REPORT RELEASED for double SCUBA fatality in California

[BladesRobinson]

The California Department of Water Rescources has released their official report of the accident that claimed the lives of two department divers in February. A copy of the report can be viewed at:

http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/links/121407divers.pdf

While the report may not be tremendously beneficial to recreational divers, there may be some benefit to forum members who conduct scientific, public safety, commercial or military dive operations.

I pass it along as FYI.

Blades Robinson, Director
Dive Rescue International
Dive Rescue International - Water Rescue Training & Equipment

 

[z3r0c00l]

The reminds me of the previous commercial dive death where the diver had rec. gear on. For the lack of a standard dress or SSA...

 

[muddiver]

The reminds me of the previous commercial dive death where the diver had rec. gear on. For the lack of a standard dress or SSA...

You know, DA Aquamaster is going to jump all over you for that statement.

 

[Dive Right In Scuba]

WOW....very sad, I forwarded this to our dive teams so they can review and learn from this unfortunate accident. Thanks for posting!

 

[z3r0c00l]

I know scuba works for some commercial diving, but damn high volume intakes scare me... At least some kind of harness system to keep them on track, or some kind of signal, communication line. These are often as valuable or more than the unlimited air supply of SSA. I dont blame these guys at all, I bet it was hard to notice the problem until they were sucked in. Would it not have been possible to shut down the whole system? I would have wanted that.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Amazing lack of contingency planning ... especially with respect to having a protocol in place to shut down the running pump if necessary. By the time they finally found someone who could authorize that process, they had to know they were dealing with a body recovery.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[muddiver]

It was a very unfortunate incident that probably could have been avoided.

Still there are a few agentcies out there that use the same form of diving and less than adiquate safety system. There was another accident up in Washington a few years ago like this where two PSD divers died in a siphion while going in for a "presumed" rescue. No one knows what happend, but there were four fewer divers in the world that day.

Good post and good training material.

 

[RS]

Shutting down the pumps would seem to be the number 1 fix in this case, followed by a harness system that would prevent excursions from the safe work area and keep you from getting pinned. But either of these or just having surface communication would have helped. "Hey, you know you're moving past number 3, right?"

Tragic.

 

[Ben_ca]

Some more info on this ABC 7 I Team report Fatal Mistakes Lead to Diver's Deaths

ABC 7 I Team Blog -more documents and pictures

 

[Anti-Hero]

Some more info on this ABC 7 I Team report Fatal Mistakes Lead to Diver's Deaths

ABC 7 I Team Blog -more documents and pictures

That video should piss off anyone who watches it. Some of those people displayed unbelievable incompetence. Especially that plant manager, who could only quote "policy" and looked as if he had no remorse about what happened.