San Diego Dive Fatality 9-29-09

[clowndog1]

Hi I am the diver's wife, Christina. I have postponed posting any information on my husbands incident because I wanted to be as accurate as possible. I am still waiting on a few other reports and then I will be posting the information as soon as I get it. I was not in the sport as long as my husband was, but I do feel the need to share with everyone. If anything this would be an issue and something that should/could be discussed with everyone no matter what your dive level is.

#270... I myself have heard the same rumor about Mr. Ellis. IF that is the case, my condolences go out to his family. It sucks to lose someone unexpectedly

 

[TheSmoothDome]

Christina,

My heart goes out to you and your family as well as the divemaster's family if indeed this rumor is true. As small of a consolation as it is, I hope you get the information you're looking for.

 

[CapeUW]

"The story was that one of the divers onboard D&D came to the surface, somehow became disconnected with his dive tank and then submerged and went missing,' said San Diego City Lifeguard Lt. Andy Lerum."

He may have had an issue with his tank sliding out of the BC and pulling the reg away with it. Just guessing, but if the tank came all the way loose this could also also cause the tank to pull on the LP hose and dump the BC at the shoulder, causing him to sink without his reg in his mouth. Just speculation, of course, but a possibility based on the above account of what happened.

 

[Jax]

Hi I am the diver's wife, Christina. I have postponed posting any information on my husbands incident because I wanted to be as accurate as possible. I am still waiting on a few other reports and then I will be posting the information as soon as I get it. I was not in the sport as long as my husband was, but I do feel the need to share with everyone. If anything this would be an issue and something that should/could be discussed with everyone no matter what your dive level is.

#270... I myself have heard the same rumor about Mr. Ellis. IF that is the case, my condolences go out to his family. It sucks to lose someone unexpectedly

Thank you for your courage and understanding to to post in this forum. My sincere condolences to you and your family.

 

[DandyDon]

clowndog1 you are very welcome here on SB of course, and if we can be supportive of you in anyway, many of us would like that opportunity.

We discuss accidents here on this forum with much speculation at times in hopes of preventing similar losses in others. Sometimes this may look odd to friends and family of a lost diver, but in our somewhat overly objective way - it is kind of our way to paying tribute if you will, that their loss will not be totally in vain - even tho this might not help your feelings?

My best wishes you...

 

[clowndog1]

Thanks Dandy...I just want to make it clear to everyone that just because I have been reading these posts (some right on, and others way off) doesnt mean you should stop posting about it. This forum is about educating eachother and possibly saving someone's life someday thru sharing our experiences. Its how we learn Some of the speculation has been rather difficult but I am confident that I will be able to answer many questions you all have. The hardest part has been not knowing what went wrong and unfortunately we may never know all of the details.

 

[Chris12day]

Christina, My condolences.

I live in Chicago and have been on been on a number of San Diego dive operations. I most of my trips were on the DnD. I personally had no problems while diving with them. My recent dive experiences in the San Diego area have been with other operators due to the speed of the boat to the Coronodos Islands or shore diving in the Cove.

I, like others, use this forum to learn from others expierences. I thank you in advance for sharing your experience with us.

 

[Ann Marie]

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

I'd like to just remind everyone of the special rules to this forum:


The purpose of this forum is the promotion of safe diving through the examination and discussion of accidents and incidents; to find lessons we can apply to our own diving.
Accidents, and incidents that could easily have become accidents, can often be used to illustrate actions that lead to injury or death, and their discussion is essential to building lessons learned from which improved safety can flow. To foster the free exchange of information valuable to this process, the "manners" in this forum are much more tightly controlled than elsewhere on the board. In addition to the TOS:

(1) You may not release any names here, until after the names have appeared in the public domain (articles, news reports, sheriff's report etc.) The releasing report must be cited. Until such public release, the only name you may use in this forum is your own.
(2) Off topic posts will be removed and off topic comments will be edited.
(3) No flaming, name calling or otherwise attacking other posters. You may attack ideas; you may not attack people.
(4) No trolling; no blamestorming. Mishap analysis does not lay blame, it finds causes.
(5) No "condolences to the family" here. Please use our Passings Forum for these kinds of messages.
(6) If you are presenting information from a source other than your own eyes and ears, cite the source.
(7) If your post is your hypothesis, theory, or a "possible scenario," identify it as such.


This forum is set up to discuss diving accidents and incidents and as a means of preventing them not to be judge or jury into who is to blame for the accident. Please consider the feelings of family members who may be reading this information.

Thanks. I appreciate your understanding.

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[scubadada]

Too bad all useful posting ended after the Mod post. Despite the derail, hoping more useful informaiton will become available.

Good diving, Craig

 

[K_girl]

The website for these guys - Gottadive.com - NO LONGER links to their three boats and the services they provided. It now links to an entirely re-made site that refers boat trips to the Humboldt - waterhorsecharters.com's boat. It appears that DCI has gone away in it's original form and been re-incarnated in this new 'improved' form. It would appear from the new site that they are connected with OEX, Ocean Enterprises, and Waterhorse charters.

I find this extremely interesting as this transition, such as it is, has been exceedingly quiet. No one I am aware of in the local dive community was aware of this change.

Are you sure about that?

"..I knew it was going to happen and can't believe it didn't happen sooner. That's what when through my mind," Ryan Wilbarger of Waterhorse Charters told News 8.

Wilbarger runs a dive operation that competes with Dive Connections for customers. He says he's heard horror stories from passengers who went scuba diving off Dive Connections boats.."

Source: CDNN :: Dive Connections Has History of Scuba Diving Accidents and Safety Violations