Training fatality claims Utah woman in Florida

[DandyDon]

From http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/52687801-78/ballard-according-daily-news.html.csp

A North Salt Lake woman died Saturday while scuba diving off the coast of Palm Beach, Fla.

Julie Lynne Cannon Ballard, 56, was on a dive to get her certification as a scuba diver when something went wrong about 60 feet under the ocean, the Palm Beach Daily News reported Thursday.

Ballard, her dive instructor and the owner/operator of the commercial boat, dove to the ocean floor about 2 p.m. Saturday, according to the Daily News.

Everything was going well until one of the people in the group said she noticed Ballard’s regulator was out of her mouth, the newspaper reported.

First aid efforts followed once Ballard was brought up to the boat. She was pronounced dead at St. Mary’s Medical Center, according to the Daily News.

Authorities were quoted as saying foul play was not suspected.

Ballard worked in the area of newborn and pediatric respiratory care for more than 30 years, according to an obituary published by Memorial Mortuaries and Cemeteries.

"She has been recognized for her work in changing the way respiratory therapists care for patients with bronchiolitis," the obituary states. "Her outcomes have been reported nationally and have been embraced by respiratory therapists around the world."

Family members said Ballard passed away peacefully while doing something she loved, according to the obituary.

 

[JonKranhouse]

A few more details per another news report from Palm Beach Daily News (emphasis added)...

Utah scuba diver dies off Palm Beach coast

By WILLIAM KELLYDAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Updated: 4:53 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, 2011
Posted: 4:23 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, 2011

Julie Ballard was about to obtain her certification as a scuba diver Saturday afternoon in the waters a mile off the coast of Palm Beach.

But something went wrong about 60 feet down on the ocean floor. Not long afterward, the 56-year-old Utah woman was pronounced dead at St. Mary’s Medical Center.

Ballard and her dive instructor went out on Sandy’s Sunday Dive Boat, a commercial dive vessel and down to the ocean floor with Sandra Brammeier, the boat’s owner/operator, around 2 p.m.

According to Palm Beach police, Ballard gave a hand signal that everything was all right, and the group began to make their way along the bottom. But Brammeier later told police she looked back within a minute and saw that Ballard’s regulator was out of her mouth “and something had apparently gone wrong quick.”

They got Ballard onto the boat, and contacted authorities for help. The Palm Beach Police Marine Unit assisted the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office in administering CPR on Ballard. The U.S. Coast Guard also assisted and brought two Palm Beach County paramedics on board.

There was no foul play, said Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Teri Barbera.

“We don’t know what happened, other than what the witnesses tell us,” she said.

The Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office said it had not determined a cause of death.

The dive boat did not have a defibrillator on board, according to the police report.

Brammeier, owner of Ocean Quest Scuba Charters, could not immediately be reached for comment on Thursday.

 

[Thalassamania]

I doubt that the absence of a defibrillator made much difference. What I fail to understand is how there can be a fatality, especially a TRAINING fatality without anyone seeing what happened.

 

[Blue Sparkle]

Going by the articles, they were at 60' on an OW certification dive. Although I know 60' is the maximum depth recommended once you are certified, I still noticed that. Maybe it's common in places where diving just is that deep (where I trained there were shallower dive sites that we used).

Also I wonder about how the boat's owner/operator was on the dive with them. It may be no big deal (other staff stayed onboard/it was mis-written, or etc.), but again just something I noted while reading.

 

[SandyBramm]

Julie Ballard was a very nice woman that has done alot in her profession for others, and has left behind a large family that I am sure will miss her dearly. My crew and I sent out our sympathy to her family and friends for their loss, as well to the instructor that had become close to her. Mrs Ballard was conducting her final dives onboard our boat on Saturday, she came to us with her instructor from the Orlando area. Mrs Ballard had a non-dive related medical emergency that unfortunately did claim her life. Mrs Ballard was on the bottom for less than five minutes at a depth of 56 ft and until her emergency she was enjoying a Hawksbill Turtle. All efforts were made to save her life, and I thank the USCG, Sheriff Dept, Palm Beach Police and Towboat US for responding so quickly to our location. In addition to EMS responders the dive boats Sirena (Pura Vida Divers), Deep Obsession (JASA), and Narcosis for assisting us by keeping a eye on our remaining divers, and bringing them back in to our dock.

