I am in the Pacific NW, a fairly new diver, and considering a drysuit. This is a question I never considered. Leakage and buoyancy problems.
I know you don't want to speculate on this particular tragedy's cause as relating to the drysuit, but I would respectfully like someone here with experience in drysuits to explain if water leaking into the drysuit could somehow cause an ascent? (other than panic)
In addition, could rapid ascent be caused by air somehow "leaking" unintentionally into the drysuit? Such as a malfunction of some inflator device or coupling. Which assumably the diver could purge and do a controlled ascent.....
Is all the air pressed out due to increased pressure at depth when the suit is breached? If a hole is torn in the suit itself does this create a need-to-inflate the BC similar to non-dry diving? Or would a leak caused by a rip of the seam or fabric allow water to enter and displace only some of the air?
Unintentional deattachment of the inflation hose would not cause an exchange, would it? I assume the attachment point is sealed when the hose becomes dettached?
Thanks to anyone who can answer these questions.