Scuba diver dies after complaining of gear malfunction

[TrimixToo]

Just as all certified divers are taught in their first pool session.....and nearly all forget afterwards.

It was perhaps easier for me to remember how to mouth inflate than some. When I learned, *everyone* mouth inflated their BCs. (And, yes, we *did* have to walk to school. In the cold. In the snow. But it was only uphill toward home.)

 

[davehicks]

I'd suggest avoiding spray silcone in your breathing circuit....

+1 to that. However a dry suit or BC inflator is not part of the breathing apparatus. You have some captured orings in a spring loaded fitting that require periodic lubrication.

 

[Joneill]

Power inflators are often neglected. I soak mine in a mix of water and vinegar every few months which will get rid of the calcium build up. Any metal rust spots on my rig gets a blast of Corrosion X.

If it happens once, it's time to service it. It may or may not happen on your next dive, but the odds are not in your favor. An ounce of prevention... you know the rest.

For about $35, I just replaced my Halcyon power inflator after about 3 years when it started getting harder to work (never stuck but was hard to fully depress and didn't work smoothly). I rinse/flush it after every dive and soak after every dive trip too. However, they are not really serviceable designs these days, so easier to replace every couple of years as needed given they are pretty cheap (I keep a spare in my save a dive kit too)!

https://www.diveseekers.com/Product...sNi62u-hi3sXHxxX0QTfCKuiLVZf-MlUaAveGEALw_wcB

 

[rjack321]

It doesn't happen here, but there's no reason why not. All anyone has to do is enter a public records request with the investigating agency, and pay a couple of dollars (shouldn't be more than 5 or so). FWIW, a family cannot just ask for a report not to be released, a Judge would have to order that. Public records are public records.

Not in Washington state. Autopsy records are considered medical records and cannot be released to other than next of kin without a court order.

I have rarely seen coroner's report that actually IDed anything other than "drowning" anyway

 

[divinh]

For about $35, I just replaced my Halcyon power inflator after about 3 years when it started getting harder to work (never stuck but was hard to fully depress and didn't work smoothly). I rinse/flush it after every dive and soak after every dive trip too. However, they are not really serviceable designs these days, so easier to replace every couple of years as needed given they are pretty cheap (I keep a spare in my save a dive kit too)!

https://www.diveseekers.com/Product...sNi62u-hi3sXHxxX0QTfCKuiLVZf-MlUaAveGEALw_wcB

This looks like the Dive Gear Express version for $17:

45-degree Oral Power Inflator

 

[Joneill]

This looks like the Dive Gear Express version for $17:

45-degree Oral Power Inflator

Even better - thanks!

 

[ReefGuy]

Not in Washington state. Autopsy records are considered medical records and cannot be released to other than next of kin without a court order.

I have rarely seen coroner's report that actually IDed anything other than "drowning" anyway

I was referring to the investigating agency report, ie the police report, sorry.

 

[ReefGuy]

The reason I see for it not being done is that someone would have to go out of there way to do it, the thread is usually dead for months before a report would available, so there would be little interest for one to spend the time and money. And a side note, you would have to know the jurisdiction in which the record resides when making the request.
Bob

Absolutely agree. I did the forensic examination of the gear used in a scuba death my team recovered. I was not asked to do this for about six months after the recovery. But it is there and available to the public via request.

 

[CT-Rich]

Open circuit scuba has very few possible failure points and it it very easy to be critical of the woman and say she could have done A,B or C. There are a number of failures that could have caused an uncontrolled ascent or induced a panicked swim to the surface. A stuck inflator could be one or a lost weight belt or even just unusually rough water conditions or low visibility and a bit of wonky equipment. The relative volume change for the last ten feet of water could do it. There is very little to go on here and a lot of speculation may be about things that turn out to be unrelated to her death. For example, blood at the mouth may have from her getting bashed in the face while trying to get her back in the boat.

Until there are more specifics, this is a game of random speculation.

 

[NYdiver_666]

Open circuit scuba has very few possible failure points and it it very easy to be critical of the woman and say she could have done A,B or C. There are a number of failures that could have caused an uncontrolled ascent or induced a panicked swim to the surface. A stuck inflator could be one or a lost weight belt or even just unusually rough water conditions or low visibility and a bit of wonky equipment. The relative volume change for the last ten feet of water could do it. There is very little to go on here and a lot of speculation may be about things that turn out to be unrelated to her death. For example, blood at the mouth may have from her getting bashed in the face while trying to get her back in the boat.

Until there are more specifics, this is a game of random speculation.

the blood was not reported until after the diver stopped breathing - about 30mins - maybe a little more - after she was on the boat in my estimation - during the incident that boat was in constant communication on the condition of the diver with the rescue team and coast guard. They initially indicated she was laying down and was being administered O2 - it then appeared improved slightly as the boat reported she was sitting up but still having breathing issues and chest pain - shorty after that the boat asked for helicopter to be dispatched as the divers condition was getting significantly worse and they were unable to move as they still had a diver down - they then reported she had fallen unconscious and then stopped breathing shortly after that.

The seas were flat calm - so much so we were motoring rather than sailing because there was no wind

not speculating on what happened - but relating what I heard on the radio and what the conditions were like as I was on the water in that area at the time of the incident