Injured Diver - Pensacola 4/9/11
- Thread starter Hetland
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jhayes75
Contributor
Sad, prayers for the family.
MRXRAY
Contributor
OK. I am posting this at the request of the buddy of the deceased diver:
Barry, a friend indicated you had a scuba board post regarding the dive tragedy Saturday. I was the diver giving buddy breathing and part of the group giving CPR and transport.
Could you post the version below, which is accurate to the best of our ability to remember these terrible events. I included the affidavit I gave to the Coast Guard, edited without names to protect his family. Please confirm receipt, as I am unsure if I have your current email address.
Thank you for providing the notification to the diving community, and also protecting his family from hearing anything negative about his diving safety.
sincerely,
(Name removed by me)
I wanted to share a terrible event that happened Saturday with our friends, family, and fellow divers. We lost a diver, who died Saturday night. This record is also being used as my affidavit provided to the US Coast Guard, along with my dive profile. I have removed any names of divers to protect his family.
**********
Affidavit of XXXXX
RE: Events of April 9, 2011 resulting in diver death
We started an incredible dive Saturday morning with 6 divers, and a bubble watcher. We all went down together with the plan to stay together. We were diving in 102 feet of water on natural bottom in the Gulf of Mexico off of Pensacola Beach, about a 45 min boat ride from the Shoreline boat dock. Divers had either 80 or 95 cu tanks, with enriched air Nitrox between 30 and 36%. Visibility was good, maybe 30 feet. I was diving a 95 cu. steel tank, 2900 psi, with 36% nitrox. My dive computer showed temperature was 64 F, max depth 102 feet, and 35 min dive time.
I swam away from our group chasing a red grouper, which I shot. I was surprised when DIVER came next to me and helped me get the spear out of my fish (I assumed he was with the group). My plan was to return and find the group, but instead I followed DIVER, who appeared to be vigorously looking for lobsters under the bottom ledge. We swam farther away from the boat along a natural break in the bottom. At about 1100 psi, I grabbed DIVER and signaled we needed to head back. He nodded and followed. After a minute or two I looked back and he was in the distance fishing again.
I grabbed him again and we started back. My gauge was showing about 700 psi, so I signaled we needed to start ascending, which we did. He showed me his gauge somewhere about 80 feet, indicating he was low or out of air. I could not read his air gauge which puzzled me (later realized his gauge is all red and black from 0 to 1000 psi, even the arrow is black, making it difficult to see in low light..i.e., it all looks black when you are deep). I did not think to use my flashlight, and instead just shrugged and handed him my octopus and we ascended together.
My computer started showing too rapid ascent at about 67 feet, so I made us stop for about a minute. We then ascended again to within 20 feet of surface. My gauge (an analog) showed 0 psi, which I showed to DIVER. He apparently had been rapidly consuming air, which should have been enough for both of us to safely go to the surface, including a safety stop. I pointed to my octopus, to him, and then the surface and he handed me the octopus and ascended rapidly to the surface. I am not sure if he put his own regulator back in his mouth; there should have been enough air in his tank to breath since we were now shallow. I don’t recall if I saw him blowing bubbles during the ascent.
I stayed down and finished my safety stop (computer said 3 min, indicating our ascent to 20 feet was within guidelines). From my position below him, he seemed to be acting normal on the surface. He turned himself on his back and started fining. I followed underwater thinking he was headed toward the boat. Near the end of my safety stop, he quit moving. I ascended and found him on his back, BC inflated, purple face, with his mask on. His face appeared swelled. I took off his mask and tried to wake him up; I manually added more air to his BC, and kept his head out of the water and yelled for the boat.
They threw anchor and came to our location as I finned pulling DIVER towards the boat. Two of our group jumped in and brought him to the boat, removed his dive gear, and then others lifted him into the boat. The Coast Guard (CG) was called and we started CPR. We gave coordinates and started heading back at full speed.
