Diving Deaths, Boynton Beach....PBP News

[waterbearer]

What happened is sad and unfortunate. There aren't words to describe the pain that some people (those involved and the families of the victims) are experiencing right now. It hurts me to think that those of us still fortunate to be here today are worrying about this and dissecting what might have/could have/did happen. Let's just be thankful and learn from this. Let everything else rest in peace...as God willing, Cynthia and Robert are doing now.

 

[HowardE]

It seems to me that too many out of town people are making comments on a local accident. Just because you came to Florida and dove on some charter boat and talked to the DM on the way back in, does not make you a local or knowlagable of the local dive spots/divers/water conditions etc...

[rant]
???

Most of the people who have posted on this subject are regulars with Splashdown Divers.

Divesherpa, Joystershell, and myself dive with them on a regular basis almost weekly. Waterbearer - WAS THERE, and I commend her for having the courage to post anything about such a traumatizing experience. We are also friends with Kevin outside of diving. Many of the other posters in the thread (save a few) are also well acquainted with Kevin and Lynn.

I hope you (Jacques) weren't referring to my comments regarding the conditions etc, since I have over 50 trips on the Delta Splash in the last year alone. I would say that I am quite knowledgeable on the conditions there.

Splashdown Divers, aside from being my favorite dive operation, IS IMO - the BEST dive operation that I have gone diving with in South Florida, no make that anywhere. What other DM starts his safety briefing with, "My name is Kevin, and I'm here to help"

Frankly I'd restrain myself from speaking much to the press in a non-diving incident, for the same reasons.

This is easier said than done. To everyone who is quoting the "PADI BIBLE" - really get off of your high horse. Would it be better for the cause of the accident to remain a mystery, so that people can sit around and argue about it with wild speculation, and blame everything under the sun, other than the real causes?? Or is it better for someone with knowledge and experience to set the story straight from the get go.

Who cares about PADI, NAUI, SSI, anything here. This isn't about agency affiliation, it's about a guy who saw a fin on the surface, and dived to the bottom to see what was up. There's no RESCUE involved... It was a recovery mission only.

If Kevin says that the equipment was obviously defective, then it IS. His knowledge and expertise is virtually unsurpassed as far as I'm concerned. This man has dived almost every day for the last several years, and it infuriates me and obviously others who know him and Lynn (one of the most incredible boat captains, diver, marine biologists I know) to have their scruples challenged by a bunch of armchair cowboys who think they'd do better at following "protocol" in this situation.

I'm sorry if I sound angry, but it bothers me that people are so quick to judge and say what they would have done in a given situation, but hind sight is oh so much clearer then when you're knee deep in doo doo. NOBODY can really say what they would have done, unless they were there.[/rant]

edit - added 1 little thing.

 

[Missdirected]

What happened is sad and unfortunate. There aren't words to describe the pain that some people (those involved and the families of the victims) are experiencing right now. It hurts me to think that those of us still fortunate to be here today are worrying about this and dissecting what might have/could have/did happen. Let's just be thankful and learn from this. Let everything else rest in peace...as God willing, Cynthia and Robert are doing now.

I will defer to what Wharper stated. Kudos to you Wharper and Kev.

 

[TerryInFlorida]

Wow, I am fairly new to this board and do not know anyone too well but I would like to make a statement. I truly believe that everyone is concerned for Kevin and there are those taking statements and questions out of context. In my opinion his statement to the press was merely questioned to better understand it not to assume guilt. I also believe the question was answered, he was not diving with his students nor was this anything to do with his Padi Dive Master Certification. Fabulous then the questioning was reasonable, was it not? We have all learned from the persons who both posted the questions, the answers and from Kevin, thank you.

In saying that, then why are some of you getting so angry, I would love to hear how Kevin felt about you guys beating down people for merely asking the question, would say a lot about his character... I will assume he would be very diplomatic about it, not so much like some have been here. I came to this forum because everyone, let me iterate this, EVERYONE got along more civilly than any forum I had ever been to. I hope you guys and you know, will look back over these posts as I have a few times and try to understand that we are one. Instead of getting angry, try some understanding and patients. If all else fails then ask more questions of the poster asking the question to better understand intent. At the very least give some shred of a benefit of doubt and try not to assume the answers.

Just my observation.

Thanks,
TerryInFlorida

 

[DiveBandit]

Maybe we should un-hijack this thread and argue this under a new thread in the accidents and incidents section. The topic has gone waaayyyy off here ( I accept some responsibility for that) and It should be brought back to what Kbeck intendid it to be, A cudos to Kevin and the Assisting Dive charter.

As a matter of fact I will start the Post my self.

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=138377

 

[TerryInFlorida]

No disrespect, but I think this is crap. I've been around recoveries and deaths. Internet divers disecting incidents that they know nothing of has not taught many lessons. Discussing things without confirmation is sheer horse poop. These types of threads have been going on since back in the tecdiver forums. Most conjecture is unsubstantiated anyway.

And, for the record, I no longer work with Splashdown Divers.

Cheers,
Jamie

Not trying to piss you off or anything but what do you call this threadmakers intel?

