Tourist lost - Cozumel

[Joneill]

Weird. Worked for me across multiple browsers and platforms. Bottom line is that the other whistle looks better anyhoo…

Worked for me on iPhone as well!

 

[tridacna]

Thanks for the information Bilboinsa. Friends and relatives of victims are discouraged from reading these discussions as we try to learn from them. It was great of you to stick with the wife and help as possible.

I've long thought that Cozumel currents are too little discussed. Vacation divers should know how to escape one.

DD, I am uncertain that it was actually @bilboinsa who was present. Looks like he was quoting someone else from the FB group.

 

[Joneill]

My wife and I were diving on the same boat, different dive group. The “lost” diver was VERY experienced. He was only several feet from his wife and his dive master on the wall as they were preparing their SMB. A sudden down current pulled him down before anyone could help.

The currents were strong and multi-directional, but manageable the whole dive…up until that point. Read about down currents online. They come on suddenly and unpredictably. (There was even a vortex at the surface over blue water as we came up from our safety stop.)

Scary thought that this could happen so suddenly - especially the part that is underlined/bolded above

Hopefully we get more details and some analysis on what best to do to try to survive something like this.

I’ve often read that, if near a wall, either swim to to wall and climb up or swim out away from wall to get out of the “waterfall”. I’ve also read to swim left or right as in a rip tide as the current usually is no that wide? Depending on how fast you get dragged down, you’d have to think and act very quickly… which in the panic of the moment may be easier said than done?

I experienced very strong currents a few times on my December Raja Ampat trip - but no significant down (or up) currents. We usually either hooked in or drifted and only swam against a few times for short distances - but the strength of the currents sweeping up over the seamounts was “eye opening” for sure - you could feel your mask shuddering (so had to be careful looking sideways to not have it flood or rip off).

Condolences to those impacted - very sad accident!

 

[drrich2]

Sounds it was at a particularly bad point in the dive; preparing to go up, they had the least air of the dive, and considerable nitrogen loading I would imagine.

Being suddenly swept down and away when possibly low on air to begin with would be very stressful. He might not've known whether his wife was safe, which may've entailed more stress.

The “lost” diver was VERY experienced. He was only several feet from his wife and his dive master on the wall as they were preparing their SMB.

Any word on about how deep they were when this happened?

 

[Kimela]

This is from a Cozumel Divers FB group:

“Ericka Tapper Your info was correct.

I hate posting this info, but want to give accurate info to reduce speculation.

My wife and I were diving on the same boat, different dive group. The “lost” diver was VERY experienced. He was only several feet from his wife and his dive master on the wall as they were preparing their SMB. A sudden down current pulled him down before anyone could help.

The currents were strong and multi-directional, but manageable the whole dive…up until that point. Read about down currents online. They come on suddenly and unpredictably. (There was even a vortex at the surface over blue water as we came up from our safety stop.)

It does not matter which dive shop we were with. I was on the boat and witnessed it all. They had to account for the other divers/teams while preparing to search. I am confident they did not delay the search and they did not “lose him”. The dive master was within sight when it happened. The dive masters and dive company did everything they could.

Most importantly to everyone who reads this: Please, do not speculate. Please be respectful of the lost diver and his grieving wife. We spent hours consoling her last night and this morning.”

This is so sad and frightening. R and I typically dive shallow even on the first dive - we ask to get dropped somewhere other than 'the wall', so we're not generally out over the blue during the dive but sometimes end up surfacing there when we run out of reef. My understanding is these down currents happen at the walls, but this sounds like there was a vortex over blue water, not near the wall? I guess I'm looking for clarification. Anyone here know enough about how these currents work to clear that up?

 

[Richard Dayan]

This guy got lost UNDERWATER, there are a bunch of bad practices carried out by the tourist dive centers. They only care about getting your money and cut corners on safety.

 

[Boarderguy]

This guy got lost UNDERWATER, there are a bunch of bad practices carried out by the tourist dive centers. They only care about getting your money and cut corners on safety.

An experienced diver was ripped away from the group by an unexpected down current. Boat practices and insinuating comments have no place here.

 

[gopbroek]

This guy got lost UNDERWATER, there are a bunch of bad practices carried out by the tourist dive centers. They only care about getting your money and cut corners on safety

Yea right, specifically in this incident what do you personally know to make such a statement. Cozumel is one of the most dived areas in the world and typically has some of the most professional DM's in the world.

