Missing diver Folly Beach SC

[Jan Kruger]

Very sad and shocking to read about this. Makes me realise again that diving can only be fun when you are well trained , have gear that is in good working order ,when you are physically in great shape and fitness of good standing. Diving with great buds also helps sometimes. All of my condolences to the family of this youngster.

 

[victor]

My thoughts are with the family and friends, particularly the father, he will never be able to forgive himself.
I find it so hard to take that so many make it to the surface and then slip back under only to loose their lives.
A 30 minute dive, was he OOA? I would expect not, maybe low but no mention of an OOA situation.
A strong and fit teenager, he should have been able to swim any configuration to the surface.
However a mouthful of salt water at the wrong moment, a coughing fit, oveweighted, and regulator slipped behind him, maybe some scenario like that.

I hope that more info becomes available to allow us to understand the circumstances that resulted in this tragic accident and some useful lessons learned may come from it.

 

[g1138]

From a local Sportsman Forum:
They had found the weightbelt but no diver.
This might hint to gear bag or ditching weight at depth, which under some circumstances may still leave a diver negative, especially if he had minimal exposure protection.

I personally don't agree with the Shark theory being hinted here. The shark mentioned was Mary Lee, a 16ft GW. You would notice if the diver was hit at the surface. She was also pinged 27th of June, long time ago.

Missing Diver - SCDUCKS.COM Forums

I decided to make this its own thread with updates.

The boys name is Tristen Allen, he just graduated and was to report to the citadel today. He played football at my old high school with my youngest brother. I coached him during spring practice last year for his final season. He was a great kid and is leaving a big hole in the community. An all around good kid. They found the belt at the bottom but not him. The comment that stuck with me was how fast he went down after he surfaced. At hearing this I immediately went and looked at the shark tag site and saw that the big female was in that area. They are still searching but not as a survivor rescue but as a body recovery. It has the whole island community apart. My only hope for the family and friends is closure whether good or bad. Pray for Tristen and his family and friends.

From his father: "We came off the bottom holding hands, we reached the surface," said Allen. "He was with me the whole time, he was never left alone."
Allen says then, without a sound, Tristen quickly went back under water. Allen said he appeared to be struggling to get his gear off and before his father could reach him, Tristen was nowhere to be seen. Allen says they dove for hours trying to find him.

Air stations from Clearwater, Florida and Savannah, Georgia assisted the search Sunday but did not resume Monday.

UPDATE: The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search Monday night for Tristen Allen of James Island after the 18-year-old went missing this weekend while scuba diving about 13 miles southeast of Folly Beach, officials said.

The Coast Guard used helicopters, planes and boats to search more than 2,759 square miles - an area roughly the size of Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties combined. Civilians also volunteered to help during the 53-hour search.

"This is a heartbreaking time for everyone involved, and we extend our deepest sympathies to Tristen Allen's family, friends and loved ones," said Capt. Ric Rodriguez, commander of Coast Guard Sector Charleston. "Decisions to end searches are among the most difficult Coast Guard members are ever forced to make, and are not ones we take lightly."

Allen was a recent graduate of the James Island Charter High School and planned to attend The Citadel in the fall.

The Coast Guard said Allen was diving with his father, Sam, around 2 p.m. Saturday on board a 22-foot Carolina skiff.

This is the grid of the search area:

 

[Steve_C]

Very sad. I grieve for the father. I am trying to understand the accident. Somebody mentioned a mouth full of water. If your reg stays in your mouth until you are on the boat, then that cannot happen. Unless OOA, if you inflate BCD at the surface, then it should be able to hold you there especially with weights dropped. A weight drop should take only seconds whether a belt or integrated. It would be very helpful to understand the diving configuration and son's normal diving practice on return to this boat.

Did they pass equipment up or reboard with gear on? Was this usual practice?

Did the son always use a weight belt or was he used to integrated weights?

 

[victor]

The mention that they have found his weight belt. Not sure how they can know it is his as weight belts get lost all the time.
Assuming they can then consious or not he should have returned to the surface close to where he submerged and I would have expected his father or the coast guard to find him.
Maybe strong undercurrents/rip in this area.

It's all very sad.

 

[jake11]

Sigh. What a sad sad story.

 

[g1138]

The mention that they have found his weight belt. Not sure how they can know it is his as weight belts get lost all the time.
Assuming they can then consious or not he should have returned to the surface close to where he submerged and I would have expected his father or the coast guard to find him.
Maybe strong undercurrents/rip in this area.

It's all very sad.

Not always true, if you're at 60ft, with a thin wetsuit, and dump a weight belt, you may still be negative with a HP Steel tank (I believe the shop he went to rents HP steels). You may even be overweighted with the belt in the first place.
This guy was on a football team and young, so he might have not had enough natural buoyancy to begin with.

 

[ckharlan66]

This is my best friend's nephew. Continued prayers for the family are appreciated.

 

[jake11]

Prayers for sure ckharlan66! So incredibly tragic!!!

 

[DandyDon]

At least they found his body: "The remains were identified as 18-year old Tristen Allen. The cause of death and location of where he was found haven't been released."
Missing SC teen diver found dead 2 weeks after disappearance - WBTW-TV: News, Weather, and Sports for Florence, SC

This comments makes me think his belt was overweighted, perhaps intentionally for hunting: "Tristen then had an issue with his weight belt and was taking off his scuba gear and he went under." If he was, relying on his BC to compensate, but he might have removed it in the water, the belt might have been his downfall? The news doesn't say about him, but most dead divers are found with their weights on. My bud & I practice ditching ours the first dive of every trip.