Three dead and one in recompression chamber in Italy, Tuscany

[Landlocked123]

Grazie Fabio.... sounds like you have located some solid info ...sad story really. I wonder if the divers that allegedly followed their buddy in rapid ascent would have been better off not doing so. You would think the boat operator would have been able to help the diver at the surface. Perhaps there would be 2 people still alive? Still seems strange to me. As you state unfortunately this is Italy and we all know how things go back home. Hopefully we get to the bottom of this. Not holding my breath though !

---------- Post added August 21st, 2014 at 02:44 AM ----------

I still feel this could be a case of bad fills... hey DandyDon what tester do you recomend? I am going to ask a silly question. Is the CO tester the same tester that can be used to test the O2 component for Nitorx Fills? or is this a separate tester? I am serously condisering buying one. I mostly fill at only 2 locations when I dive back in the US but I dive Mexico every year and I am really leaning to wards testing every tank going forward. Is there one tester that does it all?

 

[fsardone]

Others besides the previously mention four? Know how many? The listed "bad equipment" does not seem to specify what their suspicious are, but there is only one feature of "bad equipment" that can affect them all...

Three more,
and I agree with you there is only one feature common to all ... that is why they are looking into the gas in the tanks.

Fabio

---------- Post added August 21st, 2014 at 09:06 AM ----------

Grazie Fabio.... sounds like you have located some solid info ...sad story really. I wonder if the divers that allegedly followed their buddy in rapid ascent would have been better off not doing so. You would think the boat operator would have been able to help the diver at the surface. Perhaps there would be 2 people still alive? Still seems strange to me.

Here we go into speculation. The only one who for sure followed the sick diver up is the one who survived. Now we could not find anything coming from him (lawyered up?). The other two (speculation on) might have felt sick at depth or thumbed up dive. If felt sick they might have inflated BCD and surfaced in an uncontrolled way (sure way to get hurt) if they thumbed up, there would be no reason not to make a controlled ascent including DECO stops. The operator only provided boat passage (and gas apparently) because this group did not desire dive masters/guides. (speculation off)

As you state unfortunately this is Italy and we all know how things go back home. Hopefully we get to the bottom of this. Not holding my breath though !

Fact is that here criminal prosecution is mandatory and since there is already a prosecutor working on this, everybody will have lawyered up and instructed to keep opinions and fact for themselves in order to avoid messing things up. Once we will have a criminal trial, families will piggyback on that for economic payback for wrongful deaths.

My assessment is that the (legal) truth will be known at trial and the one needed for prevention might remain hidden forever.

---------- Post added August 21st, 2014 at 02:44 AM ----------

I still feel this could be a case of bad fills... hey DandyDon what tester do you recomend? I am going to ask a silly question. Is the CO tester the same tester that can be used to test the O2 component for Nitorx Fills? or is this a separate tester? I am serously condisering buying one. I mostly fill at only 2 locations when I dive back in the US but I dive Mexico every year and I am really leaning to wards testing every tank going forward. Is there one tester that does it all?

I am recommending the ANALOX which is easily available in Europe from Narked@90
Carbon Monoxide Analysers
or way cheaper on Amazon in US
Analox Carbon Monoxide Analyzer - Carbon Monoxide Detectors - Amazon.com

Which is the same DandyDon recommends if I am not mistaken

Fabio

 

[DandyDon]

I still feel this could be a case of bad fills... hey DandyDon what tester do you recomend? I am going to ask a silly question. Is the CO tester the same tester that can be used to test the O2 component for Nitorx Fills? or is this a separate tester? I am serously condisering buying one. I mostly fill at only 2 locations when I dive back in the US but I dive Mexico every year and I am really leaning to wards testing every tank going forward. Is there one tester that does it all?

I use the Analox EII CO tank tester. Very dependable, very easy to use, and more. Sensorcon also offers a reliable kit for less money. I do not know of any cobination O2 & CO analyzers, but then your Nitrox provider usually has one for O2 that you can use - usually Analox. I'd sugges the CO tester would be your more important consideration. Now it does get boring checking tanks when there are no problems tank after tank, until you get one that's not so clean - then it becomes all worthwhile. I use mine on all tanks, home and abroad.

 

[gianaameri]

It was CO in all 3 tanks (and divers blood):

Sub morti alle Formiche, monossido di carbonio nelle bombole e nel sangue - Repubblica.it

 

[Pearlman]

So is using nitrox a safe way out when a CO tester is not available? The O2 tester will reveal if the pp of O2 is abnormally low won't it? The 6$ for nitrox is well worth the added safety check.

P

 

[fsardone]

Pearlman,
I do not believe using NITROX would solve the issue.
Nitrox is done by continuosly mixing Oxy and air and then going into the compressor, loading oxy in the tanks and then air or using a Nitrox unit removing nitrogen from air and then going into the high pressure compressor.

Since the CO most of the time comes from high pressure compressor overheating and burning lubricating oil, you would end up with CO laced NITROX in the tank.


As DandyDon says test it or dive on hope!

Fabio

 

[boulderjohn]

So is using nitrox a safe way out when a CO tester is not available? The O2 tester will reveal if the pp of O2 is abnormally low won't it? The 6$ for nitrox is well worth the added safety check.

Oxygen levels in nitrox tanks will normally vary from what is expected by a percent or more, but in any case it would not make any difference. No matter how nitrox is made, a certain amount of oxygen is added to air. If the air is contaminated, it will not have any effect on the percentage of oxygen. It is the percentage of the remaining air that will vary.

 

[yardpro]

I would suspect carbon monoxide.

if they were using a gas driven pump, the intake can suck in exhaust fumes and pump them into the tank.
it is colorless, odorless, and will render unconscious

 

[DandyDon]

So is using nitrox a safe way out when a CO tester is not available? The O2 tester will reveal if the pp of O2 is abnormally low won't it? The 6$ for nitrox is well worth the added safety check.

P

Not in the least. In the story I shared a few posts back we had suspected tainted air from one compressor by an Op who proved throughout the trip to be pathetic, and clean Nitrox supplied by a different compressor and Op.

I would suspect carbon monoxide.

if they were using a gas driven pump, the intake can suck in exhaust fumes and pump them into the tank.
it is colorless, odorless, and will render unconscious

It's been confirmed a few posts above, but there are several ways that CO can be added to tanks.

 

[Pearlman]

Oxygen levels in nitrox tanks will normally vary from what is expected by a percent or more, but in any case it would not make any difference. No matter how nitrox is made, a certain amount of oxygen is added to air. If the air is contaminated, it will not have any effect on the percentage of oxygen. It is the percentage of the remaining air that will vary.

Yes I recall the care needed to produce nitrox now, after reading your post.

Thanks
P