Wesley Skiles' widow suing over rebreather

[formula1mb@aol.com]

Also, wasn't Wes never officially certified on the Optima? I loved his work but thought I remember reading that.

 

[wedivebc]

John Romano is hardly a shyster . Terri Skyles is hardly a fool. Some of the claims look rather damning, others (e.g., the defective spring) look irrelevant. If I were advising the defense (this ones for free) I'd suggest that they hammer hard on, "where's his buddy?", the inherent dangers of all rebreathers and poor safety record of civilian rebreathers when compared to open circuit gear.

And the dive industry takes another hit from self serving ambulance chasing scumbags who get rich off of other people's misery.

Do you actually think Wes entered into this activity without full knowledge of the risks? Although I only knew Wes by his work and his reputation I highly doubt he would approve of this lawsuit.

My family understands that I am fully aware of the risks and I accept them in full knowledge and willingness.

 

[ianr33]

If I were advising the defense (this ones for free) I'd suggest that they hammer hard on, "where's his buddy?", the inherent dangers of all rebreathers and poor safety record of civilian rebreathers when compared to open circuit gear.

Don't think he had any bailout either??
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ac...-skiles-death-july-21-2010-a.html#post5374513

 

[Scott L]

And the dive industry takes another hit from self serving ambulance chasing scumbags who get rich off of other people's misery.

Do you actually think Wes entered into this activity without full knowledge of the risks? Although I only knew Wes by his work and his reputation I highly doubt he would approve of this lawsuit.

My family understands that I am fully aware of the risks and I accept them in full knowledge and willingness.

Good point. He would have known the history of the Optima given his vast experience and geographical proximity to Lake City, FL...

 

[johnmckenzie]

I am covering this story for ScubaGadget.com. I have just finished reading the entire complaint that was filed with the court. There is certainly some damning claims that make me think. I would like to get your feedback on the claim that the voting system algorithm used by the computer was not safe:... "if two oxygen sensors have failed and are producing readings that are fairly consistent with each other, the computer will still vote out the other oxygen sensor; that is, the computer will vote out the only oxygen sensor that is functioning properly." Do other rebreathers us this same system? The filing also suggests that using all three O2 sensors from the same manufacturer and batch is negligent. This is tied in with the claim the oxygen sensors were prone to failure and that DR knew about this. Even after a recall, DR supposedly found significant problems with sensors from Analytical Industries.

Given that DR staff admitted to knowing about the previous OPV valve spring corrosion problems for a long time before informing customers or the CPSC, I think the lawyers are saying this shows a pattern of deception.

---------- Post Merged at 11:58 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 11:54 PM ----------

Good point. He would have known the history of the Optima given his vast experience and geographical proximity to Lake City, FL...

The suit papers claim that "Defendants (DR) concealed the known defects in order to induce consumers, including WESLEY SKILES, to continue to use and purchase products sold by the Defendants"

 

[Griffo]

Well this thread has reminded me that I need to update my will with some lines from that great thread http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/accidents-incidents/123910-if-i-should-die-while-diving.html


One question I do have, is that if the complainant had solid evidence that DR or it's employees interfered with evidence, would that not be a criminal matter?

 

[TSandM]

My understanding is that the two-to-one voting logic is a common way of managing rebreathers with three cells. I wonder if they are getting their criticism of it from Andrew Ainslie's essay, quite a long time back, about doing it differently (using the low cell for deco, and the high cell for %02 exposure). To my knowledge, there is no one (except perhaps Ainslie) who is doing it the way he described.

Although I never met Wes Skiles, I have to agree with the person who says he wouldn't have approved of this lawsuit. Wes did a lot of what most people would regard as high-risk diving; he knew what he was doing, and if he was diving the equipment, he had decided it was fine for him to do so. He was no novice to rebreathers.

 

[johnmckenzie]

Well this thread has reminded me that I need to update my will with some lines from that great thread http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/accidents-incidents/123910-if-i-should-die-while-diving.html


One question I do have, is that if the complainant had solid evidence that DR or it's employees interfered with evidence, would that not be a criminal matter?

That is the first question I am going to ask during interviews.

 

[flots am]

From Courthouse News Service

A rebreather is an anesthesia machine without a drug port, an anesthesiologist, and much crappier instrumentation. And it's underwater. And the "patient" is also the operator.

They're absolutely unforgiving.

I don't really see a problem with the widow suing. Maybe it will get the RB manufacturers to pick up their game in the design, manufacturing, instrumentation and fool-proof maintenance, assembly and use areas.

And before someone pops up with inevitable "Nothing is foolproof, they'll just make a better fool" remark, potentially fatal technology, especially "life support" technology typically has much higher standards for maintenance and monitoring than a rebreather does. And even though I believe that nothing on OC SCUBA is "life support" a rebreather is different, since it can actually put the user quietly to sleep before killing him.

Maybe Wes had some type of medical event. Maybe not. However this doesn't change the fact that extremely well trained and well qualified divers die on rebreathers quite regularly, and the issue deserves some public exposure.

flots.

 

[formula1mb@aol.com]

Regarding the voting logic, I know all electronic CCR's use that except for the Poseidon Discovery. With the Poseidon Discovery, they use a patented cell validation system where only two cells are used (one main, one backup) and the output is constantly checked by blowing a known gas onto it and comparing it to the calculated value expected for the current depth. You can read all about it if you google it or go to rebreatherworld.com.

There are also manual CCR's with no voting logic and the user looks at the cell outputs himself to decide if the ppO2 is correct. But not revelvant here since the Optima is an electronic CCR.