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Diver or not, I am at least posting on topic, which is more than can be said about the last page or so of drivel, including your "contribution".
I thought my original post, which can hardly be accused of being troll-like, would provoke more on topic debate and thought about this issue ,,, Which, like it or not, is of interest to more than just divers, due to its historical nature, and is fresh in my mind, due to just having read the book.
I am a bit disappointed to see weak flames, childish comments and lame humor instead, perhaps I should have posted more towards summer when you guys don't have so much time on your hands in the off season.
I have not commented a bit about technical things which I know nothing about.
This message is hidden because RJP is on your ignore list.
Ok, regardless of dictionary definition, it was a truly reckless act that I am convinced was an embellishment.
To so callously disregard his own safety as well as his partners would seem to fly in the face of his military medical training, which was trumpeted up throughout the book.
Cannot be explained by narcosis, since he was using trimix.
It happened at the very end of the story, seems to me that the author simply wanted to end with something unbelievable, simply swimming out of the room with the tag wouldn't do, so he came up with this.
Probably will never be known if it did happen, as either confirming or denying would put Chatterton in an uncomfortable position.
Confirm it, he admits to having reckless, callous, even suicidal tendencies.
Deny it, he admits the author took creative license, which would call into question the whole work.
If someone did in fact explore the room before, without having to de-tank, that right there is quite an omission, and would suggest that the author didn't want to let little things like facts & details stand in the way of his storyline.
Hate to do this on only my 10th post, but you obviously have nothing to contribute save for witty 1 liners.
Then we'll have to agree to disagree.
Banging on an encrusted, unstable oxygen tank right at the end of the story has an element of contrived hyperbole, when taken in context against the background of his previous super caution, safety training and meticulous planning.