fatal accident in Poland

[mania]

The accident took place during the dive that was part of the rebreather course. Both divers were using SCR Draeger Dolphin. At the end of the dive which was ice dive, around 20 minutes after descending at the depth of around 26 – 29 ft with the distance to the platform of around 32 ft one of the divers lost consciousness. He ascended to the surface and then droped down to the bottom (the maximum depth – 49 ft). His buddy was not able to bring him up by himself so he ascended and alarmed another diver. The second one went to the water immediately and both of them got the unconscious diver to the surface. The CPR was started immediately, ambulance came after 7 minutes. CPR was done for about 40 minutes without a success. Paramedics said it was probably a heart attack.
Diver that died was a colleague of mine, rather an experienced diver with more than 200 dives (normoxic trimix diver). In the main rebreather tank there was nitrox EAN 54, in the bailout – air. He also had an 8 liters stage with air – not used. It was a second dive of this day. The first dive was around 30 minutes long. The surface interval was around 3 hours.

Now – I know almost nothing about the rebreathers and the way they are taught.
My basic questions are:
1. Where was the instructor – as far as I know he was not even dressed in the diving gear – this is why it was another student of his that was jumping to the water to help – I think it should have been the instructor that should go down
2. They were all trained cave divers – but why didn’t they have a proper line that is used in the ice diving? I’ve been told they treated it as a cave dive but at the same time they had a totally new equipment and what I’ve heard buoyancy with the rebreathers is different and more difficult – so why were they let to go under ice without being attached to the line?
3. How come his buddy couldn’t get him up?
4. How ofted scrubber should be changed? I understood that this one was not changed for several hours.

Police and prosecutor hold the investigation. The results of post mortem should be known by within couple of days.
I would like to hear your opinions – first of all those of you who dive and know rebreathers. I'm trying to find out what happened - I really liked him and I'll be missing him.
Mania

 

[cdiver2]

The accident took place during the dive that was part of the rebreather course. Both divers were using SCR Draeger Dolphin. At the end of the dive which was ice dive, around 20 minutes after descending at the depth of around 26 – 29 ft with the distance to the platform of around 32 ft one of the divers lost consciousness. He ascended to the surface and then droped down to the bottom (the maximum depth – 49 ft). His buddy was not able to bring him up by himself so he ascended and alarmed another diver. The second one went to the water immediately and both of them got the unconscious diver to the surface. The CPR was started immediately, ambulance came after 7 minutes. CPR was done for about 40 minutes without a success. Paramedics said it was probably a heart attack.
Diver that died was a colleague of mine, rather an experienced diver with more than 200 dives (normoxic trimix diver). In the main rebreather tank there was nitrox EAN 54, in the bailout – air. He also had an 8 liters stage with air – not used. It was a second dive of this day. The first dive was around 30 minutes long. The surface interval was around 3 hours.

Now – I know almost nothing about the rebreathers and the way they are taught.
My basic questions are:
1. Where was the instructor – as far as I know he was not even dressed in the diving gear – this is why it was another student of his that was jumping to the water to help – I think it should have been the instructor that should go down
2. They were all trained cave divers – but why didn’t they have a proper line that is used in the ice diving? I’ve been told they treated it as a cave dive but at the same time they had a totally new equipment and what I’ve heard buoyancy with the rebreathers is different and more difficult – so why were they let to go under ice without being attached to the line?
3. How come his buddy couldn’t get him up?
4. How ofted scrubber should be changed? I understood that this one was not changed for several hours.

Police and prosecutor hold the investigation. The results of post mortem should be known by within couple of days.
I would like to hear your opinions – first of all those of you who dive and know rebreathers. I'm trying to find out what happened - I really liked him and I'll be missing him.
Mania

To hear of the loss of a friend. Like you I know nothing about rebreathers but I was under the impression that they could do hours in a dive.
Like you the question that gets me why could his buddy not lift him.
Again sorry for the loss.

 

[BigJetDriver]

Mania,

First, I am very sorry that your friend died. It is a very tragic situation.

Second, at this distance, commenting on the why and how of a diving accident is, unfortunately, almost meaningless.

Since I am a re-breather instructor, but not an instructor on that unit, I can only comment in general on a couple of things.

If, as you report, the Paramedic said it was a heart attack, it could have happened on the surface, with the same result.

You say that the divers were experienced cavers. One would have to make the assumption that they would treat this just as they would any other overhead penetration based upon their training.

Scrubber canisters need to be changed out frequently, especially in "hard use" situations, such as very cold water.

If the unit that your friend was using flooded when he had his heart attack and lost the mouth-piece, that would help to explain some of the difficulty his buddy experienced in trying to retrieve him.

I realize that this is very generic in nature, but commenting further at this remove does not help, and ultimately might confuse the situation.

Again, I am very sorry for the loss of your friend.

Sincerely,

Rob Davie

 

[H2Andy]

mania, i am so sorry about your friend. i hope you are doing well under the
circumstances.

unfortunately, i don't know the first thing about rebreathers, so i can't
add anything useful.

 

[Saipanman]

Nothing to add but condolences to you and to those who will miss your friend.