Training Scuba Ranch Incident Report

[johndiver999]

Instructor 'permanently suspended' after 12-year-old North Texas girl's scuba death

The Scuba Ranch in Kaufman County has released a new statement regarding the death of a 12-year-old Rockwall girl during a scuba certification class.

www.fox4news.com

But NAUI has not changed his status. So it is safe to assume that he has followed all the NAUI requirements about reporting on the accident after it occured?

But I am confused, if the instructor used an unqualified DM (in other words didn't meet the required student ratios) NAUI must know that their rules were not followed, and that a fatality occurred when this violation took place, so how can they keep the instructor on an active status? Seems like a temporary status change would be the least they could do, even if was simply an attempt to appear responsible.

People in this thread have argued that we must trust our young children's lives to "professionals", yet the professional organization itself does not seem to be acting in a responsible manner in this; most serious, of circumstances. None of this looks good to me.

 

[kammel78]

My understanding is that if you are acting as a professional, you are liable for your actions as if you are an active professional, whether you are or not. The key is whether people are counting on you to act in a supervisory role.

I'd agree if he was acting in absence of a higher professional authority. Armstrong, as the instructor of record, had the duty of care of the students. I don't see how he could legally pass that duty of care off to a non-teaching participant any more than a pilot could grab someone from the passenger cabin and ask them to land the plane. If, though, Roussel was presented to Armstrong by Scuba Toys as a full, active teaching status DM, then that's a different scenario.

Roussel will have to answer for his actions, especially if he deliberately withheld his non-teaching status from Armstrong and/or Scuba Toys, but Armstrong, if he gave student care over to a non-teaching participant, should be held directly responsible. Not to mention Armstrong's post-accident actions (or lack thereof).

 

[boulderjohn]

Dylan Harrison instructor 'permanently suspended'

The instructor conducting the scuba course in which 12-year-old Dylan Harrison died has been 'permanently suspended' by The Scuba Ranch

divemagazine.com

 

[CG43]

Not to mention Armstrong's post-accident actions (or lack thereof).

According to the report by Richard Thomas in the link from johndiver 999 #151, it seems that Roussel and Armstrong were completely blocked after the loss of the girl.
If they were still professionals, they would have organized a meaningful search.
They were no longer even divers, otherwise, they would have at least tried to search underwater in some way.
They were not even men who tried in any way to organize a quick search.
Just recently, the excellent divers who handle a 2/8 situation so confidently,
after the accident, everything falls apart.
Of course, you practice behavior after accidents. But if the accident is caused by one's own mistakes or incompetence, it is a very difficult and different situation.

 

[TostitoBandito]

Dylan Harrison instructor 'permanently suspended'

The instructor conducting the scuba course in which 12-year-old Dylan Harrison died has been 'permanently suspended' by The Scuba Ranch

divemagazine.com

Cool, now put him on leave or fire him from his day job and drop some criminal charges on him. At the very least they should have enough for some flavor of obstructing an investigation. Get something on him and then they can add more charges later if there's evidence to support them.

 

[kammel78]

Cool, now put him on leave or fire him from his day job and drop some criminal charges on him. At the very least they should have enough for some flavor of obstructing an investigation. Get something on him and then they can add more charges later if there's evidence to support them.

But then the investigators would have to want to charge one of their own and stop obstructing the investigation themselves.

 

[Belzelbub]

Having parents close by while teaching children to swim is a terrible, terrible idea. They interfere, plain and simple.

I do agree with this in most situations.

That said, I did join in with both my daughters' open water dives. They did the pool dives with just the instructor. Of course, I made sure that I wouldn't interfere in any way. With the younger one, it was just me, her, and the instructor. Instructor made me do every skill as well. With the oldest, I watched the first day from afar while they did most of the skills. Due to an odd number, I was her buddy on the next day which was mostly actual diving. Again, I didn't interfere. So much so that when another diver accidentally knocked her regulator out, I waited until she dealt with it (couldn't get the primary, but got the octo) before I offered any help.