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/advanced-scuba-discussions/378868-panic-experienced-diver.html

 

[boulderjohn]

I would not be surprised if your suspicion is correct but it can also be an equipment malfunction, equipment operator error, partially debilitating medical condition, and/or a small misperception of elapsed time by the witness. As with most diving accidents, your closing icon on the above quote sums up the base problem in this thread.

Panic is a tough one and highly individual. TSandM’s thread on the subject is well worth studying:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/advanced-scuba-discussions/378868-panic-experienced-diver.html

I think it is worth noting that in an as yet unpublicized dive accident last summer, an extremely experienced diver and technical diving instructor had buoyancy problems leading to an uncontrolled ascent from 110 feet. It was certainly not intentional, and it was certainly not panic. It can happen.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

I would not be surprised if your suspicion is correct but it can also be an equipment malfunction, equipment operator error, partially debilitating medical condition, and/or a small misperception of elapsed time by the witness. As with most diving accidents, your closing icon on the above quote sums up the base problem in this thread.

Panic is a tough one and highly individual. TSandM’s thread on the subject is well worth studying:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/advanced-scuba-discussions/378868-panic-experienced-diver.html

Thanks for the link. I will certainly go read it again. Some threads are worth revisiting! I agree while Panic may be on potential contributor as I mentioned before without Gear or a body we can not rule out medical or equipment issues.

I also agree with those who site buddy separation as potential contributing factor. It does from the witness's comments seem more like the missing diver's actions contributed to a great degree on that separation. That separation may indeed have been out of his control as well. Things like equipment failure or sudden medical issues could have come up.

As has been stated before it may only take a moment and it is impossible to keep your eye on your buddy 100%of the time. Reality is The Grim Reaper will turn up to collect every one of us sooner or later. Sometimes he arrives during a dive and will not be denied! We can do as much as we can to reduce the risks we take when we submerge but we are still entering a place we did not evolve to survive. Under the right(?) conditions our survival time is down to less than 5 minutes before Mother Ocean claims us as her own!

 

[MarineResearch]

...About 20-30 seconds after I had finished my penetration the next diver exited, and James never followed.

After about 60-100 seconds, our guide signaled for the other diver and myself to penetrate back through the second spot (the one slightly raised and towards bow) to look around, while he would go back the way we came to ensure we didn't do a chase around. The rooms on that penetration looked too small to navigate with scuba gear, but regardless my other buddy and I saw no sign of James, nor had our guide upon regrouping. We held that spot for another minute or so, and our guide spotted a person almost directly above us on the surface. I would estimate anywhere from 3 to 6 minutes had gone by, but later our guide would tell us he would be hard pressed with his 30 years of experience to make that same ascent that quickly, and he appeared to be in better shape/health than James.

Within the next 10-20 seconds after that, our guide made the call to continue our dive (which I know after discussing it with my PADI instructor wasn't the best choice). We continued for about 20 minutes going to shallower sections of the ship, and after we ascended and did our 3 minute safety stop I immediately heard my guide ask the crew member who was helping divers exit the water as to James's whereabouts.

So, Polaris James shoots to the surface. See, he is right up there floating on his side - no problem. What the heck, let's keep diving - no need to watch and make sure our insta-buddy gets back to the boat. Having two out of three clients is still a winning record.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

The witness said later he wasn't sure if he saw Jim or if it was only the Guide who did. We have talked about "trust me dives" and it seems to me that too many "guided dives" are Trust Me... follow Me let Me make all the decisions for everyone type of situations.

The guide decided to continue the dive. The dive's buddy (our witness) decided to stay with his buddy, accept the DM's decision and the missing diver's buddy (if he saw himself as a buddy at all) decided to continue the dive.

I have no idea what experience the other diver had. We know our witness had very little and people early in their diving "careers" are seldom inclined to question or defy the "Dive Professional's" decisions or directions.

That said... the DM seems to have thought the diver was in the hands of the surface support. Surface support saw the diver on the surface but he re-submerged before they got to him. Hard to know if the divers in the water had aborted, if they could got to him on time to render assistance or even allow for body recovery. Hindsight is 20:20 and even easier from the other side of a computer screen.

I will confess it took me a few hundred dives before I gained the confidence to say "No, I am not comfortable with your decision to go back on your own." Seriously I know some experienced divers who say.. "If my buddy decided to go back before I am ready, I will not go back with him. If my buddy separates I will not go looking. If my buddy wants to stay down for some extra time on their own, it is up to them." Guess who isn't on my list of people I will buddy with If we are buddies we both need to be committed to being buddies!

My position is and always has been that if I am a buddy.. or diving in a buddy group we stay together and abort together if needed. I have still had a buddy manage to separate. If I enter the water with a diver who says. If we separate don't worry, I have the equipment and experience to complete this as a solo dive. I don't consider that person a buddy. I may not like it, but as long as I still have a buddy I will consider that part of the "dive plan" and allow them the right to their choices.

 

[FinnMom]

I had one dive that sealed it for me. My vastly more experienced buddy's reg started to flow a bit as we were decending. Since we were one of 3 groups at the site and all theres were clearly visable below us, he signalled that he was going up to sort this out and I should join the twosome that had our whole groups' other Mr. Divingsinceforever. I didn't have the nerve to disagree because I was too new, so I waited to be told a 2nd time, but then I went.
I didn't have any fun or peace of mind after that. I kept constantly looking to see how deep he was, whether his reg was still acting up and just generally if he was OK. I would have lost 1 single dive if I'd just stayed with him, and in not doing so I lost the dive anyway.

Later I though that hey, I'm old enough to know that bad things happen to real people and one in a million really does roll around every now & then. My conclusion was that I'm not going to purposely be separated/stay separated again.

 

[Saltyhawg]

You can be instabuddy any time FinnMom!