Drowning at Lake Rawlings

[weloveusharon]

that was my cousin that has been in this tragedy and i just want to thank everyone for ur very helpfull comments

 

[DC53]

................. I'd argue though that if a diver has 25 or more dives and is still not comfortable in the water while diving, they need to take up another sport or seriosuly consider addresing the underlying issues holding them back.

As it stands I am just past 25 dives right now. I would say I am mostly quite comfortable in Caribbean blue down to 91 feet on the computer, including swim thru's, but I am only "comfortable" enough it the cold low viz quarry to still want to go back so that I am able to get better, and only "comfortable" going below 30 feet if I am following someone with a lot of experience keeping my eyes glued on him and not getting too far from his fins. I am also "uncomfortable" enough to want the reassurance of adding a 13 cu ft pony bottle even for normal quarry dives. In spite of this marginal comfort level I am fascinated by and interested in progressing with diving. So, is this relative lack of "comfort" too low; should I reconsider diving?

 

[sklisch]

If you feel uncomfortable diving in cold water and and low viz my advice is, don't dive in low viz and cold water. Only dive when and where you feel comfortable do not let anybody make you feel that you are a bad diver just because you do like a certain type of diving. I have seen more accidents happen because a diver was "talked" into doing something they didn't feel comfortable about. Personally I think all divers should take up the tech divers credo "any diver at anytime can call a diver for any reason"

 

[Dadvocate]

If you feel uncomfortable diving in cold water and and low viz my advice is, don't dive in low viz and cold water. Only dive when and where you feel comfortable do not let anybody make you feel that you are a bad diver just because you do like a certain type of diving.

This is of course excellent advice about any dive or for diving in general if that need be the case.

In fact, this makes sense for a lot of things in life that are amazing and exciting and potentially dangerous at the same time.

Yes, endeavor to try new things and experience life as best you can, but always know that if something is not for you, you have the right for yourself (and hopefully the company you keep) to be able to choose not to continue that activity.

I get drawn into diving more and more each year, but I will never be a mountain climber despite my respect for those who do. It is plain and simply not what I am wired for, and I knew it pretty much as soon as I was at the base prepared to try for the first time.

This is a sad story.

Cheers!

 

[Swamp Donkey]

I did my open water at Lake Rawlings. I was with three others plus the instructor and it was decided that we would do all four dives in one day to save from having to come back on Sunday.

I did mine at Rawlings as well but we were there the whole weekend. Camped from Friday through Sunday and dove on Sat & Sun.

 

[Dean_63]

:daisy::daisy:Actually, I found the answer to my own question as I was at Lake Rawlings today and was informed that this is still an ongoing investigation. Therefore of course the outcome has not been "officially reported". I definitely am not refering to any speculation posted here. After all what is really to be learned from speculation. However, if anyone does knows of any other links to news stories regarding this case that haven't been already posted above, I am asking for them to be posted here. Maybe we can learn more from and about this incident as time goes by. If we learn from what really happened then she may not have died in vain. Thanks everyone!

To answer your question MissChelleyDives...even after 1 year and almost 10 months, no further progress has been made...we still do not know anything more today than we did the day of her death ...this is unfortunate and is the root cause of a great deal of unrest in my spirit because I do not have closure. I can only continue to pray and ask God for peace, understanding and the ever elusive closure that I seek. I will forever keep her in my heart!

 

[Graeme Tolton]

It is unfortunate, but all too familiar. In many scuba related deaths, the reports will list Drowning as COD. It does not tell what lead up to the drowning though. The sad part of this is that there is really no lesson that we can take from the incident, without really knowing what happened.

 

[telemonster]

I thought it was being treated as a "foul play" investigation.

 

[ScubaFeenD]

I'd argue though that if a diver has 25 or more dives and is still not comfortable in the water while diving, they need to take up another sport or seriosuly consider addresing the underlying issues holding them back.

This has to be the most ignorant statement I have read in awhile, and I would argue the contrary. If you have 25 dives and are too cocky to recognize your limits and your inexperience, then you are a danger to yourself and to others. Twenty-five dives is nothing, and at that point any diver still has a load more to learn. I would never claim, at my low level of dives, that I am confortable. Sure, I am not panicking and I have control of myself in the water, but I still learn a boatload on every dive. Further, I would never tell someone who is truly interested in being better and being a great diver to leave if they were still gaining confidence and comfort.

Maybe there needs to be greater fitness requirements (that i agree with) and screening, but you don't need to be a cocky, ignorant, young kid to be a diver.

 

[TSandM]

drdrdiver, I think you are misinterpreting DAA's post. He is not saying that you have to have the confidence of a WKPP gas diver at 25 dives. He's saying that, if you are still intensely anxious and unable to relax and enjoy your dive, something about your skills, training, or suitability for diving needs to be more closely examined. I think he is right. You can be acutely aware of your shortcomings, and cautious or even a bit on the timid side as a relatively inexperienced diver, but the mere act of diving shouldn't be causing you a great deal of stress by the time you have gotten 25 dives under your belt.