Sund Rock death on Sunday 7/24/2022

[wetb4igetinthewater]

There is nothing to correct, all procedures were followed. The Instructor was able to slow the diver's panicked accent.

All proper care was provided, even the EMTs were impressed at the level of incident management.

So you can make all the assumptions you what, but the fact remains, sometimes there is nothing that can be done.

There is no cover up, there is only waiting for the real facts to be discovered.

I'm not assuming anything. No one is accusing the instructor of violating standards. Where are we to learn the real facts? Details such as the tragic death of Linnea Mills are typically not made available.

We are trying to learn here how we can all do better.

 

[Hoyden]

The only people there were 3 students and the instructor, the Divemaster was about 225 feet away, taking care of another student...and everyone else who 'witnessed' this accident were 300 ft away and on the other side of a rock wall.

So any 'facts' posted here is just guess work, and partial information.

Hi David,

Welcome to ScubaBoard. It is obvious that you are new here. Since you did not read the intro post for this section I am including it below with an important section highlighted. You might also want to let everyone know that you are an employee of the dive shop involved as this is very relevant information.




Special Forum Rules;

• Be kind
  • No blame storming (assigning blame)
    • Stick to discussing the actions that contributed to the incident
    • Mishap analysis & "Blamestorming"
  • No trolling or flaming
• No chest thumping
  • This is not the place for you to push your pet peeve or agenda
  • This is not the place to brag that you have info that you can't or won't share
• You may not use real names here, until after they have appeared in the public domain (articles, news reports, sheriff's report etc.) Please cite the source if you do.
• Condolences belong here: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/passings/
• Legal ramifications belong here: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/scuba-related-court-cases/
• Please refrain from telling others how they should post as that's our job
  
  • There will be speculation
  • Facts rarely come out, so why wait
  • This type of introspection and speculation is normal and not ghoulish
  • Instead, please report any post that you believe violates the ToS and/or these special rules.
  Please also refer to these threads:
  
  • Accidents and Incident Threads: Victim Perspective
  • Mishap analysis & "Blamestorming"
  • Old Rules

 

[NW Dive Dawg]

The only people there were 3 students and the instructor, the Divemaster was about 225 feet away, taking care of another student...and everyone else who 'witnessed' this accident were 300 ft away and on the other side of a rock wall.

So any 'facts' posted here is just guess work, and partial information.

Since you are stating that there were only four people there, and that three of them were students, then you are implying that you are one of the two surviving students or that you are the instructor involved in the incident...

If you are none of these three, then your statements here are also completely hearsay and speculation.

I agree with Kosta that as divers we all have a vested interest in these type of accidents....... and that these things ARE our business...

I am extremely sorrowful for this woman who lost her life and for her family and friends....

 

[David O'Neill]

Since you are stating that there were only four people there, and that three of them were students, then you are implying that you are one of the two surviving students or that you are the instructor involved in the incident...

If you are none of these three, then your statements here are also completely hearsay and speculation.

I agree with Kosta that as divers we all have a vested interest in these type of accidents....... and that these things ARE our business...

I am extremely sorrowful for this woman who lost her life and for her family and friends....

I am the instructor

 

[JohnN]

Sometimes panicked divers take their reg out for no apparent reason.

Absolutely terrifying for the DM/Instructor.

Nice save, you couldn't pay me enough to do that

 

[boulderjohn]

I am the instructor

In that case, I am going to suggest that you do not post any more. You never know what is going to happen after this, and you never know how your words can be used to hurt you.

 

[David O'Neill]

Hi David,

Welcome to ScubaBoard. It is obvious that you are new here. Since you did not read the intro post for this section I am including it below with an important section highlighted. You might also want to let everyone know that you are an employee of the dive shop involved as this is very relevant information.




Special Forum Rules;

• Be kind
  • No blame storming (assigning blame)
    • Stick to discussing the actions that contributed to the incident
    • Mishap analysis & "Blamestorming"
  • No trolling or flaming
• No chest thumping
  • This is not the place for you to push your pet peeve or agenda
  • This is not the place to brag that you have info that you can't or won't share
• You may not use real names here, until after they have appeared in the public domain (articles, news reports, sheriff's report etc.) Please cite the source if you do.
• Condolences belong here: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/passings/
• Legal ramifications belong here: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/scuba-related-court-cases/
• Please refrain from telling others how they should post as that's our job
  
  • There will be speculation
  • Facts rarely come out, so why wait
  • This type of introspection and speculation is normal and not ghoulish
  • Instead, please report any post that you believe violates the ToS and/or these special rules.
  Please also refer to these threads:
  
  • Accidents and Incident Threads: Victim Perspective
  • Mishap analysis & "Blamestorming"
  • Old Rules

I'm not the one who posted inaccurate information then accused people of trying to cover up facts.

I have first hand information, of this incident and would be more than happy to talk about it after the investigation is complete and people have time to process.

 

[David O'Neill]

In that case, I am going to suggest that you do not post any more. You never know what is going to happen after this, and you never know how your words can be used to hurt you.

This site has already done enough damage by posting inaccurate information about the chain of events.

 

[boulderjohn]

Absolutely terrifying for the DM/Instructor.

Nice save, you couldn't pay me enough to do that

This video has been around for a while, and I have commented on it before. I believe most people have misinterpreted it.

1. The video begins with a group of divers swimming at the same depth while at least roughly neutrally buoyant.
2. The camera shifts to a diver diving the thumb to end the dive, and then sweeps to others responding with the thumb. Everything seems fine.
3. The camera sweep then shows one of the divers at a considerably deeper depth then she was only seconds before. She is no longer neutrally buoyant and is very much negatively buoyant. She is waving her arms in an attempt to ascend.
4. During that ascent, she panics and removes mask and regulator.

Here is my interpretation.

1. In her OW class pool sessions, she had been taught (as many instructors do teach) to dump all air from the BCD prior to beginning the ascent. This works just fine with a 3mm wetsuit in a pool or in warm water resort diving with minimal weight.
2. It does not work in a heavy wetsuit with significant weight. She dumps her air and immediately begins to descend.
3. Lacking experience, she tries to swim up without inflating, as she was taught in her OW class.
4. Her hard work in her struggles causes a rapid CO2 buildup, and a CO2 buildup is what brings on panic. (When someone holds your mouth and nose and you feel panic, that is the CO2 talking.)
5. The CO2 buildup creates the illusion that she is not getting any air from the regulator, so she gets rid of it.

The solution, of course, is for instructors to teach students to vent air on ascent a little at a time, as needed, rather than dump it all at once. I once heard an instructor teach dumping all air to a class, an instructor who never dived anywhere other than the tropics. I once heard a DM on a boat in Belize say the same thing to the people he was guiding. I once had a new AOW student do that with me. She was wearing a 7mm suit, and I was able to catch her quickly when she sank. I asked her if her OW instructor had taught her to dump all her air prior to ascent, and she said he had.

 

[NW Dive Dawg]

I am the instructor

So sorry that this happened David. I'm sure that you are sick about it. Hang in there.....