Lessons to be learned-Death in Palau

[BILLB]

I think that some of the posts have been unfair to PHD. Dive boats are like Instructors and Dive Training Agencies. Its the instructor stupid! (That makes the difference).

The PHD boat I once dived with had very explicit briefings. We were also a boat load of experienced divers. On one of the last dives, we encountered a ripping down draft on a wall. All of us reconized this immediately and to the diver we all aborted this dive. No harm done and we all took responsibility for our actions.

As to the Palau accident, like the report said, the diver was without a mask and could have been hit with an object and rendered unconscience. We just don't know for sure.

Is it PHD's fault that the currents were ripping? As I undrstand it currents are a fact of life when diving in this part of the world. This dive has been repeated 100's of time by PHD and probably with currents as strong as encountered with this dive. Yet, why this time an accident?

Training is what it is all about and if a diver assumes more than the conditions for which they were trained for; it is their personal responsibility to dive beyound the training.

 

[O-ring]

snuggle once bubbled...
i have to agree with jepuskar on this one..this was a tragic thing that happened but as he said it was her call to make..and she was certified although with how many dives under her belt we dont know..i read some of the other posts on this regarding well if people practiced what they are taught then that would make them better to handle the situation..this i dont agree with at all..sure it may help to some degree but remember that when practicing we are doing it relaxed because their isnt a situation and we tend to have no problems doing the drills but under pressure the outcome is different because we are fighting the situation to begin with and not to mention when the fear factor is added to the equation and time factors as well then its a whole new ballgame.so please folks everyone reacts different in the same situation..some can handle it very well while others can not..you can practice to your hearts content but it never really prepares you mentally when something goes terribly wrong..and lets face it fear makes the mind do some wrong things at the wrong time..i guess i have talked too long already..just my thoughts..

But some people practice under severe duress and have unanticipated "problems" created for them during training. This helps with what you said.

Also, let's take this back to training. The diver in question had gas in her tanks. Was she practiced in breathing without a mask? This would be a non-issue for someone who is comfortable breathing without a mask. Just breathe, think, act. Even if the current was that ripping that she couldn't keep water out of her nose she had two free hands. That leaves one hand to pinch her nose closed, breathe, then the other hand to deploy knife and sever hook line.

 

[detroit diver]

jepuskar once bubbled...
Does the post mention anything about the dive briefing? I couldn't find anything. Maybe the divemaster told all the divers the proper procedures to follow for drift diving, maybe he told them there was a good chance for strong current, maybe our victim decided to dive anyway after hearing all of this.

Or maybe nothing was said about the conditions of the water..who knows, can we find out?

I've emailed my friend to see if she knows the answer to this. I will post it if I get the infomation. I have also asked her for the woman's dive experience if she knows.

 

[ibnygator]

MikeFerrara once bubbled...
Now maybe I'm the one who doesn't know anything but I'm not going to tie myself to anything. I carry a knife so I can get untied should I end up that way on accident. I think a fair number of divers have trouble with that dive it's just that most live. The entire arrangement is idiotic, IMO.

Imagine paying someone to hand you that dive plan. If somebody didn't die it would be flat out funny for someone to tie in while the current strips them of all their belongings.

I still don't understand why they were supposed to hook into the reef. Was it so the tender didn't have to go as far to get them? A safety stop? To enjoy the view?

 

[O-ring]

ibnygator once bubbled...


I still don't understand why they were supposed to hook into the reef. Was it so the tender didn't have to go as far to get them? A safety stop? To enjoy the view?

More likely it is so the divers can stay put to watch the pretty reef and the aquatic life and to have 2 free hands to use their cameras...

 

[MikeFerrara]

O-ring once bubbled...

More likely it is so the divers can stay put to watch the pretty reef and the aquatic life and to have 2 free hands to use their cameras...

They apparantly stay put all right!

 

[snuggle]

o-ring..no disrespect to you but are you telling me that divers put themselves in situations of duress just to practice skills?and you go on to say that unanticipated problems are created for them..i dont think you can create strong currents and 6 foot swells in a pool..some things you can simulate but others you cant..and mike..must you be so sarcastic..no one likes to hear about someone dying and believe me being sarcastic about things wont change some divers as to the way they dive..diving has its risks period..theres no way around that..and to those who lame instructors..yes there are bad ones out there but some darn good ones too..i am thankfull for the instructors that i had..

 

[jepuskar]

I have never heard of that kind of a practice . So what happens, the divers get hooks to dig into wherever they find a place too and then what?

I almost positive I would not have been a happy camper with current that strong.
:wacko:

 

[detroit diver]

O-ring once bubbled...

More likely it is so the divers can stay put to watch the pretty reef and the aquatic life and to have 2 free hands to use their cameras...

You're correct, and in this case there was apparently converging currents which made the "large stuff" abundant in their quest for food. That was the big draw here.

 

[detroit diver]

jepuskar once bubbled...
I have never heard of that kind of a practice . So what happens, the divers get hooks to dig into wherever they find a place too and then what?

I almost positive I would not have been a happy camper with current that strong.
:wacko:

Not to mention what these hooks are doing to the reef.