Female Diver Missing on The Yukon, San Diego

[MrNatural]

Yeah, the tank being empty really bothers me to. When the DM brought her up, I'm sure he kept her reg in her mouth but when he dropped her back into the washing machine, what kept her reg in place? So, assuming she dropped the reg, how did the air in her tank get used up? I was on the Yukon the other day and she was as beautiful as ever but I thought a lot about what happened that fateful day and how the tragedy could have been avoided. We were on a rescue training exercise and I am thinking, maybe, just maybe, more and better rescue training might have saved her. I don't want to publicly second guess but I am not sure if all the proper procedures were carried out by all parties involved in the accident.

 

[merxlin]

Most likely if she was being pushed around by the surge her regs just repeatedly "purged" and emptied the tank.

 

[Bob DBF]

So, assuming she dropped the reg, how did the air in her tank get used up?

A freeflow could dump the air, just having the reg in the wrong position and/or the surge could start start one.



Bob
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You only need two tools in life – WD40 and Duct Tape. If it doesn’t move and should, use the WD40. If it shouldn’t move and does, use the Duct Tape

 

[FM1520]

The Examiner's conclusion is that Staci possibly hit her head while being "tumbled" over the edge of the wreck in the violent surge... and was possibly knocked out. Her dive buddy also was tumbled and hit her head either on the wreck or Staci's tank, but, apparently wasn't knocked out (though she was separated from Staci).

The class DM then found Staci some time later with eyes open wide, unresponsive... and negatively buoyant. It was in that condition that he (the DM) over-inflated his own BC, while holding on to Staci, to try and get them both to the surface. The DM noted Staci made no attempt to help in this effort, suggesting she was likely dead or at least unconscious already. The DM lost his grip on Staci while attempting to vent his BC on the way up. He made an uncontrolled ascent to the surface and Staci sank downward.

The part of the report wherein it was stated her body at the bottom (with steel 85 tank & BC in-place)... without her weight belt... was negatively buoyant is a real eye-opener to me. Think how negative she must have been WITH her weight belt on.

Bill

According to the report the DM inflated both her and his BC but did not remove her weight belt.

 

[Ayisha]

I am very sorry for your loss, MacDyver60. Thank you for coming on here and trying to help us make sense of what happened to your daughter.

 

[peterbj7]

I am her Father.

In that case let me offer you my deepest sympathy. Your fortitude in coming here and discussing your daughter so dispassionately is quite humbling.

 

[Hatul]

According to the report the DM inflated both her and his BC but did not remove her weight belt.

That's also very odd. If he inflated her BC why did she drop?

 

[merxlin]

That is what is puzzling here. We do not know how far above the wreck they got before he lost control of her. From the descriptions it doesn't sound like they got very far off the deck, as a full BC and 8lbs of lead would not typically allow a diver in a 7mm suit to drop back down. Thinking about her gear, she only had 16lbs of weight between the tank (full) and lead. Even a tropical BC would have 25-28 lbs of lift, plus her 7mm suit had to have some buoyancy even at depth. In the heat of the moment I suppose it is possible her buddy didn't fully inflate the BC. It's also possible her OPV was stuck open or for some other reason the BC was venting and that situation cleared itself once she dropped back down.

 

[Hatul]

That is what is puzzling here. We do not know how far above the wreck they got before he lost control of her. From the descriptions it doesn't sound like they got very far off the deck, as a full BC and 8lbs of lead would not typically allow a diver in a 7mm suit to drop back down. Thinking about her gear, she only had 16lbs of weight between the tank (full) and lead. Even a tropical BC would have 25-28 lbs of lift, plus her 7mm suit had to have some buoyancy even at depth. In the heat of the moment I suppose it is possible her buddy didn't fully inflate the BC. It's also possible her OPV was stuck open or for some other reason the BC was venting and that situation cleared itself once she dropped back down.

I was wondering if she was wearing some non-ditchable weights, as on her tank bands or in BC pockets, because 8 lbs of lead sounds awfully little for a 7mm wetsuit. And yes, my guess is the BC was likely not fully inflated or she would have come up. Can't see how a OPV can be transiently stuck open, and if it was it would be obvious from all the bubbles.

 

[Peter69_56]

Have to agree about the conditions topside vs underwater, too many assume flat surface = great diving conditions we dived outside port Phillip heads a week ago, flat seas but underwater below 15m there was a thermocline and brown muck and surges which would rocket you up 5-10 m before sucking you back down over the edge of the bank nowhere near the idealic conditions on the surface