Ohio Scuba Diver Dies After Gilboa Accident

[DivingCRNA]

Gilboa has the deepest water in the State of Ohio - it is 140' in the pumping hole.

I dove a deco dive on the deep side of Gilboa yesterday and my dive Buddy was one of the 3 EMT's that were present when this diver died and he tried to resuscitate him.

I was told that the diver was 64 years old, allegedly hadn't dove in 14 years - except he had used SCUBA in a pool in preparation for the Gilboa dive.
The diver was wearing a wetsuit (note: it was learned that it takes more than one pair of dive shears to cut off a wetsuit).
The diver was wearing a weight belt with about 24 lbs of weight.
He "may" have had more in his BCD pockets, my buddy was not sure.

The diver was on the shallow side of the quarry and had entered off of one of the training platforms.
I'm not sure which one, but the depths in that area are typically 20-40 feet.
He entered the water and went straight to the bottom.
His buddy followed him down but descended slower due to ear clearing etc. and immediately saw him on the bottom not moving.
His buddy tried to pull him to the surface.
He couldn't get his weight belt to release.
He got him almost to the surface and couldn't hang on and let go.
His buddy then surfaced and blew his whistle.

Three divers were nearby and went down and immediately brought the diver up and onto the platform and the EMT's started to work.

CPR was started and O2 given but he was never revived.

They estimate that it was maybe 4 minutes from when he entered until they had him back out.

I was told that the staff at Gilboa did an excellent job of prepping for the arrival of the rescue crews.
The Staff had cars moved, divers were directed to get out via other platforms, the staff assigned people to perform crowd control.

The sad thing was there were two large OW classes taking place (one down and one prepping to get in) and they saw the activity...

See bold, red section.

 

[BoneCrusher]

Agreed, I for one would not miss the deep dock being removed outright... If you want to hit the deep side or meet some certification spec, there is a much safer, slower avenue to visit it.

Drop down from dock 3, check out the plane, make sure everything is square.
Hit the 'tower wreckage', then down to the tubes, oh look... 60' feet.
If your doing a deep or absolutely need to hit something deeper, just go past the tubes down the path.

IMO - It's the zero to 80' or 117' if you miss the platform in dark and cold conditions that contributes.

First, this has absolutely nothing to do with this incident.

Second, the deep dock is just as safe. If you as a diver do not have the experience or skills to perform a controlled descent, then you have absolutely no business being anywhere on the deep side (no matter how you got there). Diving deep does require solid skill performance. If any divers skills aren't up to snuff, then practice them in the shallow side until they are.

I am curious why so many people say the deep side is dark at Gilboa? Diving the deep side does not "require" a light. There is plenty of ambient light at 120' in order to see. I've dove it many times and did not turn on a light. In fact, when the sun is out, it provides some stunning images along the face of the quarry.

 

[Randy43068]

Tim, usually I'm in agreement with you, but not on this issue. Most of the incidents happen on the shallow side so why punish those of us who really appreciate the deep side dock? If we use your logic, perhaps we should outlaw handguns because a few use them in crime.

I agree that instructors and others could use the procedure you outlined and it is in fact a more interesting dive to jump over the wall by the tubes. Well, as interesting as a quarry dive can be. However, there is that deep scary sump right there just waiting to swallow up unsuspecting divers.

Agreed, I for one would not miss the deep dock being removed outright... If you want to hit the deep side or meet some certification spec, there is a much safer, slower avenue to visit it.

Drop down from dock 3, check out the plane, make sure everything is square.
Hit the 'tower wreckage', then down to the tubes, oh look... 60' feet.
If your doing a deep or absolutely need to hit something deeper, just go past the tubes down the path.

IMO - It's the zero to 80' or 117' if you miss the platform in dark and cold conditions that contributes.

 

[crpntr133]

I just dove Gilboa two weekends ago and didn't use a light. It does get darker compared to the shallows after about 70'. This could have been due to the angle of the sun and the walls blocking it.
Since most of their accidents have happened on the shallow side, taking out the deep dock would be totally asinine. The only death that I can remember in recent past that occurred on the deep side was due to a free flowing reg.

