Teen paralyzed diving in the Keys - anyone have more info?

[weaponeer]

Lots of excellent questions being asked on this incident, some of which went through my mind immediately upon reading the event summary. Perhaps when Matthew recovers he can respond and give us all the insight needed to answer them. Some things I know for sure - never underestimate the added dangers of deep diving and never believe you have all the training you need to do it safely.

 

[SkimFisher]

First and foremost two things I want to put forward as it pertains to any accidents of divers here.

As a LEO we pick apart every LEO death and point out every error MMQB to the tenth degree. We like to do this for two reasons. Number one for training purposes so that scenario and those mistakes will never cost another life. Number Two the unsaid reason we like to say.."Well there is were he screwed up... THAT would NEVER happen to me." It makes us feel better thinking that when it may be true THAT might not get us but any of us could throw snake eyes on any given dive.

I think the reporter just typed up what he heard.

I speculate the 20 ascent is somebody's bejumbled math of a NDL ascent with deepstops added and a five minute SS. I can not keep up with the kewl kids science these days I think they are at like 3 minutes at half then a couple 1 minute stops then a 5 min SS still not :20 though.

Six years diving does not mean 2,190 dives (365x6). Guessing he is a vacation diver and just jumped in. The Speigel is very dangerous in my opinion. It is deeper than many Vacationeers go. The current can get ripping. IT IS so huge you can get mezmorized and forget to make your checks. EVERYONE is Narc'd over 100' some are just better drunks than others. It is a destination vacation divers go to without creeping up to it with dives at 80-90-100-110-120-130. This is not to mention the massive interior that is a WHOLE nother box of pandora's.

So like the Law Enforcment community hopefully this will be an example that makes at least ONE person train a bit more before jumping in over their head.

That was my first impression as well. Hopefully we can get some more details. I keep holding out for hope that people don't do these crazy things to themselves. It's especially upsetting when you know it could have been easily avoided. No ones perfect and we all make mistakes at some point - but activities such as this don't leave much margin for error.

 

[mksmith713]

Isn't there an unwritten rule in the tech diving community that says," Once you pass No Deco Limits, you're on your own....buddy or no buddy"?
He had passed NDL.
I'm happy he survived and hope he regains use of his extremities.

 

[RAD Diver]

Isn't there an unwritten rule in the tech diving community that says," Once you pass No Deco Limits, you're on your own....buddy or no buddy"?
He had passed NDL.
I'm happy he survived and hope he regains use of his extremities.

No tech diving does not mean SOLO diving.
I just started my Advanced Trimix class & it actually advocates diving a 3 person team.
I have several problems with his diving style, but will hold my tongue & hope & pray for the best outcome for him.

 

[RickI]

Isn't there an unwritten rule in the tech diving community that says," Once you pass No Deco Limits, you're on your own....buddy or no buddy"?
He had passed NDL.
I'm happy he survived and hope he regains use of his extremities.

We used to say that on air bounce dives below 225 ft.. All the dives well exceeded NDL. Shallower than that buddies could still do some good even with very limited gear and breathing media. Even had a very limited assist at 230 ft. once, it didn't take much but it helped. Most of the deco dives were shallower than 200 ft. and there was a lot that we could still do for one another.

This was decades ago with inferior gear, breathing media and training to what is available today.

Well trained, coordinated and aware technical divers can do a lot of good and need to be prepared to do just that if needed. There is nothing relating NDL to defacto solo diving in my experience. Don't sell yourself short, with proper preparation and training, there is a lot that you can do.

I hope Matthew responds well to treatment and recovers full function, soon!

 

[ScooterSouthFlorida]

good luck to him.

I would post more but everyone would just get mad at me and I'd get banned.

I won't get mad at you, because I think everyone reading this is staring at the 'elephant in the room' here.

Reminds me of a few of my friends who INSIST on going snow skiing every year (they live here in South Florida) and at least one of them always comes back injured.... I always tell them, if you want to snow ski, MOVE TO COLORADO! IE, enjoy a sport that is in your back yard and you are capable of practicing until you are proficient.

I hope he recovers, but, this just has UNSAFE diver written all over it.

 

[bigdave1969]

I won't get mad at you, because I think everyone reading this is staring at the 'elephant in the room' here.

Reminds me of a few of my friends who INSIST on going snow skiing every year (they live here in South Florida) and at least one of them always comes back injured.... I always tell them, if you want to snow ski, MOVE TO COLORADO! IE, enjoy a sport that is in your back yard and you are capable of practicing until you are proficient.

I hope he recovers, but, this just has UNSAFE diver written all over it.

Think that just about sums it up. Hopefully he will fully recover and he and other divers out there will learn an important lesson. My prayers go out to him and his family.

 

[Jayde323]

Just found this article online... looks like he is making progress.

At the bottom of the article there is a link to the CarePages website to keep well wishers updated on his progress.


