Shaw’s Cove, Laguna Beach, CA Fatality

[azstinger11]

This was a dive I did on the 3rd. We skipped the swim throughs and instead just swam out and around the reef. So this hits the max depths of the site and unless he went through the swim throughs would be pretty representative of a dive at the site. I spent most of the dive on the line at the bottom of the rock reef right by the sand. Blue = temp, range of 69-64 degrees.

 

[Hiszpan]

This was a dive I did on the 3rd. We skipped the swim throughs and instead just swam out and around the reef. So this hits the max depths of the site and unless he went through the swim throughs would be pretty representative of a dive at the site. I spent most of the dive on the line at the bottom of the rock reef right by the sand. Blue = temp, range of 69-64 degrees.

View attachment 551564

Thanks for that. This profile looks exactly like the one we often do here in Bermuda when diving offshore and swimming (or not) to the breakers then going along the reef and swim throughs.

Those dives done on single ALU 80 almost never require any deco stop (apart from safety stop) so I am really curious how that fatal dive ended up being fatal even if you run out of air on the bottom. Computer profile would answer many questions...

 

[Hatul]

We dive Shaw's Cover relatively frequently and it's one of the easier beaches to enter and exit because of a rock shelter and the sandy bottom. There is a shallow reef that's entered under an arch and many times we have to turn back because of turbulence just past the arch. There can a washing machine effect there with blackout and disorientation. The swim throughs are best to enter at very calm swell conditions and with 2-3 foot swells it can get rough and disorienting in there and it's possible he got lost in there. I read about a diver who drowned in there a few years ago in a refresher course. If anyone does get into trouble in there it's shallow and ok to surface and get your bearings. In spite of the surf at the surface it's not that bad and there really is no reason to run out of air on such a shallow dive.

 

[infieldg]

All interesting points. To me (and I am not solo trained), no amount of training can help you better in a medical event (heart attacks/strokes of various severity, IPOs etc) than a buddy, especially when the lights go out. He's also there to kick your a** if you're running low on air and not heading back.

Yup redundancy doesn't end with hardware, I try to always have at least two or more tanks, regs, line cutters, torches, and brains, and at least FOUR eyes and hands...a buddy is just a redundant 'me' for when I break down.

 

[Hatul]

I was one of the divers involved in the rescue attempt

A few details:
- The deceased was from out of town and was diving alone
- He was in full rental gear from a local shop
- His SPG read 0
- His computer showed a surface interval of 1 hour 25 min when we got him to shore
- Swells were ~2ft and surge was heavier than normal for Shaw's Cove

I commend all who assisted with the rescue.

Can I ask you if he was found in the swim-throughs or outside.

 

[Seaweed Doc]

Another way to get to 0 psi is to neglect to turn the air on. That is, just because the spg reads zero doesn't mean the tank must be empty.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

The article states that he entered the water an hour before. If he neglected to open his valve, he wouldn't have been found on the surface at a busy dive site an hour later.

 

[Seaweed Doc]

The article states that he entered the water an hour before. If he neglected to open his valve, he wouldn't have been found on the surface at a busy dive site an hour later.

But his computer recorded an hour and 25 minute surface interval. Agreed it's not likely, but it's not impossible.

Regardless, his computer log and state of the tank will clarify.