Two Tourists Die in Keys

[deeper thoughts]

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

Split thread from http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ac...06-maryland-woman-dies-key-largo-12-30-a.html

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I also heard that someone might of died on the Bibb but at this time I cannot confirm it. I heard garbled transmissions over ch 16 new years eve day, lets hope not.

 

[deepstops]

I also heard that someone might of died on the Bibb but at this time I cannot confirm it. I heard garbled transmissions over ch 16 new years eve day, lets hope not.

It's true, it happened on the Gulfstream Eagle (this half of the story was omitted in the earlier posting):

Two tourists die while diving in the Keys -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

KEY LARGO - Monroe County Sheriff's officials say two people died in separate diving incidents on Sunday and Monday.

A 51-year-old Wisconsin man was on his second dive Monday with the Gulf Stream Eagle out of the Atlantis Dive Center when he was found face down near the surface of the water, according to the Sheriff's Office. He was pulled aboard the boat, crew members started CPR and the Coast Guard was called. The man, who was not identified pending notification of relatives, was pronounced dead at 12:30 p.m.

 

[deeper thoughts]

The diver who also died on the Bibb was last seen doing a safety stop.

Prayers to there family

 

[deepstops]

The diver who also died on the Bibb was last seen doing a safety stop.

Prayers to there family

The Gulfstream Eagle was running a 3 or 4 day liveaboard wreck trip and they'd just dove the Duane prior to the Bibb. I'd like to know if the divers were using O2 to accelerate deco.

 

[idivetrain]

The Gulfstream Eagle was running a 3 or 4 day liveaboard wreck trip and they'd just dove the Duane prior to the Bibb. I'd like to know if the divers were using O2 to accelerate deco.

Hi deepstops, I was on the Gulf Stream Eagle durring this fatal trip. I myself was one of 4 passengers that performed the CPR on the victim (not sure if name has been released yet) after the accident. We had dove the Duane earlier that day and since we were on a live-a-board vessel we took a very long surface interval. We were not O2 accelerating deco, the majority of the passengers dove regular air. I dove nitrox. But all of us were well within our no deco times on both dives. Not one passenger aboard this vessel, including the victim, ever went into a deco status. We are unsure of what caused his death and we can only speculate on that until the autopsy is released. I can assure you that what the press has written has alot of errors in it. I do not know what caused the accident and am waiting for further results so that we can all know more. We heard about Nancy's accident from the sheriffs department when we were giving our statements. It is terrible that these accidents occured, but hopefully we can all become better divers with the knowledge that we are left with. The underwater conditions in Key Largo were better than I had ever seen. Visibility was endless and there was very little current. You could see the Speigle Grove from the surface!!! The surface was rough and choppy which did make exiting the water a little tricky, but boy was it beautiful once you got your head under there. We had dove the Benwood as a night dive on December 30 and conditions were excellent. Little surge, but that was it. Seas had calmed on the 31st and the choppy surface was gone. Absolutely beautiful diving where two horrible accidents occured. My thoughts and prayers go out to both families, and I hope that the son will realize that none of this was his fault.
Thanks
Shelly

 

[deepstops]

Shelly,

I'm truly sorry for the victim, his family and friends, and anyone aboard GE on the trip.

What are the errors that were posted in the news??
Was or was not the victim left at the safety stop by himself?? Do you know if the victim was on air or nitrox??

 

[idivetrain]

Shelly,

I'm truly sorry for the victim, his family and friends, and anyone aboard GE on the trip.

What are the errors that were posted in the news??
Was or was not the victim left at the safety stop by himself?? Do you know if the victim was on air or nitrox??

He was not left on the safety stop. He is the one who surfaced first after his safety stop. He was diving air on all his dives.

 

[KeysCuda]

Most recent information, from 'official' sources, anyway:

Monroe County Sheriff's Office
Daily Crime and Information Report
January 4, 2008

Update on recent dive deaths

Although detectives have not been able to locate next of kin for notification, they have decided to release the name of the Wisconsin man who died December 31st while diving offshore of Key Largo.
The man is identified as Peter Wilsand, 51, from Minette, Wisconsin. He was out on the Gulf Stream Eagle out of the Atlantis Dive Center. It was his second dive of the day. His first dive was on the Duane wreck, and the second on the Bibb wreck.
His dive buddy said they'd been down for about 25 minutes and were surfacing. They did a safety stop and the dive buddy said the victim left the safety stop about a minute before he did. He said he surfaced and a crew member from the boat was assisting him with removal of his equipment when they noticed the victim, face down near the surface.
The victim was pulled on board and crew members began CPR. The Coast Guard responded to a distress call and took the victim to shore, where he was pronounced dead, at approximately 12:30 p.m.
Preliminary autopsy results are pending microscopic examination, according to the Monroe County Medical Examiners Office.

Note: Autopsy results on the other dive death victim, Nancy Kreiter of Maryland, are the same - pending microscopic examination.

 

[stevewirl]

my thoughts and sympaty to all the family friends and dive buddies .

 

[DOkie]

If I can ever ask one thing of the folks on Scuba Board, please let it be that you don't pick apart Pete and his diving ability. He was a good diver, and a fun person to dive with. The members of M&M Diving will miss him.