CPR was started immediately, and a defibrillator was utilized within minutes, but when the machine was attached and we were ready to shock, the machine advised. "no shock". A total of nine EMS medics boarded our boat and worked on Mrs Ballard until we arrived at the marina. It was later relayed to us, that Mrs Ballard had most likely suffered a Anurisium and that had died instantly. Her husband remained by her side the entire time and was very strong and brave. Mrs Ballard was holding her instructors hand at the time the event accurred, and she never seemed scared or showed any signs of panic, she simply went limp.

I decided to cancel our trips for Sunday due to the fact that I wanted to give my crew time to process everything they had witnessed and been through. This was the first incident we've had on our boat, and I am very proud of how my crew handled themselves. We were diving on Flower Garden reef, and at some point in the future, the family plans on returning to put flowers out

 

[Thalassamania]

Thanks for the clear note at such a hard time.

 

[heavierthanlead]

Going by the articles, they were at 60' on an OW certification dive. Although I know 60' is the maximum depth recommended once you are certified, I still noticed that. Maybe it's common in places where diving just is that deep (where I trained there were shallower dive sites that we used)...

Appears to not have been a direct factor in this incident (if it was indeed an aneurism), but sure makes one wonder about the election to push the envelope in the first 2 days of actual open water exposure. Having completed the training of hundreds of newbs in typically 15-25' of temperate freshwater, I can't imagine ever taking fledgling divers, even under the most ideal of conditions, to 40' (let alone 60'), and asking them to perform ESA or mask removal/replacement skills. Dealing with fullblown panic in the former, is one thing...

Just generalizing, and not calling out any individual instructor or operator.

 

[Blue Sparkle]

Sandy,

Thanks so much for posting. It's really nice to hear from someone who was there vs. only media accounts. Kudos to you and your crew for being well-trained and on the ball.

Blue Sparkle

 

[Tom Winters]

A few more details per another news report from Palm Beach Daily News The dive boat did not have a defibrillator on board, according to the police report. (emphasis added)...

This is pretty small recreational dive boat going out for a couple of hours with maybe 12 people on it. The defib just seems too onerous to be dealing with on a wet deck with a crew of non-medical professionals. What's the next big push going to be - mandatory EMT training for the crew?

Appears to not have been a direct factor in this incident (if it was indeed an aneurism), but sure makes one wonder about the election to push the envelope in the first 2 days of actual open water exposure. Having completed the training of hundreds of newbs in typically 15-25' of temperate freshwater, I can't imagine ever taking fledgling divers, even under the most ideal of conditions, to 40' (let alone 60'), and asking them to perform ESA or mask removal/replacement skills. Dealing with fullblown panic in the former, is one thing...
Just generalizing, and not calling out any individual instructor or operator.

I guess some people also can't imagine the difference between 15-25' of temperate lake water and 60' of pretty mild clear blue salt water either. I'm just generalizing, and not calling out any individual instructor or operator.

 

[robertarak]

This is pretty small recreational dive boat going out for a couple of hours with maybe 12 people on it. The defib just seems too onerous to be dealing with on a wet deck with a crew of non-medical professionals. What's the next big push going to be - mandatory EMT training for the crew?

In response to this comment only and NOT commenting on the incident that claimed a woman's life. Any dive boat crew should be professional. That does mean some emergency training, including O2 and defib. There is no dive boat that should be without either. There are many cases where a defibrillator would add no value, just as there are cases where o2 would not help or a fire extinguisher or a life boat. If there is even ONE time that it is needed and not there, it is too many. The fact is that an AED is a safety device that has saved thousands of lives, requires little investment or maintenance, minimal training and should not be considered, "too onerous" to have on every dive boat.

It sounds like the crew, instructor and all involved in this tragedy did all they could, including the use of an AED. Thier efforts should be commended.