Holy S...!!

[mislav]

The video is legitimate, but the "analysis" is horrendous. Especially with that comment added for additional dramatization at the end of the vid.

Its hard to be 100% sure of anything here, but from that vid the most likely scenario is the one Mark laid out. It was a bounce record depth dive on air that ended up in tragedy. Most likely cause was heavy nitrogen narcosis and disorientation of a diver.

All that "The diver got entangled in sand." and "He was yelling help. Other experts agree on that." remarks are only making a comedy out of this tragic accident.

Blue Hole is an excellent diving location for deep diving. It's not really a typical Red Sea dive spot. For instance, the water is not as clear as it usually is in other Red Sea dive spots. It's a location that expects more knowledge and experience than some have, and with its lure of the deep has claimed over 100 deaths so far.

Still, everyone tries to beat their depth record there... The current world record held by Nuno Gomes of over 313m was done at the Blue Hole. Just outside of it actually, since inside its depth varies from about 90 to 135m, depending where you dive. Outside of the Blue Hole there is a huge drop off which makes this location really ideal for deep diving.

The top of the arch is at 56 meters, but you need to sink to 58 to go through it. Even the sharks sometimes pay a visit to that place. Haven't seen them myself there yet, but there are some huge fishes and turtles in the area.

It's not true that no women ever died there. The video H2OU posted actually is of a body of Barbara Dillinger, probably the most famous of all Blue Hole victims. She still lies there due to it being her family's last wish. They wanted her to be buried in the sea, the place she loved the most. Barbara has her plaque at the Blue Hole, and if anyone is interested, I can even post the pics of those.

Deaths at Blue Hole are really not that uncommon. One happened during my last visit to the place. There is also always someone going for his depth record there also. I witnessed the failed attempt of breaking the Polish depth record of over 200m on my last visit. The guy was ok, he only miscalculated his mixes.

Heck, even my own depth record was at the Blue Hole. Ohh, the lure of that place...

 

[MarkUK]

Thanks Mislav, I hadn't heard of Barbara Dillinger, what I was getting at is that by far the vast majority of the dead are men, and you just wonder how many are down to trying to boost their ego by going deep, seriously deep, while totally not ready for what might go wrong?

Mark

 

[mikerault]

Looks like either his inflator didn't work (hence no inflator sounds) or something was wrong with his weight release (hence all the thrashing around) hard to tell without seeing more data from any investigation. Was the date correct I wonder? 6 years ago? That wouldtie in with the decayed body in th second video.

Mike

 

[*Floater*]

Looks like either his inflator didn't work (hence no inflator sounds) or something was wrong with his weight release (hence all the thrashing around) hard to tell without seeing more data from any investigation. Was the date correct I wonder? 6 years ago? That wouldtie in with the decayed body in th second video.

Mike

If it was an inflator/weight system/getting out of rig problem then why did he keep filming the dive instead of sorting out the problem? And why did he start filming his computer at depth? Of course it's impossible to tell from the video for sure, but to me the record bounce dive on air scenario sounds more plausible.

 

[coach_izzy]

In case you are interested, I think this is the video that MarkUK is referring to. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhcF-Coc1J0

Thank you very much for posting the link to this video, and thanks to Mark for the reference.

The bounce dive attempt theory makes a lot of sense. Yet another reminder of sadly neglected common sense. I have trying to find more about the incident, including the yahoo accident database with no luck. Does anyone have a helpful link?

 

[Cacia]

Amazing. I bet she had a heart attack and couldn't swim...and just sunk.

I said what he said, out loud while watching it.

Think about how many divers have massive fatal heart attacks. Think about diving on a wall, the site wasn't a factor, if you ask me.

That is consistent with a person having a catastrophic medical "death"....way more prevalent than a diving accident, and then just sinking. Then seizing, whatever... Coulda been a stroke, a heart attack, something like that, very common.

I mean, odds would have it that it isn't anything more exotic.
I doubt it has anything to do with diving or the plan, or the buddy. But the buddy looked like a weak, poor diver the way he was flailing around like a person with 8 dives or less....

 

[Gdiver]

That video is a great educational source for newer divers. It just goes to show that no matter how long you have been diving, you still have to stick to the basics with proper dive planning. Thanks for the link.

 

[Cacia]

....think about ALL the drivers that cross the median every year on the freeway from massive MI's or strokes......those same people, if diving are going to "look like this".

Catastrophic death from a medical cause would mimic "entanglement" on the footage.
No control over arms and legs, etc. Not able to plan or execute a plan....

I am curious about how the camera was retrieved and the body left....the logistics of that. That tank will be surfacing any day, looks like.

 

[coach_izzy]

....think about ALL the drivers that cross the median every year on the freeway from massive MI's or strokes......those same people, if diving are going to "look like this".

Catastrophic death from a medical cause would mimic "entanglement" on the footage.
No control over arms and legs, etc. Not able to plan or execute a plan....

I thought something along those lines, but since the diver kept the regulator in his mouth and kept breathing gave me doubts. Compounding the fact that he showed his computer to the camera, made the the theory of the bounce dive attempt more plausible.

Then again, that's only my opinion and my experience with the cases like you described is very limited, so you may have another good approach there...

Thanks Catherine, always a pleasure to hear from you.

 

[Cacia]

I must have missed that part (the gauge) I was interupted.
there is this saying in medicine "don't look for zebras, when those are probably just horse's hoofbeats"...something like that.

I thought the diver was in trouble early on, which is why I am not so sure about the bounce attempt. One thing...you probably already know, is that many people who suffer from arrythmias might attempt a Valsalva to convert. That noise could be that?
Diver has a fatal arrythmia (likely time, at the beginning of a challenging dive, the anticipation and stress) and then loses adequate cardiac output for skeletel muscles, brain, etc. V. tach without adequate perfusion could be the cause. Can't wait to see what a cardiologist or ER doc says....

Deaths like these should always be considered a possible cardiac event, much like when a pregnant woman is killed you suspect the husband or boyfriend due to the sheer numbers of known cases.

One of the most dramatic things I have seen in some time. Gives you the willies. I watched it again, the gauge portion looks unintentional and inadvertant, to me.

Also, from the looks on the faces, I would guess at least some of these people knew the person..or of him/her. The big guy's reaction is that of one having an emotional response.