Folks. You all seem to know more than the authorities on this one. Having just read the news articles to me it seems clear that no-one yet knows what happened at all. Please stop any further speculation until the facts are known.
SCUBA accident in Pool - Scuba Instructor Drowns While Testing Equipment
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You're not kidding! Reminds of a call I was on a couple months ago..... A worker was up on a ladder on the second floor of a new duplex. He had a siezure (he is an epileptic) and fell off the ladder and down the stairs.... Kinda banged up, but other than a few bruises and a concussion, was OK.MoonWrasse:Up, the ladder, that was me
My thinking was that you would likely fall off, adding head trauma to the mix.
In fact, ladders (and staircases) are pretty darn dangerous things.
OK.... Hijack over.... press on with the non-speculating attempts at accident analysis
Most of the heart attack patients I've taken care of were awakened by their chest pain. True, many are triggered by exertion, but that's actually not necessarily the rule, in my experience. When I'm scuba diving, even in cold water, I rarely exert myself if I can help it.... so if my fate is to succomb underwater, it most likely won't be from an exertion-induced myocardial infarction (that's medicese for heart attack)triton94949:
MoonWrasse
Contributor
It's still speculation if a myocardial infarction was the case here, haven't seen a medical report.Snowbear:Most of the heart attack patients I've taken care of were awakened by their chest pain. True, many are triggered by exertion, but that's actually not necessarily the rule, in my experience. When I'm scuba diving, even in cold water, I rarely exert myself if I can help it.... so if my fate is to succomb underwater, it most likely won't be from an exertion-induced myocardial infarction (that's medicese for heart attack)
I agree that the being conservative on exertion is a smart thing. One thing I'm tring to understand are the stressors involved /to be avoided in diving, so as to mitigate them as much as possible.
How tragic. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.
-Grier
-Grier
ScubaSarus
Guest
About heart attacks
A person with only a 50% clogged artery can have an a heart attack earlier than a person with a 90% clogged artery if a stressful event or something causes a rupture in that 50% clogged artery leading to inflamation and cell buildup in the artery.
It is sometimes the stability of an artery that matters more than the actual percent occlusion.
Stressfull events and sudden exersion can bring on a rupture of the occulusion and promote inflamation. So lifestyle matters along with diet.
A person with only a 50% clogged artery can have an a heart attack earlier than a person with a 90% clogged artery if a stressful event or something causes a rupture in that 50% clogged artery leading to inflamation and cell buildup in the artery.
It is sometimes the stability of an artery that matters more than the actual percent occlusion.
Stressfull events and sudden exersion can bring on a rupture of the occulusion and promote inflamation. So lifestyle matters along with diet.
PB565
Registered
Update: It looks like there was a re-breather involved, according to the article.
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-lidrow0510,0,6367530.story?coll=ny-linews-headlines
Police puzzled by drowning
BY ZACHARY R. DOWDY
STAFF WRITER
May 10, 2005
Nassau police enlisted help from their own divers for clues as to how a diving instructor drowned in 4 feet of water at the shallow end of a Mineola pool.
Det. Sgt. Richard Laursen said David Rampersad's death at Chaminade High School on Saturday remains a puzzle to investigators, who are considering everything from mechanical failure of scuba equipment to a physical ailment.
"Right now, the autopsy results are pending and we're looking into whether there's any possible mechanical defects," Laursen said Monday. "But at this point, we don't have any answers."
Rampersad, 38, of Richmond Hill, died while examining a re-breather, a device that allows a diver to breathe his own air after it is cleansed of carbon dioxide. Laursen said Rampersad had told instructors that he wanted to examine the device.
A cursory inspection of the device has revealed no defects. But Rampersad had said he was having problems with the device, Laursen said.
"We've already talked to our dive team from the marine bureau and they're going to be our liaison with the different diving experts," Laursen said.
Rampersad was alone at the shallow end of the pool while instructors and students worked in the deep end, Laursen said, adding that Rampersad was found at about 1:45 p.m. without the mouthpiece secured to his mouth.
Two instructors pulled him out and performed CPR. Rampersad was pronounced dead at Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola shortly before 3 p.m.
Copyright 2005 Newsday Inc.
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-lidrow0510,0,6367530.story?coll=ny-linews-headlines
Police puzzled by drowning
BY ZACHARY R. DOWDY
STAFF WRITER
May 10, 2005
Nassau police enlisted help from their own divers for clues as to how a diving instructor drowned in 4 feet of water at the shallow end of a Mineola pool.
Det. Sgt. Richard Laursen said David Rampersad's death at Chaminade High School on Saturday remains a puzzle to investigators, who are considering everything from mechanical failure of scuba equipment to a physical ailment.
"Right now, the autopsy results are pending and we're looking into whether there's any possible mechanical defects," Laursen said Monday. "But at this point, we don't have any answers."
Rampersad, 38, of Richmond Hill, died while examining a re-breather, a device that allows a diver to breathe his own air after it is cleansed of carbon dioxide. Laursen said Rampersad had told instructors that he wanted to examine the device.
