Virginian diver dead at 190 feet - Roaring River State Park, Missouri

[Trouts]

Thank you for the info. I wonder if an update to the SOP's would include verification of each other's tank analysis and gas plan.

Absolutely. SOPs are being modified to include independent analysis of personal tanks and more detailed information conveyed to the surface tender before starting the dive.

 

[DOBY]

That's what I would like to know too. Did they have a SOP in place for confirming mixes prior to diving?

Apparently not……..

 

[Trouts]

Sure would be nice if the report included a graph showing what his ppO2 was throughout the course of the dive. What was the max he actually had? How long was he at the max?

Previously, I read that he was at a ppO2 of 1.8 for a "while". Was he at 1.8? For how long? And how long at 1.6 or over? It just says he was "above a PO2 of 1.6 for several minutes." NOAA tables allow for 45 minutes at 1.6 (if I'm recalling correctly). He exceeded 1.6, but by how much and for how long?

The report tells us what happened. But, I still don't understand what process led up to doing that dive with EAN26 for dil. Did other people on the team know that's what he was doing? Were they doing the same thing? Why?

The victim's PO2 was between 1.5 and 1.8 for approximately 2 minutes immediately prior to the incident. Not particularly high or of prolonged duration. Important take home message is that individual sensitivity to oxygen toxicity is highly variable. I'm sure many on this forum have been lucky and gotten away with brief exposures to 1.8 or higher.

The rest of the team was not aware that the victim planned to go to 190 ft on 24% O2 (or obviously would have prevented him from doing that dive).

Gayle Orner

 

[stuartv]

Absolutely. SOPs are being modified to include independent analysis of personal tanks and more detailed information conveyed to the surface tender before starting the dive.

Did the extant SOP dictate MOD formula (i.e. what max ppO2 at MOD) and minimum END (including formula - i.e. O2 is or is not narcotic) allowed?

In other words, was diving EAN26 (or even 24) an actual violation of the existing, documented SOP at the time? Or was it just a violation of accepted best practices?

 

[Manatee Diver]

Oh wow, I was giving the victim the benefit of the doubt that they wouldn't go a dive that deep without helium. But I am seriously surprised that no one was checking at least the analysis labels.

 

[formernuke]

I'm not a cave diver and not really interested in cave diving.

But I seems to me that at least checking the labels on your buddies tanks if not going so far as to watch the analysis would be part of pre dive buddy checks.

 

[PEDiver]

But I seems to me that at least checking the labels on your buddies tanks if not going so far as to watch the analysis would be part of pre dive buddy checks.

Regardless if I'm doing a 30 ft. reef dive or a cave dive or a wreck dive, I always know exactly what mix my buddy has. Before every dive, we always discuss the depth we plan to dive and what gases and deco gases we will be using.

 

[Whitrzac]

The victim's PO2 was between 1.5 and 1.8 for approximately 2 minutes immediately prior to the incident. Not particularly high or of prolonged duration. Important take home message is that individual sensitivity to oxygen toxicity is highly variable. I'm sure many on this forum have been lucky and gotten away with brief exposures to 1.8 or higher.

The rest of the team was not aware that the victim planned to go to 190 ft on 24% O2 (or obviously would have prevented him from doing that dive).

Gayle Orner

The human body can be weird sometimes, I wonder how acute the affects of gas density and co2 retention are on ox tox. Is there any flow in that area?

 

[formernuke]

Regardless if I'm doing a 30 ft. reef dive or a cave dive or a wreck dive, I always know exactly what mix my buddy has. Before every dive, we always discuss the depth we plan to dive and what gases and deco gases we will be using.

I do the same, that was my point.

 

[kierentec]

The human body can be weird sometimes, I wonder how acute the affects of gas density and co2 retention are on ox tox. Is there any flow in that area?

CO2 is a significant trigger for ox-tox. Increased gas density means more CO2 (at just 100ft on air or nitrox, your ability to ventilate is already cut in HALF. Not sure what the number is at 200ft, but I assume you’re not expelling much CO2 at that point…
More CO2 means even more narcosis (CO2 is 20 times as narcotic as nitrogen).

26% nitrox dil at 200ft on a challenging dive with any level of workload… you have essentially no control over whether you survive that. Just a roll of the dice…and they are heavily weighted against you…