US Expat fatality in Vanuatu

[DandyDon]

Don seems also to have ignored what I posted and believed the press.

Nope, not at all. Sorry you took it that way. I mentioned the husband's claims as quoted in the news source early only in comparison to your seemingly much more factual results. Apparently the husband or the news source were just very wrong.

How you would lose a wristwatch type dive computer is a mystery to me

Strap breaking, pin coming lose, collar breaking, etc. I had to replace a collar on mine last year.

 

[clownfishsydney]

If you Google "valsalva, hyperventilate, fainting" you will find numerous references to this phenomena.

I have made more attempts to contact Jack, including more phone calls. He either does not answer his phone or it is switched off. I have now sent him an SMS asking that he talk to me.

 

[FinnMom]

* How you would lose a wristwatch type dive computer is a mystery to me.
There are huge numbers of complaints about Suunto dive computer wrist straps breaking even when nearly new. For some reason typically the more expensive models like D9, Hel02. Happened to mine too.

* Hyperventalate & valsalva
A nervous, inexperienced person will hold their breath, then blow gently, maybe swallow, then blow a little more, all while holding that same breath. The time it takes an experienced person to do something has nothing to do with what a nervous, inexperienced person can do. And in the fluster they won't notice how time is elapsing.

 

[tanksforthememories]

Good to know about Suunto straps, mine is the metal version D9, I didn't think of a D9 with plastic strap.

 

[clownfishsydney]

Here is a link to an article that appeared in the New Zealand Herald on Sunday about the death. Note that the only witness still refuses to answer his phone or respond to emails or SMS messages. Dive experts force new death investigation - National - NZ Herald News.

 

[Peter69_56]

I am glad we booked with Allan Power. I was not happy with Aquamarine in how they responded to me regarding quotes and questions (or I should say lack of response) and I received some inside information about their operation which caused me to decide not to ever use them.

 

[DandyDon]

I am glad we booked with Allan Power. I was not happy with Aquamarine in how they responded to me regarding quotes and questions (or I should say lack of response) and I received some inside information about their operation which caused me to decide not to ever use them.

Well, in itself, that's just an unsubstantiated rumor. Sometimes that's all the info you can get, and if none sound good - bad sign, but it all depends on whatever.

Here is a link to an article that appeared in the New Zealand Herald on Sunday about the death. Note that the only witness still refuses to answer his phone or respond to emails or SMS messages. Dive experts force new death investigation - National - NZ Herald News.

I don't think I would either other than to authorities. I don't know the situation, it's a different world from mine, but I think I'd be cautious about talking to anyone unless I had to.

I am glad that you are investigating and sharing with us. The husband seems to put a lot more stock in whether the company was affiliated with Padi than I would, unless they were kicked out. I see that one dive leader said his tank air tasted bad. I wonder if a late, second autopsy can discover bad air as a cause or not?

 

[clownfishsydney]

There have been many bad reports about Aquamarine circulating in Sydney, they cannot all be wrong. The fact is I have not heard of anyone using them in the past four years who was happy.

The witness will never again be questioned by the police, they have neither the money nor ability to chase this up overseas. The only person other than me who might is John Lippmann who has been contracted by the Vanuatu government to investigate. Of course, he has no powers in Australia to compel someone to talk to him.

A detailed autopsy was done in Auckland. It should show if there was any carbon monoxide in the equation (Verbal advice from Dr Carl Edmonds) via blood tests. The tanks are apparently still in police custody so hopefully they can be tested. The problem is that Santo is really a third world country in terms of policing etc.

 

[ecreutz]

[removed by author]

 

[clownfishsydney]

Dived yesterday and today with some members of my dive club who dived with Aquamarine in mid-June. They also had the same dive guide. They are very experienced divers, with many hundreds of dives over 40 metres in Sydney. They were appalled by the lack of attention showed to them by the guide who at times lost them because he was swimming too quickly. Their comments (which I trust implicitly) are clear that a lack of attention to customers appears to be now common.

I was also told that all of Aquamarine's cylinders have now been sent to Port Vila for testing, over 4 or 5 years since they were previously tested. It looks like they are now trying to bring their operation up to scratch so that any enquiry might find they are meeting reasonable standards.