Seaquest is my local boat.
Multiple deaths diving off NC coast May 10, 2020?
- Thread starter Steve_C
- Start date
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Seaquest is my local boat.
Thanks for the update!
Sea Quest II was sold 2 years ago and is now plying the Great Lakes in Chicago. The Outrageous V was sold but is still diving at Discovery.You know now that you say that maybe that was it? My memory fails me...
That being said, not even sure if that was accurate, just what the mate (we were ON the Captain's Lady at time) told me - that ONE of their boats was being retired - but not sure if either boat was actually retired.
OP
So the is the Outrageous V not owned by discovery but still works with discovery or what?
W W Meixner
Banned
RF...
Thank you for the update...
I was on the Seaquest a few times with Jerry when he ran out of Discovery...he usually handled the overflow when Terry had a full boat on the Outrageous V...
In all the times I have dove with Discovery...the six pack was always moored...I never saw it out...
Both Terry and Jerry were excellent captains...
With only the Outrageous V...and the six pack...I can only assume that Discovery's annual numbers are down significantly...
Sign of the times...with the pandemic not helping matters any...
W...
Qminus
Registered
Surprising.
Leroy's boat (the 6-pack), Captain's Lady has probably been as active, if not more active over the years, especially in the 'off' season. I have been diving out of Morehead / Beaufort for many years, and it has been my experience that Leroy is almost always out - on the Olympus boats we would frequently see him already at dive sites, when we pulled up. On the Discovery boats, we would usually see him loading up in the morning as we were boarding. The advantage of his boat is that he will go out with 3-4 divers, so we used him for winter charters, when the larger boats weren't running (simply because they couldn't book enough divers to justify the trip).
In my experience it would be hard to say that Discovery's numbers are 'down significantly', even with the removal of the Seaquest from the 'fleet'. Now, what did impact 'numbers' for a 2-3 year period, in particular the 2016-2018 summer seasons was weather - not lack of divers or diver enthusiasm. For several years, times were really (really, really) tough for mid-Atlantic operators, particularly the NC folks. They (NC operators) have a fantastic array of wrecks to which to take divers. But, the weather for those seasons was simply lousy. (I think the technical term is, 'it sucked'.) Between windy conditions that created uncomfortable seas (and led to charter cancellations), to storms (which did the same), you name it - it was unpredictable and generally bad. One shop I work with in VA had monthly charters scheduled with Discovery from June to September back in 2018, ALL of which were booked full and ALL of which were cancelled because of weather. The year before that, another shop I work with in NC had monthly charters booked with Olympus that season, 3/4 of which were cancelled. So, in those years, everybody's numbers were down. In contrast, last season (2019) was great. I was out with Discovery (twice with Terry before he retired), twice with Olympus, with Jerry as a mate).
The current good news: even in the face of COVID-10, dive shops reopened in NC last weekend, and charters are running. I have high hopes for 2020!
Now, to move the discussion back to the topic of the A&I thread: This incident should get everyone's attention. Two divers, apparently - based on (admittedly non-verified) observations - not entangled or otherwise physically prevented from attempting to ascend - died on a wreck dive. It is suggested, by the reports, that there were (only) three divers on the charter. But, that is not known for a fact (at least to me). Speculation is inevitable, even though fact is, at this point, sparse. Did gas contamination, contributing to diver impairment, have anything to do with the events? Did one diver suffer gas exhaustion, and the other attempted to help and they both perished from gas exhaustion? It is simply not possible to KNOW, at this point. In every accident, the 'rest of us' want desperately to know what happened, NOT to assign 'blame' or criticize anyone involved, but to better understand a set of circumstances that could lead to such an outcome, so that we can avoid a similar situation.
Unfortunately, in the majority of cases that I am aware of, the outcome of the scuba incident 'investigation' is seldom satisfactory. It is not that the agency conducting the investigation does a poor job - far from it. It is usually thorough. But, the focus of the investigating agency's interest is often different from the focus of interest among other DIVERS.
Nonetheless, I hope to learn something from the outcome of an investigation of this event that will help ME be a safer diver.
I hate to go there but the reports do say the husband is “retired” so assuming at least in his 60’s. Prime age for a health/cardiac event. I could easily imagine a scenario where he becomes distressed by a medical event at depth and she attempts rescue. The dive is already into the lowish on gas stage and while attempting to help she runs out of gas as does he or he dies at depth and she runs out attempting to bring him up. 
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