Recovery at Little River

[Divesherpa]

After verifying seven ways, verify seven more, then seven more before posting here

 

[JamesK]

Understandable.

 

[JamesK]

I found this on scubadiving.com

This was just posted to me by the IUCRR--apparently the victim is still alive, but he/she may not survive. Here is what I know:

Here is a brief summary (from Larry Green) of an accident, yesterday, at Little River. The detailed report to follow:

"Accident occurred at approximately 12:22 P.M. Victim (experienced cave diver, CDS trained in '97, with 300+ dives) was diving with a buddy (Dive Team 1) and another buddy team (dive team 2). Both teams turned dive before Dome Room, Dive Team 2 did a quick jump up Harper Tunnel. Dive Team 1 kept exiting. Victim's buddy said that he was ahead of him and then realized that he wasn’t behind him anymore, turned around, and by the time he got back, Victim looked like he was having a seizure. His regulator was out of his mouth. Victim's buddy gave Victim air on the way out (off Victims regulator). Dive Team 2 caught up to them between the Upstream and Downstream Mud Tunnel Jumps, on the main line. They all three proceeded from there to bring him out of the cave. One came up and yelled "call 911." Jill Heinerth was in the water with students, just prior to a dive. She descended down and brought the victim to the surface. The divers all had decompression, and were supplied extra oxygen in the water. There happened to be an ER doctor on site, along with a nurse. The ambulance got there in 6 minutes. Victim was air lifted to Shands Hospital in Gainesville, FL. The police officer in charge was very helpful through the recovery process. Wendy Shirah took all the notes during the recovery, she did a great job. I think all the divers did a good job in getting him out, and with everything happening the way it did, he couldn’t have gotten a better chance."

I'm not sure of the status of the diver, but the last I heard (last night), it didn't look good.

-- Robert Laird IUCRR

http://www.scubadiving.com/talk/read.php?f=1&i=437839&t=437839

 

[Waterlover]

Any newspaper articles? Thanks Ken

 

[roakey]

Little River Springs claims life

Susan K. Lamb, Democrat Managing Editor

A Massachusetts diver died in Little River Springs
Feb. 16 in spite of efforts by an emergency room
doctor and trauma nurse who were on scene.

Pete Reagan, 55, of Natick, Mass., was pronounced dead
at Shands at Alachua at about 1:30 p.m. after being
airlifted there from the scene in southern Suwannee
County about 12:30 p.m.

Reagan was in Suwannee County diving with friends when
he and Frank Murphy, 43, of Hanover, Mass., his diving
buddy, started out of the cave shortly after noon,
according to the sheriff's office. Murphy told Deputy
Bobby Akey that he got about 40 feet ahead of Reagan
and when he looked back, he didn't see Reagan's light.
Murphy swam back to where Reagan was and found Reagan
convulsing, his (air) regulator out of his mouth and
his head gear on his shoulder. Murphy told Akey he put
his second regulator into Reagan's mouth and began
forcing air into him as he started to the surface with
Reagan in tow. About 30 feet before they reached the
surface, Murphy said he ran out of air and began using
Reagan's air. At this point, another diver, Jill
Heinerth of Hudson, took over and helped get Reagan to
the surface.

An emergency room doctor, Dr. Anthony Ford of Atlanta,
was on scene and along with trauma nurse Nelson Barga
and Heinerth gave Reagan CPR until Suwannee County EMS
paramedics arrived, Akey said. In spite of these
heroic efforts, Reagan never regained consciousness.

Susan K. Lamb may be reached at 1/386/362-1734 ext.
131 or by e-mail at susan.lamb@gaflnews.com

 

[tombiowami]

http://www.suwanneedemocrat.com/display/inn_suwannee/news02.txt

Little River Springs claims life

Susan K. Lamb, Democrat Managing Editor

A Massachusetts diver died in Little River Springs Feb. 16 in spite of efforts by an emergency room doctor and trauma nurse who were on scene.

Pete Reagan, 55, of Natick, Mass., was pronounced dead at Shands at Alachua at about 1:30 p.m. after being airlifted there from the scene in southern Suwannee County about 12:30 p.m.

Reagan was in Suwannee County diving with friends when he and Frank Murphy, 43, of Hanover, Mass., his diving buddy, started out of the cave shortly after noon, according to the sheriff's office. Murphy told Deputy Bobby Akey that he got about 40 feet ahead of Reagan and when he looked back, he didn't see Reagan's light. Murphy swam back to where Reagan was and found Reagan convulsing, his (air) regulator out of his mouth and his head gear on his shoulder. Murphy told Akey he put his second regulator into Reagan's mouth and began forcing air into him as he started to the surface with Reagan in tow. About 30 feet before they reached the surface, Murphy said he ran out of air and began using Reagan's air. At this point, another diver, Jill Heinerth of Hudson, took over and helped get Reagan to the surface.

An emergency room doctor, Dr. Anthony Ford of Atlanta, was on scene and along with trauma nurse Nelson Barga and Heinerth gave Reagan CPR until Suwannee County EMS paramedics arrived, Akey said. In spite of these heroic efforts, Reagan never regained consciousness.

Susan K. Lamb may be reached at 1/386/362-1734 ext. 131 or by e-mail at susan.lamb@gaflnews.com

 

[roakey]

Ha! Beat you by a minute!

You gotta get up pretty early to beat this guy! Well, not really early. Maybe by noon, at least.

Roak

 

[Rick Murchison]

Only 55.. what a shame. what a shame.
I sure do have questions about this one.
I sure do want to see what got him.
I sure do want to see what mix he was breathing.
At 54, I really want to know what happened and how to avoid it.
Prayers for the family.
Rick
P.S. It really torques me when the news pukes say "xxx springs claim life" - that's where the mishap occured; the cave didn't do it.

 

[tombiowami]

My understanding is that if the reg is out of the mouth to leave it out. Is this different in cave situations where it could be a while to the surface?



Tommy

 

[Divesherpa]

The bottles were analyzed at 32.5%