A cursory inspection of the device has revealed no defects. But Rampersad had said he was having problems with the device, Laursen said.
"We've already talked to our dive team from the marine bureau and they're going to be our liaison with the different diving experts," Laursen said.
Rampersad was alone at the shallow end of the pool while instructors and students worked in the deep end, Laursen said, adding that Rampersad was found at about 1:45 p.m. without the mouthpiece secured to his mouth.
Two instructors pulled him out and performed CPR. Rampersad was pronounced dead at Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola shortly before 3 p.m.
Copyright 2005 Newsday Inc.
Lil' Irish Temper
Guest
High-tech rebreather may have caused dive instructor death
Powered by CYBER DIVER News Network
by RICHARD WEIR
LONG ISLAND, New York (9 May 2005) -- A high-tech device that allows scuba divers to rebreathe their exhaled air while underwater may have been a factor in the death of a dive instructor in Mineola, police said yesterday.
David Rampersad, 38, was using a "rebreather" when he was found unconscious Saturday afternoon in the shallow end of the Chaminade High School pool, cops said.
"We're looking into the rebreather to see if it had any malfunctions," said Detective Sgt. Richard Laursen of the Nassau Police Homicide Squad.
Rampersad, who had more than a decade of experience in diving, was a certified instructor for the Scuba Network dive shop in Carle Place.
Three other dive instructors from the shop were teaching a class Saturday at the Chaminade pool, which Scuba Network leases from the Catholic school, when Rampersad showed up about 1:30 p.m.
"He was not scheduled to instruct that day," Laursen said. "But he told one of the other instructors that he was having problems with the rebreather and wanted to test it out."
Rampersad, who was married and lived in Richmond Hill, Queens, entered the shallow end of the pool while the diving class trained in the deep end.
About 15 minutes later, an instructor spotted Rampersad unconscious in about 4 feet of water, his mouthpiece out of his mouth, Laursen said.
He was rushed by ambulance to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:59 p.m.
Laursen said autopsy results are pending. In the meantime, the rebreather will be sent to a private laboratory to be examined for possible failure.
"We are going to test it. It could have been a medical event and [have] had nothing to do with the rebreather," he said.
Unlike the traditional scuba oxygen tank regulator system - in which the diver's entire breath is exhaled into the water - the rebreather reuses part of each breath.
The machine filters out carbon dioxide and recirculates oxygen left unused in each exhaled breath while adding more, extending dive time and providing a quieter experience by producing few or no bubbles. Its tanks are also much smaller and lighter than conventional oxygen tanks.
If the device malfunctioned, it is possible that Rampersad blacked out, lost his mouthpiece and drowned, Laursen said.
Powered by CYBER DIVER News Network
by RICHARD WEIR
LONG ISLAND, New York (9 May 2005) -- A high-tech device that allows scuba divers to rebreathe their exhaled air while underwater may have been a factor in the death of a dive instructor in Mineola, police said yesterday.
David Rampersad, 38, was using a "rebreather" when he was found unconscious Saturday afternoon in the shallow end of the Chaminade High School pool, cops said.
"We're looking into the rebreather to see if it had any malfunctions," said Detective Sgt. Richard Laursen of the Nassau Police Homicide Squad.
Rampersad, who had more than a decade of experience in diving, was a certified instructor for the Scuba Network dive shop in Carle Place.
Three other dive instructors from the shop were teaching a class Saturday at the Chaminade pool, which Scuba Network leases from the Catholic school, when Rampersad showed up about 1:30 p.m.
"He was not scheduled to instruct that day," Laursen said. "But he told one of the other instructors that he was having problems with the rebreather and wanted to test it out."
Rampersad, who was married and lived in Richmond Hill, Queens, entered the shallow end of the pool while the diving class trained in the deep end.
About 15 minutes later, an instructor spotted Rampersad unconscious in about 4 feet of water, his mouthpiece out of his mouth, Laursen said.
He was rushed by ambulance to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:59 p.m.
Laursen said autopsy results are pending. In the meantime, the rebreather will be sent to a private laboratory to be examined for possible failure.
"We are going to test it. It could have been a medical event and [have] had nothing to do with the rebreather," he said.
Unlike the traditional scuba oxygen tank regulator system - in which the diver's entire breath is exhaled into the water - the rebreather reuses part of each breath.
The machine filters out carbon dioxide and recirculates oxygen left unused in each exhaled breath while adding more, extending dive time and providing a quieter experience by producing few or no bubbles. Its tanks are also much smaller and lighter than conventional oxygen tanks.
If the device malfunctioned, it is possible that Rampersad blacked out, lost his mouthpiece and drowned, Laursen said.
DiveGolfSki
Contributor
PB565:
Wonder what kind of re-breather? I also wonder if the autopsy report will ever be made available to the general public. Thanks for the update though.
JeffG
Contributor
InterestingPB565:
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