DIVER seemed semi responsive for about the first 20 minutes, slowly gasping for breath and occasionally slowly moving an arm; he did not blink and his pupils were dilated and eyes half shut. He remained purple with veins showing in his cheek and neck. His face was very swelled. I noted gurgling in his lungs as I gave breaths. We radioed the CG and asked for advice on water removal from his lungs. Only guidance received was to continue CPR. We periodically turned him on his side and hit his back in effort to dislodge any water, then immediately back to CPR. At one point we ran the boat so fast the engine cut out in our effort to get to shore as fast as possible.
The CG met us after about 20 minutes and instructed us to follow in their wake. We asked to have them come aboard or take DIVER because of drowning concerns, but they continued to instruct us to follow in their wake and continue CPR. We continued CPR, with giving breaths more difficult because of a yellowish discharge from his lungs or stomach that caused us to gag. Several of us vomited after taking turns giving breaths. He gained normal color back, but his face seemed to be more swelled. His tongue appeared bitten.
We arrived at Pensacola Naval Air Station about 20 min later (approximately 40 min of boat time and CPR). The Base fire department got him on a stretcher and administered oxygen (we did not have any on the boat). The helicopter landed as we arrived and took him to Baptist Hospital in Pensacola.
This is a true and accurate account of these events to the best of my ability to remember.
Sincerely,
XXXXX
************
The accident was preventable and is a message to all of us to be safer divers, check your gages, and get on the boat with air in your tank. As a friend said, 5 more minutes of bottom time aint worth dying for. The diver we lost was an experienced diver, but not always a safe one. He had pushed the limits many times before. He also did not dive with a computer, which is critical for the diving we do in the Gulf. We are terribly sad for his family and know that we did our best to get him back alive to them. We will put a plaque down on the reef on our next dive as a memorial.
Barry, a friend indicated you had a scuba board post regarding the dive tragedy Saturday. I was the diver giving buddy breathing and part of the group giving CPR and transport.
Could you post the version below, which is accurate to the best of our ability to remember these terrible events. I included the affidavit I gave to the Coast Guard, edited without names to protect his family. Please confirm receipt, as I am unsure if I have your current email address.
Thank you for providing the notification to the diving community, and also protecting his family from hearing anything negative about his diving safety.
sincerely,
(Name removed by me)
I wanted to share a terrible event that happened Saturday with our friends, family, and fellow divers. We lost a diver, who died Saturday night. This record is also being used as my affidavit provided to the US Coast Guard, along with my dive profile. I have removed any names of divers to protect his family.
**********
Affidavit of XXXXX
RE: Events of April 9, 2011 resulting in diver death
We started an incredible dive Saturday morning with 6 divers, and a bubble watcher. We all went down together with the plan to stay together. We were diving in 102 feet of water on natural bottom in the Gulf of Mexico off of Pensacola Beach, about a 45 min boat ride from the Shoreline boat dock. Divers had either 80 or 95 cu tanks, with enriched air Nitrox between 30 and 36%. Visibility was good, maybe 30 feet. I was diving a 95 cu. steel tank, 2900 psi, with 36% nitrox. My dive computer showed temperature was 64 F, max depth 102 feet, and 35 min dive time.
I swam away from our group chasing a red grouper, which I shot. I was surprised when DIVER came next to me and helped me get the spear out of my fish (I assumed he was with the group). My plan was to return and find the group, but instead I followed DIVER, who appeared to be vigorously looking for lobsters under the bottom ledge. We swam farther away from the boat along a natural break in the bottom. At about 1100 psi, I grabbed DIVER and signaled we needed to head back. He nodded and followed. After a minute or two I looked back and he was in the distance fishing again.
I grabbed him again and we started back. My gauge was showing about 700 psi, so I signaled we needed to start ascending, which we did. He showed me his gauge somewhere about 80 feet, indicating he was low or out of air. I could not read his air gauge which puzzled me (later realized his gauge is all red and black from 0 to 1000 psi, even the arrow is black, making it difficult to see in low light..i.e., it all looks black when you are deep). I did not think to use my flashlight, and instead just shrugged and handed him my octopus and we ascended together.
