One aspect of the "group think" in this case that has not been discussed is the overall lack of expertise within that group. Members of the group have said words to the effect that "Dr. Deep" knew more about technical diving than anyone else on the planet. It is hard to say this without appearing to show disrespect for the deceased, but that is simply absurd. On the other hand, he probably did know more than anyone in the immediate vicinity, and that may have been a contributing factor. We just learned that his most experienced instructor had never dived below 215 feet! Research has shown that people who are not themselves highly expert in a skill are not able to identify true expertise in others. It is very possible that no one in the group had enough understanding of the issues surrounding deep diving to have those doubts, let alone express them.
We saw a similar thing in the (apparent) death of
Ben McDaniel. McDaniel disappeared in 2010, and the assumption was that he died in a cave. Regardless of the truth of the incident, what was remarkable to me in its aftermath was the discussions about it in the social media in which his friends and relatives participated. They indicated a belief that Ben was one of the planet's greatest cave divers. In one memorable post, one of his friends said that some of the people looking for his body were among the best in the world,
almost as good as Ben. In truth, Ben had no cave diving training and relatively little experience. A video of him diving in a cave surfaced, and it showed him to be a true beginner. He had a good way to go to achieve the skills needed for basic cave certification, but his immediate circle believed he had godlike cave diving skills. There was no one in his circle who knew enough to tell him no, let alone have the courage to speak doubts among that chorus of encouragement.