 

[gopbroek]

This is so sad and frightening. R and I typically dive shallow even on the first dive - we ask to get dropped somewhere other than 'the wall', so we're not generally out over the blue during the dive but sometimes end up surfacing there when we run out of reef. My understanding is these down currents happen at the walls, but this sounds like there was a vortex over blue water, not near the wall? I guess I'm looking for clarification. Anyone here know enough about how these currents work to clear that up?

Kimela, for what it is worth:
I have more than a thousand dives on Cozumel and my primary diving is for Lionfish and for the last few years that means over the wall and relatively deep. I have thought about this for a while and have my own theory which may or not be correct.

The channel current near Cozumel is one of the fastest around at 5-6 KTS, the current is not fixed but has slight variations in both velocity and direction. The channel is wider in the south and the near shore shallow current is typically northward being drug along by the main channel current but typically much slower. Below Cedral the island shore is more north / south and the channel is wider, above Cedral it shifts to NNE (about 30 degrees) while the mainland is more ENE (about 60 degrees) causing a constriction. The near shore current in the south (which extends to the reef) continues its N direction past Cedral point where the shore angles more east. This mass of water moving in relatively slow current typically causes a slight off shore current near Santa Rosa but the amount of energy involved in even a slow current is massive.

In the winter and spring months the main channel current, I suspect, wobbles in direction and causes eddies often seen as reverse currents all along the reef, it is referred to locally as 'crazy currents' and it normally occurs from late January thru May but especially in late February and March, but can happen any time. In the case of Santa Rosa there is already a slight off shore current from the southern shore current and the wall is very shear. When a main channel eddy collides with the remnants of the southern shore current the pressure has to relieve itself somewhere and the path of least resistance would be downward over the shear wall of Santa Rosa. I have see this from from mid Cedral thru Santa Rosa.

I have been seen a lot of down current at various points along the reef and watch closely the sand shoots between sections of the reef. These sand shoots are the pressure relief points and points of least resistance and if I see turbulence, ‘dust devils’, on the sand I go either high or out to avoid any down drafts.

For what it is worth that’s my best guess.

 

[Kimela]

Kimela, for what it is worth:
I have more than a thousand dives on Cozumel and my primary diving is for Lionfish and for the last few years that means over the wall and relatively deep. I have thought about this for a while and have my own theory which may or not be correct.

The channel current near Cozumel is one of the fastest around at 5-6 KTS, the current is not fixed but has slight variations in both velocity and direction. The channel is wider in the south and the near shore shallow current is typically northward being drug along by the main channel current but typically much slower. Below Cedral the island shore is more north / south and the channel is wider, above Cedral it shifts to NNE (about 30 degrees) while the mainland is more ENE (about 60 degrees) causing a constriction. The near shore current in the south (which extends to the reef) continues its N direction past Cedral point where the shore angles more east. This mass of water moving in relatively slow current typically causes a slight off shore current near Santa Rosa but the amount of energy involved in even a slow current is massive.

In the winter and spring months the main channel current, I suspect, wobbles in direction and causes eddies often seen as reverse currents all along the reef, it is referred to locally as 'crazy currents' and it normally occurs from late January thru May but especially in late February and March, but can happen any time. In the case of Santa Rosa there is already a slight off shore current from the southern shore current and the wall is very shear. When a main channel eddy collides with the remnants of the southern shore current the pressure has to relieve itself somewhere and the path of least resistance would be downward over the shear wall of Santa Rosa. I have see this from from mid Cedral thru Santa Rosa.

I have been seen a lot of down current at various points along the reef and watch closely the sand shoots between sections of the reef. These sand shoots are the pressure relief points and points of least resistance and if I see turbulence, ‘dust devils’, on the sand I go either high or out to avoid any down drafts.

For what it is worth that’s my best guess.

Wow - you've really put some thought into this. I've observed those little 'dust devils' and thought they were incredibly interesting (and tried to get pics but they never really show up as they do in person) - but those may mean local down currents - that makes sense. I'd just never put two and two together. I knew there was something going on, and it was in strong current, but I hadn't thought about directionality or impact. Thanks.