Missing Diver - Grand Cayman Sept 21, 2009

[Cave Diver]

Divers down reported this. Does anybody know if the missing person was one of their divers?

Terry

Local reports here say that the missing diver was diving with Divers Down from their Treasure Island Resort location.

That location is located on 7 mile beach and typically they will pick the divers up there and bus them to the dock for the boat trip out to the North Wall.

The missing man is a 60 year old tourist here from Las Vegas with his wife.

 

[diverquin]

To all those who have written in respect to the missing diver in the Cayman Islands, I know that his family appreciates the thoughts and prayers. The search goes on today, September 23. While his name has not been released, the diver was an experienced diver, from Las Vegas and exceptional in many ways, including his love for his wife. Keep the prayers up!

 

[Drew Sailbum]

Sadly, the search has been called off. Searches over several days failed to find the diver.

 

[Web Monkey]

Sadly, the search has been called off. Searches over several days failed to find the diver.

That's too bad.

Does anybody know if it was a guided group dive or a buddy dive (or where his buddy is?)

Is there current in that location (is it likely he was swept away?)

Terry

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Why do I think this was another one of those "follow me tourists" everything will be fine? We do this all the time. If so it just adds more material to my "failure of the buddy system or divers failing it" presentation.

 

[ianr33]

(is it likely he was swept away?)

Terry

If he was on the wall he could have just dropped down. It gets rather deep

 

[KY_BOB]

I'm sure that more details will come out and there will be finger pointing. I'm just sad that one of us (not necessarily a member of this board but a diver) is apparently no longer with us. :sad:

 

[Caribear]

Why do I think this was another one of those "follow me tourists" everything will be fine? We do this all the time. If so it just adds more material to my "failure of the buddy system or divers failing it" presentation.

JimLap, while I agree that many divers either disregard effective buddy procedures or forget the training they received in this area, I can assure you from first hand knowledge that this was certainly NOT a case of "follow me tourists, everything will be fine". I know the instructor who guided the dive very well and the briefings he gives his divers are extremely thorough, especially in the area of safety. I've been working as a professional in the dive industry on Grand Cayman for many years and have no reservations in stating that divemasters and instructors on this island care a great deal about the safety of their customers.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Thank you for your post. However a thorough dive briefing does not guarantee that a diver has a competent buddy. Only the diver himself can do that. Trusting a DM, Guide, or Instructor to keep everyone in the group safe is stupid and on at least one other occaision in Grand Cayman earlier this year, fatal. I don;t care how experienced, caring, or skilled a guide may be. They absolutely cannot keep everyone on the dive safe. Especially on a wall dive. If all the pros on the island care so much why are some of them taking newbies and those who have not been in the water recently on dives where the bottom is below the recommended limit for those divers. If you want to know more read the thread here:http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/accidents-incidents/283416-diver-death-cayman.html

I know the OP and following the incident trained her and her husband for their AOW. I have the victims computer log and cause of death. In summary- new diver, 2nd dive after cert, Guide took group on a 100 foot wall dive, new diver got seperated while being led by guide. result- death due to 2 min ascent from 302 feet after hitting max depth of 342. Also contributing to demise- nitrogen narcosis, and oxygen toxicity. Why are these "pros" taking unqualified divers on these types of dives?

Do we know when the victim in this case did his last deep dive? Was he ready for a planned 100 foot depth? And again- Who was his buddy and what was his/her fate? If he did not have an assigned buddy then this was not a safe dive nor a smart one and the guide certainly did not demonstrate care or a high regard for safe procedures.

 

[bsee65]

Agreed on all points, Jim. If we don't have a first hand description of the circumstances from the buddy including a description of the failed rescue attempt, or two missing divers, then buddy procedures can be named as a contributing factor in the loss of the diver. We may still have an injury or fatality, but we should at least have a victim on the surface to receive medical attention if required. Heck, we absolutely should have someone who can say to the second exactly where the diver ran into trouble and was lost.