Missing Diver off Daytona

[23angler]

http://outdoorsbest.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=241035

 

[ABQdiver]

http://outdoorsbest.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=241035

Off Deco Stop:
_________________________________
Here's the details.. A guy walked into the dive shop and rented some
gear and got a seat on the seadog diver this morning..He was down
here on vacation from michigan and has been diving since 1999. He
was paired up with a buddy,but got stressed out trying to swim to
the anchor rope for descent( the surface current and wind required a
strenuous swim)..He came back to the boat and got out of the water,
out of breath and tired. His buddy thought he wasn't going to make
it down,so he went down with another group of divers.. Then the guy
starts feeling better and decides to try and catch up . He was last
seen hanging on to the anchor rope at 20 ft. on his way down. No one
saw him on the wreck so we don't think he ever made it down..His
family said he had a history of high blood pressure and was 58 years
old. We searched all afternoon with the coast guard,a helicopter was
dispatched from jax to search,but no sign of him.When we left the
site,the sheriff dept had arrived and was conducting recovery
efforts. The wreck was in 80 ft of water and we searched the wreck
inside and out several times (the alexander) out of ponce."

The post says he has been missing since 1030 this morning and the
shop/boat was Sea Dog Divers.

 

[okidoki]

Sorry to hear about this,

This is what I have to say, it is time that divers that know that they have heart and bloodpressure issues must realise that they are at risk of heart failure during or after a dive. This is a very unpleasant situation for the boat captain and dive guides after incidents like this.
There are of course alot of questions here that must be anwsered in this case.
But please divers know your limits and be responsible.

 

[Hoppy]

Then the guy starts feeling better and decides to try and catch up . He was last seen hanging on to the anchor rope at 20 ft. on his way down.

I'm truly sorry to hear of this.

However, I do have a question. How can the skipper or DM or whoever allow him to get in the water on his own ?

Surely it's incumbent on them to stop him effectively diving solo.

Or have I missed something?

Again my heart goes out to his family.

 

[The Chairman]

Solo diving has a life of it's own down here in Florida. Right or wrong, very very few boats impose a Dive Master or Buddy restriction on ANYBODY.

 

[nalagem]

I was diving with a group of 10 divers off daytona yesterday morning and one of our divers never came back up..We were diving the alexander about 11 miles off ponce inlet..Visibility was good,but a little breezy and choppy on the surface..He was last seen on the anchor rope at 20 ft. on the way down..No one saw him on the wreck so we don't think he made it down.. We spent most of the day looking for him..Here's a link to the news report
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Local/03AreaEAST09081304.htm

 

[cornfed]

What happened to his buddy? Did they become seperated during the descent?

 

[drbill]

He "returned to the boat and then resumed his dive"? I assume his buddy went down without him? Strange that the boat captain and staff didn't address this at the time. Doubt I'd dive with that operation.

Dr. Bill

 

[ShakaZulu]

My condolences to his family, solo diving............

 

[Cudabait]

My deepest, heartfelt condolences to the family.