Spiegel Grove fatality - Key Largo, Florida

[Biotech Diver]

I see that but "just after entering the water" does not equal "after diving the Speigel Grove". Doesn't sound like he actually did a dive. The headline makes it sound like he'd finished a dive, but turns out he had just gotten into the water. Quite a big difference, don't you think? Rules out quite a few problems one might encounter on a dive when one never actually did a dive...

Like saying someone died on a mission to the moon when the rocket exploded on launch Technically correct I suppose, but misleading at a minimum.

Makes me wonder if forgot to turn his air or something, or if he just happened to have a heart attack at the worst possible time.

 

[Bob DBF]

Agreed. But "after" implies he completed the dive. Much longer set of possible causes of a fatality "after" diving the Speigel Grove than "shortly after entering the water".

Was this his second dive? Then both could be true.

...or if he just happened to have a heart attack at the worst possible time.

It's always the worst possible time for a heart attack.

 

[Biotech Diver]

Was this his second dive? Then both could be true.



It's always the worst possible time for a heart attack.

Yeah but some situations are magnitudes worse than others. I don’t think that needs any further explanation.

He wouldn’t be the first experienced diver to die due to not opening up a valve before entering the water. He also wouldn’t be the first to have a heart attack right after starting a dive.

I also dove the SG when their was a strong current and crap visibility and 6 feet seas. I think the dove should have been called but it wasn’t. We all made it back safely.

 

[SlugLife]

Based on the poorly written article, a medical-event seems like a good initial guess. More non-self-contradicting details thought might help analyze the situation.

So were crew members on Apollo 1 and Challenger astronauts or mere passengers?

Yes.

 

[Barnaby'sDad]

I see that but "just after entering the water" does not equal "after diving the Speigel Grove". Doesn't sound like he actually did a dive. The headline makes it sound like he'd finished a dive, but turns out he had just gotten into the water. Quite a big difference, don't you think? Rules out quite a few problems one might encounter on a dive when one never actually did a dive...

Like saying someone died on a mission to the moon when the rocket exploded on launch Technically correct I suppose, but misleading at a minimum.

I get what you’re saying, but in this context, I think you’re splitting hairs.

 

[Scraps]

Very sorry to hear about this.
I dove Spiegel Grove last Friday a few hours before this incident.
Entered the water at 8:51 a.m. at buoy #5. Calm seas, very light current.
Surfaced at 9:27 a.m. Seas still calm. Enough current to keep us horizontal at safety stop.
We scrapped our plan for a second dip and moved to a more protected shallow site instead.
Current was likely much stronger by the time of this incident.

 

[oly5050user]

We have done the Spiegel on two occasions. The first time there was zero current. We were told the current could change on a dime and went down and up the line accordingly. The second time, last summer, I was the first person off the boat and had not been warned that I was jumping INTO a fairly strong current. I did my giant stride at the back of the boat, and the line I needed to swim to was perpendicular to the boat (I found out AFTER I was in the water). A younger, quite strong dive guide jumped in and pulled me to the line. Going down the line we were like flags in the water. By the time I got to the wreck I was exhausted and frankly, should have called the dive. But once I saw the first entry point to the wreck I calmed down and was fine. Going back up there were people climbing over me on the line to get to the surface. Very uncomfortable, but by this point I was ok with my skill set and not exhausted, so all ok. I was more worried about the yahoos climbing over me to get to the surface.

If this 67 year old man experienced what I did - and jumped in away from the line leading him to the line down to the wreck, I can understand why he would be stressed and panicked. If I were not in as good of shape as I'm in (and it ain't stellar!), I wonder how much more difficult that could have been for me.

The Spiegel should not be 'sold' as 'just a wreck dive'. It's not the Kittiwake! If the current is 'sporty' it will be difficult for those who are not in great shape or whose health is compromised. I won't do it again. I'm too old and/or not in good enough shape to fight that current.

Condolences to the family. Tough all the way around.

Attempted a dive there a few years ago. Very strong current at the time. Called dive off on decent line as I felt it was unsafe. 4 other divers did same. Boat moved to alternate location. Better safe than sorry.

 

[The Chairman]

Maybe I'm splitting hairs,

Probably.

 

[Jake 10]

Sad to hear

 

[Scraps]

Probably.

Maybe. Maybe not.

Reporters don’t get to write the headlines for their articles. When a headline contradicts the article, my initial impulse is to assume the headline writer didn’t read the article carefully, not that he or she knows additional information—though that is sometimes possible if the headline writer has access to passages deleted by the editors.