Ohio Student Fatality

[DandyDon]

http://www.thenews-messenger.com/article/20120811/NEWS01/208110316/Diver-dies-White-Star-Quarry

GIBSONBURG -- A diver at White Star Quarry died Friday afternoon after he lost consciousness while participating in an advanced diving class there, an official said.
Steve Gruner, Sandusky County Park District director, identified the diver as Michael Burgan, 46, of Sugarcreek. Gruner said Burgan, a certified diver, yelled for help when he came to the surface after a dive in the quarry at White Star Park. Then he lost consciousness.
Members of the class pulled him to the surface. A Life Flight medical helicopter crew pronounced him dead at the scene.
Burgan was taken to the Lucas County Coroner's Office for an autopsy, Gruner said.
"We're coordinating with them," he said. "We'll await their findings."
Officials do not know whether Burgan suffered from health problems.
The class was independently taught and not affiliated with the park district, Gruner said. There were four students and one instructor.
The county dive team, run by the Sandusky County Sheriff's Office and Ballville Township Volunteer Fire Department, planned to check under the water late Friday afternoon for anything unusual, Gruner said.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Curious as to what type of class. I know a lot of instructors in Ohio.

 

[RonFrank]

The news indicates an advanced class. Likely 5 OW dives with the instructor. So where was the instructor? We basically know nothing. He was diving and is now dead. Not sure what looking UW will accomplish.

 

[Garth]

Must have been under a while for a life flight team to pronounce at the scene...


Sent from my Shearwater Predator...

 

[shortdivemedic]

Garth
I flew for 8 years before coming to KSA and if the pt was pulseless upon our arrival we wouldnt fly them ,as there was no need for the flight.

Cheers

 

[MHBearIt]

He was up long before life flight arrived.

I was there before life flight. As we geared up the ambulance and rescue was there. Not many people; two other divers besides the class perhaps.

Viz stunk worse than normal. 10 feet maybe. A witness told us another diver brought him up but he was already blue. Could be the instructor bit that's a total guess.

He was up before we got to the quarry about 2:25. Life flight didn't arrive for about another half hour. They weren't rushing him away in the ambulance. We figured that was a clear signal there was no hurry.

It was right at the dock by the air fills. That area is about 45 feet with another "sump" drop off of about 60 feet. The sump area is really dark. I dropped my white snorkel off that dock once and it wasn't easily found the next dive. I don't know if he was in that hole or not.

 

[Garth]

Garth
I flew for 8 years before coming to KSA and if the pt was pulseless upon our arrival we wouldnt fly them ,as there was no need for the flight.

Cheers

Is that a general rule?

 

[LoonDiver]

Two news clips below. It appears he was a rescue diver.

A Sugarcreek firefighter died Friday afternoon while participating in an advanced diving class at White Star Quarry in Gibsonburg.
Assistant Chief Michael Burgan, 46, reportedly yelled for help when he came to the surface after a dive before losing consciousness, according to The News-Messenger.
Burgan, a certified diver who was appointed as Sugarcreek's acting fire chief last month, was pulled to the surface by other members of the class that consisted of four students and an instructor.
He was pronounced dead at the scene and was taken the Lucas County Coroner's Office for an autopsy.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
According to FirefighterCloseCalls.com Burgan was a member of the Tuscarawas County Dive Team and performed dive rescue operations for the Sugarcreek Fire Department

.
Source: Sugarcreek Assistant Fire Chief Michael Burgan Dies During Advanced Diving Class

GIBSONBURG, Ohio -- A Sugarcreek, Ohio, man died Friday during an advanced diving instruction class at White Star Quarry, authorities said.
Michael Burgan, 46, was more than 15 minutes into his second dive of the day about 2:15 p.m. when he surfaced from about 40 feet of water, said Steve Gruner, director of the Sandusky County Park District.
There was no earlier indication that the diver was having a problem, but at the surface, "he indicated he was having some distress," Mr. Gruner said. Mr. Burgan, who was a certified diver, lost consciousness and went under water, Mr. Gruner added.
The diving instructor recovered him from a depth of 61 feet.
Mr. Burgan was pronounced dead at the scene. His body was transported to the Lucas County coroner's office for an autopsy. No further information was available Saturday.
The dive team operated by the county sheriff's office and the Ballville Township fire department was on scene to investigate.

Source: Ohio man, 46, dies during diving class - Toledo Blade

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Another death.. a diver makes it to the surface; indicates there is a problem and then sinks to the bottom. And to think that people still argue that ditchable lead is optional....Example number 5,003 where ditching lead may have been of some benefit.

 

[DandyDon]

I suspect that many just do not practice ditching so they don't think of it when there is no time to think.