LBTS Diver Death

[mikerault]

A teaspoon of water is much less than a swallow, and how many of you have nearly choked to death on a swallow of spit gone the "wrong way". It can trigger an laryngeal spasm resulting in dry drowning.

 

[Cave Diver]

A teaspoon of water is much less than a swallow, and how many of you have nearly choked to death on a swallow of spit gone the "wrong way". It can trigger an laryngeal spasm resulting in dry drowning.

I researched this before posting my earlier replies. All the results I found indicated it was *possible* under the right conditions, but EXTREMELY unlikely.

Do you have any references, training, experience or facts to back that up? I'd be interested in reading if you do.

 

[mikerault]

From a no doubt disreputable source known as the FBI from the site:

http://www.fbi.gov/publications/leb/2006/feb2006/feb2006leb.htm

Experts consider some individuals who drown as victims of dry drowning. In these cases, the fatal cerebral hypoxia, or oxygen deprivation, does not result from water occluding the airway but, rather, from a spasm of the larynx. Water never enters the lungs. These instances constitute 10 to 15 percent of all drownings.

 

[Cave Diver]

From a no doubt disreputable source known as the FBI from the site:

http://www.fbi.gov/publications/leb/2006/feb2006/feb2006leb.htm

Experts consider some individuals who drown as victims of dry drowning. In these cases, the fatal cerebral hypoxia, or oxygen deprivation, does not result from water occluding the airway but, rather, from a spasm of the larynx. Water never enters the lungs. These instances constitute 10 to 15 percent of all drownings.

Read a bit further:

Experts consider some individuals who drown as victims of dry drowning. In these cases, the fatal cerebral hypoxia, or oxygen deprivation, does not result from water occluding the airway but, rather, from a spasm of the larynx. Water never enters the lungs. These instances constitute 10 to 15 percent of all drownings.

When people sink beneath the surface of the water, they initially react by holding their breath. This continues until they have to breathe, thereby involuntarily inhaling a large volume of water, which either enters the lungs (in most instances) or reaches the larynx, producing the laryngeal spasm that results in dry drowning. In both cases, this gasping for air may continue for several minutes until respiration ceases. Cerebral hypoxia will progress until it becomes irreversible and death occurs.4

 

[mikerault]

Yes, but she was found floating, not submerged.

 

[Cave Diver]

Yes, but she was found floating, not submerged.

I don't dispute what you're saying about the spasm of the airway, I just question the amount of water needed to cause it.

We'll have to agree to disagree on the teaspoon.

 

[mikerault]

I wouldn't be surprised to find that the volume of the amount of spit we normally swallow in a single swallow wasn't derived in much the same way as our height. Studies concluded that our maximum average height as a species was determined by the amount of distance we could fall without causing a cracked skull. We priobably can't swallow enough spit in a single swallow (well, unless we capture more delibrately) that we can trigger a full dry drowning or many of us would die at a very young age/

 

[magicwanz]

I've taken mouthfuls of saltwater even in calm seas using a snorkle too many times, not to mention having the darn "dry" snorkles slam shut just when I need them the most.

Here is THE course for you:

Discover Snorkeling

Regards,
Chris

 

[mikerault]

Nope, I just make sure I have enough gas left by using proper gas management.

 

[Orlando Eric]

So let me understand the twist of the topic.-- I am not a caver so I am working with some assumptions here.

Al 80 tank filled to 3000 psi. I am going to dive Pepper Park here in Fort Pierce which is a whopping depth of 18'. I dive to 2000 psi remaining now I turn my dive and head back?

I wreck dive the Jim Atria I hit 2,000 pounds and turn back? Is this what you are saying? Are you saying you turn every dive having spent 1/3 using the 1/3 to get back and 1/3 in reserve so with the Al 80 you turn at 2,000 every dive no matter the conditions???