One thing that I totally don't agree with Mike and his staff about is the he allows instructors to use the deep side for AOW deep dives. Personally it would be much safer for them to use the shallow side and go to the tube area. If I am thinking right there is even a platform just as you start down the old road. But, it's not my quarry.
Thoughts and prayers for all involved.

See you Saturday Mike!

 

[Notso_Ken]

Randy, I agree with you. All the incidents I have witnessed there have been on the shallow side. However, I am aware of 1 on the deep side. 6 to 1 ratio? Don't blame the deep side!


Ken

Tim, usually I'm in agreement with you, but not on this issue. Most of the incidents happen on the shallow side so why punish those of us who really appreciate the deep side dock? If we use your logic, perhaps we should outlaw handguns because a few use them in crime.

I agree that instructors and others could use the procedure you outlined and it is in fact a more interesting dive to jump over the wall by the tubes. Well, as interesting as a quarry dive can be. However, there is that deep scary sump right there just waiting to swallow up unsuspecting divers.

 

[Darol]

Sad, quit diving there years ago, when the paper work took longer than the dive.

 

[netmage]

So, before I get railroaded on a spit and roasted like one of Mittens s'mores.... my comments were based on responding to other comments in the thread asking about the accidents at Gilboa..... So let me round them out a bit. I've spent more than my far share of time at Gilboa, and did maybe one venture down the path during one of the M&G's w/ Brian and a few others some years past. But the 'allure' was always there in some circles in every dive community, "ohhhhh let's go deep" for the sake of going deep and without the proper experience or training is such unforgiving conditions... It's really just stupid. Perhaps it was my tech training, or more likely, during one of my first dives in Lake Michigan at 110' with a freshly minted AOW card I had a full on free-flow that really tempered any desire for zero-to-hero ambitions.

Sadly, A season Gilboa like is allot like the lobster mini-season down here. No matter what you do, the sheer number of people visiting and all the individual decisions and variables they bring with them, accidents are bound to happen. You also have to consider, there really are two types of people who visit Gilboa; divers, and people who dive. And the people visiting this forum, generally fall into the former, not the later. And it really comes down to over-estimating ones abilities and ability to respond to a problem should you have one because cold and ok - not dark - but really crappy viz is not a pleasant place to have a problem to the average recreational person who dives.

 

[Randy43068]

OK, so are we taking the dock out, or not?

good points.

So, before I get railroaded on a spit and roasted like one of Mittens s'mores.... my comments were based on responding to other comments in the thread asking about the accidents at Gilboa..... So let me round them out a bit. I've spent more than my far share of time at Gilboa, and did maybe one venture down the path during one of the M&G's w/ Brian and a few others some years past. But the 'allure' was always there in some circles in every dive community, "ohhhhh let's go deep" for the sake of going deep and without the proper experience or training is such unforgiving conditions... It's really just stupid. Perhaps it was my tech training, or more likely, during one of my first dives in Lake Michigan at 110' with a freshly minted AOW card I had a full on free-flow that really tempered any desire for zero-to-hero ambitions.

Sadly, A season Gilboa like is allot like the lobster mini-season down here. No matter what you do, the sheer number of people visiting and all the individual decisions and variables they bring with them, accidents are bound to happen. You also have to consider, there really are two types of people who visit Gilboa; divers, and people who dive. And the people visiting this forum, generally fall into the former, not the later. And it really comes down to over-estimating ones abilities and ability to respond to a problem should you have one because cold and ok - not dark - but really crappy viz is not a pleasant place to have a problem to the average recreational person who dives.

 

[netmage]

OK, so are we taking the dock out, or not?

Move all the AOW dives to the tubes and you can keep it...

I've only seen one shop approach the deep dock w/ the appropriate amount a care. Two instructors in full cave gear and a safety diver.

 

[TheHobster]

I wish you guys hadn't told the whole freakin world how I do my AOW deep dive and all my deep class for gosh sakes!! It has been nice going there and not seeing anyone except my folks. There goes the neighborhood!