Georgia diver collapses dead - Juno Beach, Florida

[Bob DBF]

It's not normal to return to the boat within 10 minutes. Ergo, how could the victim have seemed perfectly normal "after the dive". He didn't have a dive.

I thought a diver could call a dive any time for any reason. My personal best was under two minutes. If he got back on board, took care of business as usual... giving no sign of distress to the casual observer.


Bob

 

[chillyinCanada]

I thought a diver could call a dive any time for any reason. My personal best was under two minutes. If he got back on board, took care of business as usual... giving no sign of distress to the casual observer.


Bob

He had a reason of some sort. Where do you get that I was being critical about that?

Nevermind. Let's try to stay focused on what may have happened to the poor man.

 

[dmaziuk]

IM very limited E when you come up after two or ten minutes, you're the only diver on the boat, it's unusual and unexpected, and so a crew member will usually look and/or ask what's up.

 

[uncfnp]

^^^very true and I hadn’t looked at it that way. I recall once coming up after about 15 min for really bad viz and the crew was right there wanting to know if there is a problem.

 

[Shasta_man]

While dwarfed in comparison to what happened to the injured man, I was struck by the thought of coming up from your dive to find someone getting chest compressions on the deck.

 

[islanddream]

@islanddream or @Drew Marlar, can you tell us if this was dive 1 or 2 of the day?

We were on the 1:30 pm boat and it was our first dive of the afternoon. We didn't get a second dive because we had to get back to the dive shop dock so the sheriffs could talk to each of us.

 

[islanddream]

Yes, most of those could lead to sudden death but none of those would be the result of his fall and hitting his head which has been suggested as the cause of death.

@islanddream Was there a recall for the divers in the water?

With drift diving, it's very hard to do a recall. Some divers are out east lobstering, others are with the dive master, others are doing their own thing. It'd be hard to gather up everyone since it's not mandatory that divers stay with the dive master.

 

[scubadada]

With drift diving, it's very hard to do a recall. Some divers are out east lobstering, others are with the dive master, others are doing their own thing. It'd be hard to gather up everyone since it's not mandatory that divers stay with the dive master.

Yes, that is the JDC method, ascend at 45 minutes.

 

[uncfnp]

With drift diving, it's very hard to do a recall. Some divers are out east lobstering, others are with the dive master, others are doing their own thing. It'd be hard to gather up everyone since it's not mandatory that divers stay with the dive master.

But I have seen it done. I have also ascended to no boat in sight once. The boat had made a quick run to shore.

 

[Johnoly]

But I have seen it done.....

A typical Jupiter drift that we do is 1/2 mile to normally 9/10th of a mile {but 2 miles UW in ripping current has been done}.
In 85 to 90ft deep water, you may faintly hear an inboard diesel engine rev 1/10 of a mile away and a 4 stroke outboard is almost silent and would have to be directly overhead. Even high pitch sounds that don't travel as far as low hums, like a metal pipe banging on a ladder is only good for 1/10 mile at 90ft deep.

I'm just saying for those of us who dive Jupiter, it's next to impossible to recall 20 divers underwater since they are more than 1/10 mile away and don't stick together. Having the FWC officers bring the injured diver to shore in a MUCH faster boat by off loading is standard practice. And it allows the dive boat to safely and timely pickup the remaining divers and return them to the docks. We all help out with picking up in water divers and returning them to either the original dive boat or returning them to their dock by talking over the radio. Everyone works together on the water, no questions asked.