Missing Diver incident

[dazedone]

I don't know why the heck I didn't do this sooner, but I just realized that I took some pictures of the Oil Rig Eureka where Dan was left behind. These photos were taken about 10 minutes before divers were put in the water.

As you can see, it was quite foggy...one of the many reasons, I opted not do this dive that day.

 

[aviddiver(him)]

4 more thoughts:

1. IMHO I feel that it is quite telling of the local dive culture when "blaming" that so little attention has been turned towards the "buddies". Same ocean buddies, apparently. Left the guy in a lurch, didn't surface to find him, didn''t do anything when reboarding boat or at roll call. And this thread's readership, hasn't focused their attention on these "poor" buddies either. Apparently too many don't take seriously "buddy" once they assume responsibility by diving together as such. The first guys I'd sue would be my errant buddies (but then, I wouldn't sue anybody anyway, if I had been the victim).

2. If it's true this was a "live-boat" (IMHO almost absolutely: too deep and rig security issues), did the boat drift down current or maintain it's position up current with screws turning/engines reving? Since I have never dived the rigs before, how do boats generally plan to recover their divers? Speculating only, seems to me like the plan would be drift down current, then as divers surfaced (they would hold position), the boat would approach and pick-up; boat would again drift, re-engage for pickup, etc. until all were aboard? Is this the general procedure? Was the boat following generally accepted pickup procedures for rig diving? And how did this victim diver miss that monster Eureka Rig in the drift anyway; even with failed attempts to ear clear, seems to me he would have necessiarially been scrambling to avoid running into pilings and cross-members? I speculate there is something more than ear clearing this diver is not admitting here. I suspect the victim diver should do some "soul searching" regarding his skills.

3. Even with air-powered dive alert horns, the open ocean quickly absorbs the sound. I've been on boats with 20-25 knot winds blowing and no one on the boat could hear divers a 100yards away blowing their air powered horns. In So.Calif fog like that pictured above, the local ocean is always flat and calm without wind. Boat couldn't hear the victim's whistle over the engines? (were the engines running?)

4. No such thing as blame when submerged, only solutions. "Be prepared."


After the fact, everyone argues some level of their own mortality. This incident had a favorable outcome. The real heros here is the Argus, the Boy Scouts, and the US Coast Guard. I think the Sundiver crew, customers, victim all ought to be giving their thanks and gratuities to the Argus, the Boy Scouts, and US Coast Guard. Always prepared.

All the best.

 

[AggieDiver]

I didn't read EVERY page of this thread, but to me the first error was with the buddies. I dislike 3 person buddy teams for this exact reason. I can't see any way in which a buddy can surface from a dive having not seen the other diver for the entired dive, not see them on the boat, and allow the boat to leave the site without speaking up. The DM error just compunds what was already a serious buddy error bordering on deliberate negligence. I know we have all gone chapter and verse here and elsewhere about the level of responsibility you should or should not have to assume for a buddy you have never met...but at least accounting for the fact he or she is on the boat or not would seem to be a buddy responsibility we could all agree on??

 

[scubasean]

As you can see, it was quite foggy...one of the many reasons, I opted not do this dive that day.

Out of curiousity, why would you not dive in the fog? Isn't that akin to a night dive?

 

[ReefGuy]

Poor visibility

Out of curiousity, why would you not dive in the fog? Isn't that akin to a night dive?

 

[gj62]

Out of curiousity, why would you not dive in the fog? Isn't that akin to a night dive?

Perhaps he was concerned that the boat couldn't find him easily in the fog...

 

[alaity47]

FIRST: Truth Aquatics was NOT involved in the accident being discussed here today in this thread.
Another boat, Sundiver and a different dive operation, Ocean Adventures Dive Co. of Marina del Rey,must endure this mishap.

Just to clarify, I knew this was about the Sundiver. I LOVED Truth Aquatics - no complaints at all about them! I didn't say the name of the boat in my post because it hadn't been made public yet, and I didn't want to badmouth them publicly... too late now, though.

 

[H2Andy]

Give it up Andy youre wasting bandwidth now.

huh? and your attack relates to my question how?

you said they heard him first. i find that hard to believe, but
am willing to look into it.

all the stories i have read but one say he was spotted
visually.

let's keep this about the facts and not about protecting our egos, shall we?

my question still stands: does anyone know for sure if
he was seen first or heard first?

 

[dazedone]

Out of curiousity, why would you not dive in the fog? Isn't that akin to a night dive?

Do you ever go out to a dive site and your 6th sense is telling you not to do this dive? That is what happened.
The fog made it extra dark under the rig and the current was pretty strong. Being a beginner diver (25 or so dives), I felt that this dive was a little to advanced given my experience level. Plus I hate surface swims, especially ones against a strong current. I'll do them when I have to but I dive for fun, not a workout. I'll do the workout stuff on the treadmill.

 

[saf_25]

Do you ever go out to a dive site and your 6th sense is telling you not to do this dive? That is what happened.
The fog made it extra dark under the rig and the current was pretty strong. Being a beginner diver (25 or so dives), I felt that this dive was a little to advanced given my experience level. Plus I hate surface swims, especially ones against a strong current. I'll do them when I have to but I dive for fun, not a workout. I'll do the workout stuff on the treadmill.

Sounds like you made a good call to me - better to trust your instincts and just not do a dive, then to get in the water to realize that you shouldn't be there. Especially in light of what ended up happening to the other guy on that dive...

On a side note, does anyone know how this incident is going to affect the rig's position on having divers in the future? I would think that this would be another big strike against divers on them, and given that we already had to work so hard to be allowed on the rigs, do you know if they'll still let us dive them?