My computer started showing too rapid ascent at about 67 feet, so I made us stop for about a minute. We then ascended again to within 20 feet of surface. My gauge (an analog) showed 0 psi, which I showed to DIVER. He apparently had been rapidly consuming air, which should have been enough for both of us to safely go to the surface, including a safety stop. I pointed to my octopus, to him, and then the surface and he handed me the octopus and ascended rapidly to the surface. I am not sure if he put his own regulator back in his mouth; there should have been enough air in his tank to breath since we were now shallow. I don’t recall if I saw him blowing bubbles during the ascent.
I stayed down and finished my safety stop (computer said 3 min, indicating our ascent to 20 feet was within guidelines). From my position below him, he seemed to be acting normal on the surface. He turned himself on his back and started fining. I followed underwater thinking he was headed toward the boat. Near the end of my safety stop, he quit moving. I ascended and found him on his back, BC inflated, purple face, with his mask on. His face appeared swelled. I took off his mask and tried to wake him up; I manually added more air to his BC, and kept his head out of the water and yelled for the boat.
They threw anchor and came to our location as I finned pulling DIVER towards the boat. Two of our group jumped in and brought him to the boat, removed his dive gear, and then others lifted him into the boat. The Coast Guard (CG) was called and we started CPR. We gave coordinates and started heading back at full speed.
DIVER seemed semi responsive for about the first 20 minutes, slowly gasping for breath and occasionally slowly moving an arm; he did not blink and his pupils were dilated and eyes half shut. He remained purple with veins showing in his cheek and neck. His face was very swelled. I noted gurgling in his lungs as I gave breaths. We radioed the CG and asked for advice on water removal from his lungs. Only guidance received was to continue CPR. We periodically turned him on his side and hit his back in effort to dislodge any water, then immediately back to CPR. At one point we ran the boat so fast the engine cut out in our effort to get to shore as fast as possible.
The CG met us after about 20 minutes and instructed us to follow in their wake. We asked to have them come aboard or take DIVER because of drowning concerns, but they continued to instruct us to follow in their wake and continue CPR. We continued CPR, with giving breaths more difficult because of a yellowish discharge from his lungs or stomach that caused us to gag. Several of us vomited after taking turns giving breaths. He gained normal color back, but his face seemed to be more swelled. His tongue appeared bitten.
We arrived at Pensacola Naval Air Station about 20 min later (approximately 40 min of boat time and CPR). The Base fire department got him on a stretcher and administered oxygen (we did not have any on the boat). The helicopter landed as we arrived and took him to Baptist Hospital in Pensacola.
This is a true and accurate account of these events to the best of my ability to remember.
Sincerely,
XXXXX
************
The accident was preventable and is a message to all of us to be safer divers, check your gages, and get on the boat with air in your tank. As a friend said, 5 more minutes of bottom time aint worth dying for. The diver we lost was an experienced diver, but not always a safe one. He had pushed the limits many times before. He also did not dive with a computer, which is critical for the diving we do in the Gulf. We are terribly sad for his family and know that we did our best to get him back alive to them. We will put a plaque down on the reef on our next dive as a memorial.
MRXRAY
Contributor
Very tragic event and as XXXX states at the end of his account it was very preventable and could have cost 2 people's lives instead of just 1. Lack of situational awareness played a key factor in this death and it should be stressed that you always get back on board with 500 psi in your tank.
Thanks for sharing the details. Hopefully it will prevent such incidents.
Thank you for posting MRXRAY. Very sad, indeed. :depressed:
I did not see a reference to it there, so I posted a link to this thread in the "Accidents and Mishaps" section. I'm hoping other's will read it and learn from it.
jhayes75
Contributor
Thanks for the update. This is very sad because everything was completely preventable. It appears that the number 1 rule of scuba diving was broken.
OP
Hetland
Contributor
Just a guess, but I'm betting narcosis played a part in the poor decision-making at depth.
limeyx
Guest
Wow, a very sobering read.
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