Sund Rock death on Sunday 7/24/2022

[boulderjohn]

Quite a few years ago, immediately after what became a very famous fatality, someone closely involved with the case posted some very factual information about it. Eventually he realized to his horror that he should not have done that, and the ScubaBoard management did him the favor of deleting his posts.

 

[DandyDon]

So sorry about your student, but should you even be posting?

No, he shouldn't. We love to get facts from direct sources, but he should have a lawyer by now, who would tell him not to.

 

[pauldw]

If there was nothing to hide and I was there during the accident, I wouldn't hesitate for a second to share the facts so people stop speculating. I know from first hand experience how devastating it can be when people start spreading rumors that are blatantly false. It's very hard on the families and people involved.

Lawyers love defendants like you. Love ‘em!

 

[NW Dive Dawg]

(Edited)

My initial reaction and opinion is that the instructor is most likely competent and most likely did everything within standards.... Maybe it’s the standards that need to be looked into..

I feel terrible for both the student and the instructor.

 

[chillyinCanada]

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

thread closed for moderation

while you wait, refresh yourself on the special rules for the Accidents and Incidents subforum. You can do this by reading fully the first 3 threads under the Accidents and Incidents subforum

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[chillyinCanada]

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

This thread is being re-opened.

A reminder- this thread is in Accidents and Incidents ergo bicker battles are completely inappropriate and should be taken to dm.

We would prefer not to speculate about accidents but we do, unless we have some knowns.

It is never our intention to cause any harm but only to learn or perhaps teach our reading members.

Again, speculation is fine though it should be set out as such.

Please conduct yourselves in a disciplined manner.

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[John the Pom]

People should Google for any of the many, many articles in which lawyers tell people who are potentially involved in legal action to keep their mouths shut. You cannot believe the way even the most factual information can be twisted. A couple of years ago I wrote a detailed analysis of a scuba fatality in which the wording someone involved used immediately after the incident was interpreted in a way he did not intend, so when he said essentially the same thing but in different words later on, he was accused of lying. He protested that he had not meant in his original statement what they were saying it meant, but it was a tough fight for him.

Sadly true. Unfortunately, the things that you need to develop and nurture a healthy safety culture are almost the direct opposite of the legal advice. Having seen some safety enquiries run by engineers, I was struck by the lack of ego, and the genuine desire of all parties to get to the bottom of what happened, to weigh the full evidence in a disinterested way, and to determine controls to prevent it happening in future as the first priority. When lawyers are running things, it becomes all about cherry-picking the evidence, fighting for your corner regardless of what actually happened, and "winning" (and, consequently, that someone else is the "loser"). The joke, of course, is that, in the longer term, by trying to decide everything in the courts, we all lose out.

 

[Cthippo]

This is why things like NTSB reports are specifically inadmissible in court. Then congress created the agency they inserted language that exempts toe findings of the board from being admissible because doing so encouraged people involved in an accident to be honest with the investigation because their testimony could not be used against them later in court. I believe military accident investigation boards are the same way.

If you tell the investigation board "I crashed because I was drunk" and it later goes to trial, the court CANNOT use those statements as evidence against you.

 

[pauldw]

Any more facts on this event? Although I've only been there once, Sund Rock may replace Cape Arago as my favorite NW dive site, and it would be good to know whether there are specific hazards there.

 

[Boarderguy]

Any more facts on this event? Although I've only been there once, Sund Rock may replace Cape Arago as my favorite NW dive site, and it would be good to know whether there are specific hazards there.

No hazards other than standard PNW dive conditions. Cold and potential for deep without trying hard. Spring and summer alge make for mid day night dives so could be disorienting.

65 ft on 6/18. I'm on my buddies hip here.