Missing diver Folly Beach SC

[Konalee]

This is so tragic.
Im a relatively new diver myself, and just came back from a dive trip out of Charleston. There were "Pray for Tristen" signs posted everywhere.

What I don't understand, and maybe someone could explain it to me, is if he surfaced holding hands/linked arms with his father, and was having trouble with his gear... As soon as he went back under, wouldn't his dad or someone have been able to see him/follow him down?
Maybe I'm used to calm water quarry diving, but I just don't understand how they couldn't find him sooner.
That being said, maybe vis wasn't as good for them as it was for us the following week.

 

[g1138]

Surface current can pull you quite far from the boat if you're not kicking. Often new divers will try to take their BC off like a jacket and get their arms tangled and locked open in the straps. You're unable to kick in a coordinated direction when in this situation.

It may also be possible that Tristen was overweighted and just went down fast as the article states. He might have not even had his mask on, as I've seen plenty of divers do when they hit the surface. If that was the case, it would make his ability to react to going under much worse potentially. Depending on how comfortable he was diving mask-less. New divers, often that skill and comfort isn't there, under calm [mental] & controlled conditions.


It may even be that shock and fright prevented his family from reacting effectively with due haste. It's common during your first emergency situation to freeze up or get held up in your efforts to correct. People who spring into action their first time often move with too much gusto and aren't coordinated. You can be fumbling to find the deflate for a long time if your hands are going all over the place.

The father might have also been partially de-kitted, mask off etc.

What ever it was there's not going to be a lot of specific info coming our way. We're left speculating on this one.


If I had to speculate preventative measures for any surface incident. It would be
- Keep mask on till you're on the boat
- remove weights first and place on boat (for non-dive platforms)
- keep BC partially deflated to prevent it from pushing you face first when you try to take it off
As long as it floats you, you're good; anymore and it's just for comfort rather than need.
Once the BC starts to come off though, that extra "comfort" turns into more unstable hardship.

- De-kit in turns so divers can get assistance from their buddies if necessary
- buddy contact doesn't end till you're both on the boat
---> The above two are really important for surface current & non-dive platform boats. You can have one diver holding their buddy near the boat while he de-kits, then swap once one kit is aboard.

 

[Konalee]

Remains of missing James Island diver recovered - Post and Courier

 

[FinnMom]

One thing I really had drilled into me by my 1st tech instructor was that you may never remove your reg until you have inflated your wing/BCD as much as possible. He really howled if we didn't remember and finally managed to teach us dullards at least something new.

He was also the one who got us doing buddy checks again. Hadn't done those since maybe dive 10 but he made me a believer.