Diving accident waiting to happen!! Video. Unbelievable!!!

[sasscuba]

This guy took his son down for a 30 min dive!! The little boy had no gear except for a shorty and fins. Not a very safe way to dive with your kid if you ask me...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=_adm7N5pmFs&mode=related&search=

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Unreal! IMO borders on child abuse. The guy is too stupid (or careless) to be a father. How does he know if the child is equalizing adequately? How does he make sure he isn't holding his breath? What happens in an OOA situation? What if there is a problem with the 1st stage they are both breathing off of? What if something happens to the father?

 

[Cacia]

how deep?

 

[Jcsgt]

Unreal! IMO borders on child abuse. The guy is too stupid (or careless) to be a father. How does he know if the child is equalizing adequately? How does he make sure he isn't holding his breath? What happens in an OOA situation? What if there is a problem with the 1st stage they are both breathing off of? What if something happens to the father?

We call it Recklessly Endangering in Oregon.

 

[adurso]

There is something strange about that video; there are other divers moving about, the kid is breathing from a yellow second, and if you watch carefully you will see a doubles manifold and free second stage poking from underneath the adult. I think it is a video version of a troll, one only can make assumptions from the caption, something else might be going on

 

[sasscuba]

There is something strange about that video; there are other divers moving about, the kid is breathing from a yellow second, and if you watch carefully you will see a doubles manifold and free second stage poking from underneath the adult. I think it is a video version of a troll, one only can make assumptions from the caption, something else might be going on

I came across this video while watching another video from another scubaboard members post. It was on the same site. I think it is very dangerous to dive this way. It was off of thread
http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=147921&page=56
post 554, where I seen this video.

 

[Doc]

There is something strange about that video; there are other divers moving about, the kid is breathing from a yellow second, and if you watch carefully you will see a doubles manifold and free second stage poking from underneath the adult. I think it is a video version of a troll, one only can make assumptions from the caption, something else might be going on

And it looked a lot safer than some of the "resort course" dives I have seen in sunny mejico.

 

[victor]

I think it's some kind of setup.
Why would anyone have a single on their back but doubles slung below?
From their movements in the water they seem to be trying to hide the doubles.

All a bit strange. If it's not a setup then reckless endangerment, child abuse, something like that.

 

[Captain CaveMan]

And it looked a lot safer than some of the "resort course" dives I have seen in sunny mejico.

Thats for sure!!!!!!!!!! Man Ive seen some scary things in Mexico.
I still think its not safe.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

How does he know if the child is equalizing adequately?

Ask via hand signals plus watch for any signs of distress (I did not see any signs of distress from the kid in the video - in fact it looked like he was having fun rather than being abused.)

How does he make sure he isn't holding his breath?

Watch for bubbles, especially on ascent.

What happens in an OOA situation? What if there is a problem with the 1st stage they are both breathing off of?

Basically the same question unless Dad totally fails to monitor the gas supply. But assuming they are shallow (lots of color in the video under what appears to be ambient light) they they do a swimming ascent. Practically speaking I have never had a failure to deliver gas reg failure in over 20 years of diving, many of those years with well over 100 dives per year.

What if something happens to the father?

The same thing that happens if dad has a massive coronary on the interstate on the way home. Lets get real here - kids are risk of accidental death when a parent checks out in lots of environments. Shoot...if mom smokes and falls asleep on the couch with a cigarette, the kid could be doomed in the resulting fire (an event that recently happended locally). We don't automatically brand all smokers as child abusers or reckless endangerers.

Personally, having dove for over 20 years spawned 2 divers and not having any kids die on my watch, I don't think doing what is in the video is any more dangerous than many other "normal" sports soccer moms haul their kids to every day. Soccer being one of them - current research indicates a high incidence of traumatic brain injury in soccer both from getting whacked in the head and also from bouncing the ball off your own noggin.

Is their some risk? Absolutely, but the odds are probably still greater that the kid will get hurt on the drive home. There are however benefits. The kid is interacting with Dad, he is not playing video games, and he is probaly developing a love for diving that will keep him intersted, occupied and academically attuned to relevent subjects during his teen years in high school. All of which will reduce the risk of other types of high risk drug and alcohol related behavior later.

In my former Child Protection Social Worker opinion, as long as Dad did a proper amount of pre-dive briefing and education and proceeded cautiously and incrementally, I see no evidence of abuse. I'd still be more upset with the ignorant soccer mom who is blissfully ok with her kid knocking the ball around with his or her head.

Excuse me while I go put on my nomex suit....