Oregon woman dies in Washington diving accident

[OR-Diver]

I just saw this on the Oregonian website. I have no other details, but it reads like a Rescue Diver scenario.

My condolences to her friends and family.

by The Associated Press
Monday March 23, 2009, 9:37 PM
HOODSPORT, Wash. -- An Oregon woman has died after a diving accident in Washington's Hood Canal.

The Mason County sheriff's office said 42-year-old Jauna Marian Gilnett of Eagle Creek, in Oregon's Clackamas County, died today at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. She was pulled from Hood Canal on Sunday afternoon.

The Kitsap Sun reported that Gilnett had been diving with a 44-year-old Portland man when the two apparently lost track of time and air supply. As they ascended to the surface, the woman signaled she was out of air.

The investigation showed that Gilnett panicked when they reached the surface and was unable to release her weight belts. The man called for help and tried to hold onto her but lost his grip in the rough water.

The sheriff's office said other divers found the woman a short time later in about 20 feet of water.

-- The Associated Press

Here is the direct link:
Oregon woman dies in Washington diving accident - OregonLive.com

 

[mikeyjoe]

Sad story - I wish more people would take the Rescue Diver course.

My wife is a brand new diver. I told her this story and reminded her that as with most accidents/fatalites, there were several mistakes made.

So I asked her what two things they could have done to make the victim positive at the surface with an empty tank. After a few seconds she said orally inflate the BC or drop weights. Now remembering to do it under stress is another thing, which is why I plan on practising emergency skills with her every so often when we dive together.

Still, Rescue will teach you skills that you can use in situations like this that you don't learn in Open Water.

Take the course - it may save a life one day - your Buddy's, you spouse/kid, maybe even yours.....

 

[victor]

My thoughts are with the family and friends.

But oh dear what a catalogue of errors if the report is accurate.
A flick of a buckel should have dropped her weight belt.
A glance at her guages should have shown she was low on air.
A good lungfull of air into her BCD would have kept her floating.
and so on.
What a pity to loose ones life so easily.

 

[nw_diver]

Our dive club decided after talking about this accident that on the next dive everyone is going to orally inflate their BCs instead of using the inflator. Some people haven't practiced this since their OW.

 

[Jeff Toorish]

Sad story - I wish more people would take the Rescue Diver course.

My wife is a brand new diver. I told her this story and reminded her that as with most accidents/fatalites, there were several mistakes made.

So I asked her what two things they could have done to make the victim positive at the surface with an empty tank. After a few seconds she said orally inflate the BC or drop weights. Now remembering to do it under stress is another thing, which is why I plan on practising emergency skills with her every so often when we dive together.

Still, Rescue will teach you skills that you can use in situations like this that you don't learn in Open Water.

Take the course - it may save a life one day - your Buddy's, you spouse/kid, maybe even yours.....

Of course, from the story, we don't know that she hasn't taken Stress/Rescue, although your point is well taken.

Not being able to release your weights --and that point being made in the story is strange sounding to me. I mean, we know that in most fatalities at the surface, divers don't release their weights. But in this case, if the report is to be believed, it sounds as if she tried to ditch her weights but couldn't for some reason.

This is clearly tragic, but I hope we learn more about what happened because I think it could help prevent a future tragedy.

Jeff

 

[TSandM]

Our dive club decided after talking about this accident that on the next dive everyone is going to orally inflate their BCs instead of using the inflator. Some people haven't practiced this since their OW.

This is an extremely constructive response to the tragedy. We can't go back and save the woman who died; we can only use her death as a springboard for thought, training or practice, to prevent further tragedies.

I orally inflated at the end of my dive tonight. I know how, and have practiced it, but I think I'll just make a habit of doing it at the end of the dive, so it will be reflex if I ever really need to do it.

I watch my gauges, too . . .

 

[Gen San Chris]

I believe that the Rescue Training Course is the best one that a diver can do as it changes the teaching from how to look out for yourself into how to look out for others and to act before the problems arise of get too bad!
Its such a pity that many divers never train past Open Water!
Rescue Training can and does save many lives every year!

 

[Thalassamania]

How about putting a modest amount of the inwater rescue material back into the entry level course?

 

[Jan Kruger]

Amazing how conservatively we dive - if only me and my buddy dive ,we check our guages at least 4 to 5 times during a normal calm dive - even more often if the dive coditions are less than perfect. On several occasions when reading of accidents & incidents like this one ,i wonder what roll the dive buddy played during this incident, maybe the importance of being an alert and well trained buddy should be highlighted more often during training.

 

[scubadmike]

You should dive with a good buddy & know your limitations !!!!
Something does not sound rite... ? WHY DID THE DIVER NOT LOOK FOR HER ?