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=6410

"Another very inexperienced northern cave diver was pulled out of Little River yesterday. This is the first death of the year in cave country. I'll add more info tonight after getting the report"

It seems that you reported false information before you knew the facts?
I also believe it was JameK that added this,

This was just posted to me by the IUCRR--apparently the victim is still alive, but he/she may not survive. Here is what I know:

Here is a brief summary (from Larry Green) of an accident, yesterday, at Little River. The detailed report to follow:

"Accident occurred at approximately 12:22 P.M. Victim (experienced cave diver, CDS trained in '97, with 300+ dives) was diving with a buddy (Dive Team 1) and another buddy team (dive team 2). Both teams turned dive before Dome Room, Dive Team 2 did a quick jump up Harper Tunnel. Dive Team 1 kept exiting. Victim's buddy said that he was ahead of him and then realized that he wasn’t behind him anymore, turned around, and by the time he got back, Victim looked like he was having a seizure. His regulator was out of his mouth. Victim's buddy gave Victim air on the way out (off Victims regulator). Dive Team 2 caught up to them between the Upstream and Downstream Mud Tunnel Jumps, on the main line. They all three proceeded from there to bring him out of the cave. One came up and yelled "call 911." Jill Heinerth was in the water with students, just prior to a dive. She descended down and brought the victim to the surface. The divers all had decompression, and were supplied extra oxygen in the water. There happened to be an ER doctor on site, along with a nurse. The ambulance got there in 6 minutes. Victim was air lifted to Shands Hospital in Gainesville, FL. The police officer in charge was very helpful through the recovery process. Wendy Shirah took all the notes during the recovery, she did a great job. I think all the divers did a good job in getting him out, and with everything happening the way it did, he couldn’t have gotten a better chance."

I'm not sure of the status of the diver, but the last I heard (last night), it didn't look good.

-- Robert Laird IUCRR

Pot, kettle, black... Or sheer horse poop? lol...

Appearantly you do not fully understand what an open discussion forum consists of, ideas and opinions are not only warranted but encouraged.

lighten up, if someone reports bad information then report the right information.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

Kudos to Kevin and Splashdown for doing a task that nobody ever wants to have to do. Thank God you were there, and peace, my friend.

 

[TerryInFlorida]

I would definitely like to say the same, Kevin you are a credit to diving. From what I have heard and from the power of your bonds you have here I can tell you must be an incredible human being and a good man. I hope when you read this topic you understand my feelings and that I hope you and yours are well...

 

[wharper]

I dont know everyone here, but I know a few. I am going to just say my piece and nothing about this subject will come from me ever again. That having been said, coming from someone who was on board the Splashdown with the original distress call went out about this particular incident, I just want everyone to know what really transpired. I am only offering this information so there hopefully can be no more finger pointing and name calling from any of you anymore. I havent been diving all that long, but every single dive I have done from my first OW to my DM course I am now in has been with Lynn, Kevin and Guido. I have been given the extreme honor of being allowe to work on Lynn's boat and I have been given the honor to have someone of Kevin Metz's caliber, both professionally and personally train me in becoming a professional level diver.

Saturday afternoon, a distress call came out about 2 divers that were missing in the area of Glufstream/Lynn's Reef off the Boynton Inlet. Captain Simmons and the Delta Splash was on it's usual afternoon trip when this call went out. Once Captain Simmons gathered all of her divers on her boat she then joined up with the Palm Beach County Sheriff, the United States Coast Guard at a location where the divers were thought to have gone in the water. Once Captain Simmons located the true position, she deployed 2 of her divers, Mr. Metz and myself on both the inside portion of the ledge and the outside portion of the ledge. Mr. Metz located both victims tangled in the rope in about 50 feet of water on the very top of Lynn's Reef. I surfaced after about 10 minutes of searching and observed Mr. Metz assisting the Coast Guard remove both victims from the water. Once both victims were loaded onto the Coast Guard vessel they were taken to the Sheriff's dock at Boynton Inlet. After several minutes of unsuccessful CPR and other BLS attempts, both individuals were taken by ambulance to a local hospital. Mr. Metz gave his statement to the authorities and that was the end of it.

It is my opinion, and only my personal opinion that witnessing all these events, for what ever vantage point those that were on the water that day, was unsettling. Furthermore, for those of you that were not there, and for those of you that have opinions about what should or shouldnt have been said to the media by anyone involved are more than welcomed in any civil discussion about this. I personally widh to have no more discussion on this subject and I think I speak for my instructor and very close friend Kevin Metz, that he would like to put this incident behind him as well.

In closing, I agree with those who feel that this should be taken and applied to prevent mistakes and accidents like this in the future. I personally feel, and this is my opinion only again, that is the only way we (a collective group of divers) can learn and become more attentive. I hope my opinions on this subject do not cause another nasty and adolescent exchage as previous posts have, for if that were to happen I would be extremely disappointed in my fellow family of divers.

I appreciate everyone letting me say my piece.

Will

 

[duncan1958]

I have just got home from a good days diving(one of my last here before flying to florida)Incidently the first dive I will be doing is with Splashdown.
To log onto here and find all hell has broken loose.
I take full responsibility for things going a bit pear shape here.
My original question was not what the DM (who I know doubt will be meeting in a short while) said to the press per say (who we all know can be capable of twisting the truth).
But as we all live in a litigatiatous (not sure if spelt correct) society would he or ANYBODY be liable for making a statement such as they did.
In no way was I passing judgement here .
If I have acted out of turn here I sincerly appologise for asking what at the time seemed to me as a DM myself a reasonable question.