"Unreported" Key Largo Diving Accident?

[scubadon12]

Has anyone heard about another diving death in Key Largo this past weekend which has not yet been in the papers? I have searched many local news sources and the internet and cannot find any information!?!

I was waiting to board an afternoon dive charter Friday afternoon, 7/29/05 and was notified the boat had an 'issue', and they did not know if the charter would make for the afternoon dive (bound for The Grove, btw)...

After a few questions, the operator confessed there had been an accident, and the boat crew had the deal with the coast guard etc., but offered no additional details.

The boat returned to the dock at noon or so, and all of the AM passengers were made to fill out incident reports. The word of mouth from some of the other divers was that a woman had died on the Duane, having been to only +/- 10 feet.

Other than an slightly extended dive saftey breifing, the afternoon dives went as scheduled.... assuming an incident occured, why is there no story posted? Suggestions on who to contact to investigate?

Thanks,

Don

 

[griffindm]

I just returned from my dentist and heard the story from an employee there. Her husband had been lobster diving, and on their return trip they diverted around a large dive boat, and found a DM in the water on the surface some distance away. He flagged them down to assist with a woman diver. He was reportedly performing in-water rescue assistance and had them pull her into their boat, where he continued CPR and had them return them both to their dive boat, a distance away. They called the Coast Guard and had them assist, but the woman was apparently already dead.

No word on what may have caused the death, but it was reported to me that the woman had lost her mask underwater due to current. She was also without her BC or tank when she was loaded onto the boat.

No word elsewhere on this? I just got back and started to look.

Dave G.

 

[H2Andy]

She was also without her BC or tank when she was loaded onto the boat.

i wouldn't make too much of this. many rescue protocols (PADI, for example)
require an on-the-surface removal of the victim's bc and tank before the
victim is taken out of the water (either into a boat or ashore)

 

[griffindm]

I did find this link to 2 deaths in Key Largo that happened just before the one I reported on above (http://www.cdnn.info/news/safety/s050727.html). These were both male divers. My contact at the dentist's office had mentioned that there had been a number of deaths at Key Largo this past weekend.

Dave G.

 

[matts1w]

I can confirm this did happen, or at least part of it. We heard the entire exchange between the Coast Guard and the boat bringing her in on the VHF during our surface interval. It sounded like she was on the Duane, never got below ten feet (???) and that a nurse was doing CPR all the way back to shore. However, she was not breathing or showing a pulse we they got her to shore. That was the last we heard. Needless to say it was pretty depressing.

As far as Key Largo this weekend, I will say I saw a NUMBER of divers and at least one dive boat operator (I won't say their name, but I will NEVER dive with them after what I saw) that had no business on the Speigel Grove. It was like a circus out there as at least eight people got lost in the current, exhausted, and ended up being pulled out of the water by other divers and boats. Amazingly, the current was pretty mellow. I cannot imagine what the scene would have been like if it was ripping like usual.

 

[VinceDS]

I can confirm this did happen, or at least part of it. We heard the entire exchange between the Coast Guard and the boat bringing her in on the VHF during our surface interval. It sounded like she was on the Duane, never got below ten feet (???) and that a nurse was doing CPR all the way back to shore. However, she was not breathing or showing a pulse we they got her to shore. That was the last we heard. Needless to say it was pretty depressing.

As far as Key Largo this weekend, I will say I saw a NUMBER of divers and at least one dive boat operator (I won't say their name, but I will NEVER dive with them after what I saw) that had no business on the Speigel Grove. It was like a circus out there as at least eight people got lost in the current, exhausted, and ended up being pulled out of the water by other divers and boats. Amazingly, the current was pretty mellow. I cannot imagine what the scene would have been like if it was ripping like usual.

Matts1w,

You should let us know the boat, especially if you saw what you said you saw. If they have no business on the Grove then we should know who not to dive with...

 

[H2Andy]

well, usually the Grove is a cluster-f (say no more). both times i've been
there, it's been divers foating off, divers separated from their boat, boats
looking for divers, you name it

personally, i think it's more a problem with the diver's skill than it is with
the operators. remember, their job is to take you to the site, let you dive,
and bring you back.

the diving is your job

 

[matts1w]

Matts1w,

You should let us know the boat, especially if you saw what you said you saw. If they have no business on the Grove then we should know who not to dive with...

I respect what you are saying, but I am not into burning bridges in the dive industry. I will just say what I do to any diver looking for a dive boat. Do your research, listen to word of mouth, and look online at sites like scubaboard and you will find highly reccomended dive boats.

For instance... I dove the Grove with Bluewater Divers (MM100/Holiday Inn) last Saturday. It was my first time with them, and they were great, professional, and what a crew should be. Plus I got to run into and meet Harley Diver for the first time. That was cool.

 

[HarleyDiver]

Matt & I both agreed we would NEVER dive with a certain boat, they dropped students down current of our ball & made them swim, we had to thow lines to them to get them in. One required in-water assistace. He continued the dive then aborted 5 min later & we picked him up.
Later 4 more divers came up & when the boat stopped to pick them up he was UP-Current. I yelled for him to move down-current, and kept the divers on the line till he did. The DM was in street clothes, and looks like he was last in the water in 1985.

Anyway it was an entertaining SI between our two dives.

Yeah, it was great meeting you Matt, Maybe we'll dive together again soon.

PS I will disclose the Boat's name to anyone who is researching boat's,(for personal reference only, not to be repeated as "I heard") PM me.

But in the name of full disclosure, I have worked for Bluewater as Mate/DM (once so far) and hope to again.

 

[tboone]

Don, I have been looking everywhere for news of this accident. I was on the boat that came upon the unconcious woman and dive master floating in the water. We picked them up and took them to shore. There are no reports anywhere. She was apparently from Georgia and had no relatives diving with her. TB