Chimes: Injured student recovering

Injured student recovering

DeVlieger remains upbeat after accident

Enlarge Photo courtesy of Andrew DeVlieger

DeVlieger endured a week of decompression therapy.Griffin Jackson
News Editors
On Monday, Dec. 28, junior Matthew DeVlieger was seriously injured in a scuba diving accident in the Florida Keys.

DeVlieger was diving with his father and his twin brother, Andrew, also a Calvin student. All are experienced divers, and have participated in the activity for between five and six years. Over Christmas break, the DeVliegers were exploring the USS Spiegel, a sunken naval ship, at a depth of about 135 feet.

Matthew’s father surfaced earlier than his sons, while Matthew and Andrew continued to swim. DeVlieger realized that his oxygen was getting dangerously low and surfaced too quickly, instead of to a gradual ascending with regular pauses.

Returning to the back deck of the boat, DeVlieger began to feel a strong tingling sensation in his body. He also had trouble breathing. His father called 911 immediately and the family met an ambulance at the dock. From there, DeVlieger was transported to Tavernier Hospital in the Keys. He suffered from a condition called decompression sickness, resulting from quick changes in pressure around one’s body that do not have time to be balanced internally. In DeVlieger’s case, nitrogen bubbles blocked oxygen to his spinal cord, which caused his paralysis in the same way that a deficiency of oxygen to the brain causes a stroke. After about five days of regular hyperbaric oxygen therapy in a decompression chamber, a treatment intended to simulate the diving experience and then gradually return one’s body to normal pressure, DeVlieger is showing signs of improvement.

Currently, he is paralyzed from the chest down. He has relatively full strength in his right arm. His left arm was very weak following the accident, but has recovered considerably over the past couple of weeks.

“He is doing as well as could be expected,” said Associate Chaplain Aaron Winkle, who visited DeVlieger in Florida last week. Winkle also said Devlieger is handling this incredibly difficult situation “with grace and hope.”

The response from Calvin’s students and faculty has been wide-spread and heart-felt. The college sent a video card with clips of students, staff and faculty offering prayers and best wishes to DeVlieger. President Gaylen Byker and Vice President Shirley Hoogstra added their own words to the video, wishing him well and offering their full service and support to bring DeVlieger back to Calvin at the appropriate time. Also, when Winkle flew to Florida, he brought with him support in the form of his words and prayers, but also in a stockpile of Calvin gear and books.

Calvin has done its best to form a veritable web of contact and support with DeVlieger, despite the distance. His brother and mother are in Florida, helping him through his treatment. Professor John Ross, also the coach of the Calvin tennis team, of which DeVlieger was a major part, has been in regular communication with his player and friend. Calvin staff member Fred Ferwerda visited DeVlieger in the hospital. Calvin alumus, Dr. Bryce Hyma, works near the hospital where DeVlieger is now engaged in his rehabilitation, and the two have connected as well. The larger community has also moved itself to support DeVlieger via an ongoing Facebook event, more than 1,600 strong, intent upon offering a constant flow of prayer and an outpouring of support.

Last Thursday, DeVlieger was moved from the Jackson Memorial Hospital Neuroscience ICU of Miami to the hospital’s Rehabilitation Center. He will likely be there for six to eight weeks, during which time he will participate in occupation and physical therapy.

DeVlieger has already made measurable progress. Strength has returned to his arms and he has recovered feeling in some vertebrae that, were without sensation immediately after the accident.

It is too early to know how much feeling or mobility he will get back. The doctors must wait for the inflammation around his spinal cord to decrease.

Despite the remaining swelling around his spinal cord, “therapists were encouraged and impressed by how much strength he had in his arms,” said Winkle. The rehabilitation doctors also see a number of reasons for encouragement. DeVlieger’s age is on his side, as young people have more potential to recover after suffering injury. Also, DeVlieger’s physical strength as a young and active adult, as well as his avid membership on Calvin’s tennis team, is a promising sign. Lastly, his determination has proven a considerable force and a sign of optimism for his continue recovery.

In order to better follow DeVlieger’s progress, visit his care page at https://www.carepages.com/carepages/MatthewDeVlieger. The page offers updates and postings regarding DeVlieger’s condition and rehabilitation. If you visit the page, it will send Facebook-style updates to your e-mail when new posts are added, allowing you to stay up to date.

The Calvin community is strongly anticipating DeVlieger’s return to campus. Until that time, the DeVlieger family would like pass on the message that they are “incredibly grateful for all of their support from the Calvin community.”



I hope he continues to recover.

 

[HowardE]

Isn't there an unwritten rule in the tech diving community that says," Once you pass No Deco Limits, you're on your own....buddy or no buddy"?

I guess they forgot to tell me that rule when I learned the secret handshake.

 

[Rick Inman]

Isn't there an unwritten rule in the tech diving community that says," Once you pass No Deco Limits, you're on your own....buddy or no buddy"?

I guess they forgot to tell me that rule when I learned the secret handshake.

Because diving with you... it goes without saying. And that wasn't a handshake, that was your instructor desperately trying to get payment from you.

Seriously though to the question, for the divers I dive with, it's more the opposite. Although a better term for the way we technical dive might be, "team".