So Cal Diver Dies at Laguna Beach

[MikeFerrara]

Arnaud once bubbled...
As always, the press seems to have a hard time reporting these accidents in a manner that makes sense.

The article states that the victim was trying to fix his BC's inflator at the surface, yet he was not wearing his fins and ultimately sunk. All of that, during a shore dive.

There's clearly more to the story. It would help to know the actual details. I will not speculate on what actually happened but it's very unfortunate the journalist didn't do a better job.

Condolences to the family.

The press can't report it well because they don't know diving. The coroner can't do much good especially when it comes to examining equipment because they don't know diving.

Why do you think there's more to it. It's just the kind of thing that could and does do it. Nobody expects it and they're not ready or prepared for it.

Just like in a car, most people in a tight spot just lock the brakes, stop driving and freeze. It's the same in diving. It's easy until something hapens and you have to do the stop, breath, think and act thing in about 1/2 a second. It's more difficult when you might not have a reg in your mouth to breath from. Droping weights, orally inflating or poping a reg in your mouth are simple things but to do it when it counts without panic takes conditioning. Everything is easy when there's no pressure.

Things like this are more than sad, they are tragic. His poor wife deserves more than condolances.

 

[MikeFerrara]

A little off topic but...

We were standing around the beach talking one day between dives when we noticed a diver who sat down in the water to put his fins on. He had a little bit of a belly and was having trouble reaching his feet. After he got the fins on he rolled over onto his hands and knees to get up. The problem was though that the water was a little too deep and his head was under the water. He would have drowned right there if we hadn't have lifted his head out of the water. He never once thought to pop a reg in his mouth or roll back over. Once his face was in that cold water and he couldn't breath he just paniced and couldn't do anything to help himself. That's how it happens.

 

[Charlie99]

MikeFerrara once bubbled...
A little off topic but....

Not all that far off topic. I know of one case in Maui of a near drowning where an relatively experienced diver, that routinely did outrageously difficult lava rock entries, did an easy entry off a jetty with her air turned off. Without the assistance of her buddy, she probably would have drowned.

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Arunaud bubbled: "There's clearly more to the story. "

Not necessarily. It was probably a combination or cascade of simple problems ------ being negative buoyant at the beginning of a shore dive due to full tanks and perhaps excess lead; not having air in his BC and having problems with the inflator hose; getting knocked off his feet and/or pulled into deeper water by the surge; not having his fins on and having a difficult time to swim up; and then either not being able to find his 2nd stage or having the air off and not being able to reach his tank valve; and in panic forgetting to drop lead. Meanwhile his buddy has also gotten knocked about by the shore break loses buddy contact in the low viz near shore.

Yes, this is a lot of speculation, but it is one possible (probable?) scenario that fits all of the reported facts.

I don't post this possible scenario to point fingers and say "how dumb". I look at incidents to learn what can be done at several points to stop this cascade of problems.

 

[pasley]

I dropped by Laugna Sea Sports today. They are reporting that the diver in question entered the water off the rocks into 18 feet of water. Dive partner atempeted to connect his inflator hose, then tried turning off his air so they could connect the inflator hose, and lastly the diver tried to don his fins.

Still and all it is a tragedy, and a reminder to be careful out there.

 

[MikeFerrara]

pasley once bubbled...
I dropped by Laugna Sea Sports today. They are reporting that the diver in question entered the water off the rocks into 18 feet of water. Dive partner atempeted to connect his inflator hose, then tried turning off his air so they could connect the inflator hose, and lastly the diver tried to don his fins.

Still and all it is a tragedy, and a reminder to be careful out there.

I hope that isn't true. If it is, I'm sure he'll reflect on that for a long time.

 

[SoCalAngel]

;-0

It is with many tears I write this. Darryll was a good friend and fellow board member of the SOCDC.

The newspaper article was not very accurate in it's report, as few of them are. Darryll and Steve entered the water. As was said in an earlier post, the vis had decreased due to a swell, and waves had picked up. It is customary for many of our club members to get past the breakers, BC slightly inflated, fins on hands and paddle backstroke well beyond the surf zone. My understanding was they stopped in about 20 ft or so of water. Darryl started to add air to his BC, but the inflator hose popped off. He swam over to Steve to get help putting the inflator back on. Steve tried his best, but was unable to.

I am very unclear as to exactly what happened from there. Nor do I wish to ask Steve for details on such a painful incident. They were best friends and frequent dive buddies.

I do know Steve tried to help Darryll get his fins on. Darryll was probably panicking at this point, as I am sure many of us would. Without fins on, he was unable to stay at the surface. Darryll slipped under the water and Steve tried to get a hold of him. He went down to look for Darryll, but with poor vis, was unable to locate him. Steve ascended and called for help from he beach. 911 was called and others from the beach jumped in to search for Darryll. Unfortunately, it was too late.

I do not know why his BC was not orally inflated nor why weights weren't dropped. No one will evr know. That is why it is an accident. And a tragedy.

I have barely gone minutes without thinking of what a great guy Darryll was. I enjoyed diving with him. He did buddy checks and was fastidious in taking care of his equipment. He had an awesome outlook on life. He was a great friend that I will miss for a long time to come. I cannot begin to express my sadness over a passing of a friend.

There is a memorial dive scheduled for him this Saturday. Meet at Laguna Hills Mall at 7 am. We will leave for the beach at 7:45. Afterwards, there will be a get together at King's Fish House (at Lag. HIlls Mall) starting around 11 am.

Please keep his wife and family in your prayers. They are welcomed and needed.

Laurel;-0

 

[Uncle Pug]

You know my wife always asks me to be careful and I always give her a call after our dive to let her know that I was.

I sure hate to hear these stories and I know that the media gets the *facts* all wrong most of the time... but really... we need to be careful folks.

So. You all be careful OK?

 

[Arnaud]

Scubalaurel,

Thank you for your moving post and clarifications. The one fact that seems clearly established is that the victim didn't wear his fins. This practice should probably be revisited.

Mike and Charlie, my point was that I didn't understand how someone could be floating one minute and involuntarily sink and disappear the next one, all in 20 feet of water, with a full tank.

UP, you are so right. Each time I go diving, my wife invariably asks me to be careful. And each time, I tell her to reassure her that there isn't any other way. But we always have several options...

 

[FFMDiver]

disheartning news. verry sorry.

 

[DFC5343]

Enter the water with weights on without your fins! Instant death just add stupidity!