Suit filed in case of "Girl dead, boy injured at Glacier National Park

[Ayisha]

I wear 10 lbs with a drysuit, 2 lb AL bp, and a steel HP 80 in cold fresh water. Add some weight for a jacket and AL 80, but still a far cry from being grossly overweighted with 44 lbs.

But let's remember that Linnea was asphyxiated to death. Not a momentary or short-lived squeeze that might be relieved by inflating slightly, and that might still leave marks on the neck and shoulders. Crushing, sustained pressure on her neck and torso at depth - enough for Bob to observe that she couldn't breathe judging by her rapid, shallow exhalations.

I'm quite sure that the intense, prolonged squeeze on her neck that Linnea endured was far greater than any of us alive have experienced. And a small squeeze is bad enough.

 

[rsingler]

But let's remember that Linnea was asphyxiated to death. Not a momentary or short-lived squeeze that might be relieved by inflating slightly, and that might still leave marks on the neck and shoulders. Crushing, sustained pressure on her neck and torso at depth - enough for Bob to observe that she couldn't breathe

That seems unlikely compared with drowning.
First, the neck seal is flexible and the neck ring is large enough to fit one's head through.
Second, the gas she is breathing is at ambient pressure. I concur that she had limited movement due to squeeze, and her skin was painfully pinched. However, her chest was not crushed. That's just incorrect.
I suspect her rapid shallow breathing was panic. And for whatever reason she lost her regulator, she was then unable to replace it because of the limited arm movement of her suit squeeze, aspirated lake water and drowned.
A terrifying death indeed. But the physics do not support your interpretation.

 

[Ayisha]

Here's an article that discusses a neck seal putting pressure on a diver's carotid arteries:

Experienced Scuba Diver Dies Under The Ice

 

[Esprise Me]

Here's an article that discusses a neck seal putting pressure on a diver's carotid arteries:

Experienced Scuba Diver Dies Under The Ice

That's a different thing. He wasn't unable to inhale due to suit squeeze; he passed out because the neck seal wasn't cut to fit him and it cut off the blood supply to his brain. Different kinds of pressure.

 

[Bob DBF]

Diving to any depth without the possibility of inflating the drysuit is a non-starter.

That would be my assessment, but it's theoretical since I only dive wet here, since it only gets down to the mid to high 40's here occasionally.

 

[pauldw]

So, Esprise Me or some other attorney, what would that take? What would make it criminal?

Montana 45-5-104. Negligent homicide. (1) A person commits the offense of negligent homicide if the person negligently causes the death of another human being.
(2) Negligent homicide is not an included offense of deliberate homicide as defined in 45-5-102(1)(b).
(3) A person convicted of negligent homicide shall be imprisoned in the state prison for any term not to exceed 20 years or be fined an amount not to exceed $50,000, or both.

 

[Ayisha]

That's a different thing. He wasn't unable to inhale due to suit squeeze; he passed out because the neck seal wasn't cut to fit him and it cut off the blood supply to his brain. Different kinds of pressure.

Do we know if the neck seal fit or was cut for Linnea?

She was asphyxiated, not drowned, right?

I'll bet @Cert1967 would love to help us if he finds a way...

 

[buddhasummer]

and incredibly saddened. I can't imagine the terror that young woman suffered before drowning.

Yes. I read the lawsuit, tried to imagine the terror she must've been feeling, the pain, the panic, her last moments.

Then I thought about her her family, her life ending at 18. Brought tears to my eyes.

Wholly unavoidable. Beyond tragic.

RIP.

 

[Centrals]

Yes. I read the lawsuit, tried to imagine the terror she must've been feeling, the pain, the panic, her last moments.

Then I thought about her her family, her life ending at 18. Brought tears to my eyes.

Wholly unavoidable. Beyond tragic.

RIP.

This tragedy is easily avoidable. I just could not understand the mentality of the instructor/dive shop involved.
Utterly incomprehensible that this actually happened!

 

[Esprise Me]

Do we know if the neck seal fit or was cut for Linnea?

She was asphyxiated, not drowned, right?

I'll bet @Cert1967 would love to help us if he finds a way...

I doubt the instructor who told her she could dive without an inflator hose took the time to cut the neck seal to fit, but it might have happened to fit already. I see no reason to think a tight neck seal contributed to her death. Where did you read that she was asphyxiated, not drowned?