Feb 19 2017 Cozumel diving fatality

[Ron Lee]

So what's you point, if a diver signals OK we're to call the coast guard and rush to the rescue?

Perhaps when a person has exhibited some distress, it would be better to spend another few minutes to see that they get on the boat.

 

[dmaziuk]

Perhaps when a person has exhibited some distress, it would be better to spend another few minutes to see that they get on the boat.

Yeah well... perhaps it would even work out that way when there is no group that you're supposed to lead being carried away by the current. Or another diver in actual distress and needing assistance.

 

[KevinNM]

There really wasn't any indication of distress from what people who were there have said.

That being said, if you are solo diving you don't have anyone else to depend on. And being the "buddy" of a DM responsible for a gaggle of other random divers is basically solo diving. Having a solid dependable teammate is really nice, and you should remain together from the time you enter the water until you leave the water. There are too many horror stories of people ascending a few minutes before their teammates and one of them is never again seen alive.

And yes, I've been beaten up by GUE instructors about not being solidly positive at the surface. It's easy to not inflate your wing when you surface, but you should. And you should do it routinely so you don't have to think about it when under stress.

 

[stevensamler]

When a diver in the group needs to surface " thumbs the dive " then all divers surface, once on the surface sort out the problem , get it handled , make sure diver is safe and back onboard. Controlled descents are part of diving this should be discussed in the dive plan and briefing by the DM who is guiding the group.

 

[Freewillow]

When a diver in the group needs to surface " thumbs the dive " then all divers surface, once on the surface sort out the problem , get it handled , make sure diver is safe and back onboard. Controlled descents are part of diving this should be discussed in the dive plan and briefing by the DM who is guiding the group.

While I totally agree with you for some parts of the world and some organisations, this can differ WIDELLY in some parts of the world. It goes to what you are describing to a dive briefing, site description, buddy assignments and off you go - by pairs or as a group, with or without a DM - .

 

[AdivingBel]

When a diver in the group needs to surface " thumbs the dive " then all divers surface...

Talking warm water, rec diving (sometimes these discussions get sidetracked because it's a worldwide audience and different diving conditions require different procedures), if my buddy or I need to thumb a dive early, we'll notify the guide if possible then proceed to surface. Unless we request additional assistance or another diver brings something specific to the party, odds are the rest of the group will just be in our way. There's no reason for the rest of the group to AUTOMATICALLY have to surface. That said, recall and surfacing procedures should be part of the pre-dive briefing and take precedence. IMHO.

Freewillow beat me to it.

 

[Steelyeyes]

I was the diver who found this woman, and my husband and I tried to bring her to the surface and were not able to. We tried to reconnect her BC hose so we could inflate her, she had a half tank of air. At first I just saw a tank and rig. I thought maybe it had fallen from a boat. Then as I looked closer, being carried by current, my perspective changed and I saw what looked like legs. I looked around for other divers, her head was down like she was kneeling on the reef and I thought maybe the diver was looking at something and holding a breath. But after a minute of looking, I could see there were no bubbles. I was probably 100 feet away, I saw her and had her in my sights for at least the 3 minutes it took me to get my husbands attention and swim to her. In all that time there were no bubbles, and also no sign of a struggle. Her regulator was not in her mouth. We both inflated our BCs and tried to bring her up. We were at about 35-40 feet. My husband is a trained rescue diver, but we could not revive her. I was surprised that no officials wanted a statement from us. I reported what I could to Dan. The island does not like this kind of news to get out. It bothered me greatly that she was alone.

Thank you for what you did. I'm sure it was not an easy day.

 

[JamesBon92007]

All of what John posted is in agreement with the secondhand information that I have. I think the biggest takeaway for me is the reinforcement of my previously held beliefs that.... You should always have your own dsmb when diving, especially in Coz. You should never relinquish responsibility for your diving to someone else, not your buddy, not your DM and not your instructor. Scuba diving is a dangerous activity that can be made relatively safe or deadly simply by the seriousness or the nonchalance of the participants. The beginning and the end of the dive are especially critical in determining a safe outcome and the focus of buddies during those periods should not be distracted or taken lightly. The last five minutes of a dive may be the most important five minutes of your life or your buddy's life.

I have to say that I don't like your statement that "scuba diving is a dangerous activity." Would you also say that driving a car is a "dangerous activity?"

I agree that scuba diving can be dangerous under certain circumstances but in my opinion it is no more dangerous and many other sports and less so than many.

 

[BertStevens]

Statistically scuba is as dangerous as bowling.

 

[Centrals]

When a diver in the group needs to surface " thumbs the dive " then all divers surface, once on the surface sort out the problem , get it handled , make sure diver is safe and back onboard. Controlled descents are part of diving this should be discussed in the dive plan and briefing by the DM who is guiding the group.

Easy said than done.
I have NO problem with that but trying to convince everyone else is another matter.