Stuck alone inside a shopping trolley at 3 m.

[frosty the snowman]

With apologies to Garf but I was asked to tell this little tale. I didn't want to put it in 'I learned about diving' because frankly I didn't!

On a cold new years day, many years ago I was preparing for the traditional dive in Torquay harbour. Bottles containing raffle tickets had been thrown into the murky harbour, each ticket representing a prize. With viz usually being a few centimetres, we tended to enter the water in pairs, then separate and search the harbour bottom solo by touch. Lovely.

So I found myself groping my way across the sea bed in 3 metres, completely unable to see. Then I experienced something strange. I felt as though my fins were no longer pushing me forward. I kicked harder but nothing happened. I just couldn't understand it so I thought I should let the silt settle to see what was going on. As the murk gradually cleared I began to make out what looked like a grid in front of me. Looking up, left and right, it was all around me. What was this? Then it struck me. I had swum into an inverted shopping trolley through the hinged bit at the back.

Amazingly, despite the fact that this was the mid 80s and DIR was unheard of, I could backfin but try as I might, I didn't budge. My cylinder was wedged behind the 'gate' and I was stuck fast. Then something caught my eye. The last 50 bar of my SPG was marked in orange and there was a black line across it. I had 30 bar left! Jesus! I took stock of the situation. I can't move. I'm under the water. I'm running out of air. This is how I'll die. The panic started to rise in my chest. I remember wondering whether I should just take my regulator out of my mouth because I didn't like the idea of it getting tighter and tighter. I'd rather have just got it over with.

But then it occured to me that I didn't want to die but I certainly didn't want to die looking like a plonker and I realised that I HAD to move. I knew what I needed was bouyancy and tried to reach my weightbelt to ditch it to give myself some lift without using air but I couldn't get my hand to the buckle. I could, however, reach my ABLJ direct feed and filled the old bog seat with air. And miraculously the trolley moved! But not far enough.

I strained and squirmed and amazingly found myself kneeling up on the harbour bottom. Still in the trolley but in with a chance. Without thinking too much about it I kicked off my fins, staggered to my feet and started walking. I knew there were some steps by the harbour wall and I had to find them. BANG! I walked straight into the harbour wall but where were the steps? Left or right? If I walked the wrong way I could well have walked to my death. I turned left. I don't know why. I had 10 bar left and the regulator started to tighten. Then the wall disappered. I had reached the steps cut in to the wall!

So up I went and emerged from the water with a shopping trolley wedged onto my upper body and my friends not able to belive what they were seeing! After a considerable struggle I was freed and never was a post dive pint more rapidly swallowed!

[milldog]

Brilliant, makes the bucket manoeuvre a walk in the park, i pass the D coned cap to you

Graham

Was it ASDAS as you can get a £1 for it's safe return

[Mystery Dive bum]

Thanks for sharing

Glad you able to tell the tale

[wilbo]

Oh thank you Frosty.. I don't think I have laughed like that at someone's misfortune.. If the marx brothers did diving - then that would be a scene in the movie..

that is just too funny - you just couldn't make it up..


Obviously glad of course that you had the presence of mind to sort yourself out and are here to tell us about it..

heh heh..

[Janos]

Originally Posted by frosty the snowman

With apologies to Garf but I was asked to tell this little tale. I didn't want to put it in 'I learned about diving' because frankly I didn't!

On a cold new years day, many years ago I was preparing for the traditional dive in Torquay harbour. Bottles containing raffle tickets had been thrown into the murky harbour, each ticket representing a prize. With viz usually being a few centimetres, we tended to enter the water in pairs, then separate and search the harbour bottom solo by touch. Lovely.

So I found myself groping my way across the sea bed in 3 metres, completely unable to see. Then I experienced someting strange. I felt as though my fins were no longer pushing me forward. I kicked harder but nothing happened. I just couldn't understand it so I thought I should let the silt settle to see what was going on. As the murk gradually cleared I began to make out what looked like a grid in front of me. Looking up, left and right, it was all around me. What was this? Then it struck me. I had swum into an inverted shopping trolley through the hinged bit at the back.

Amazingly, despite the fact that this was the mid 80s and DIR was unheard of, I could backfin but try as I might, I didn't budge. My cylinder was wedged behind the 'gate' and I was stuck fast. Then something caught my eye. The last 50 bar of my SPG was marked in orange and there was a black line across it. I had 30 bar left! Jesus! I took stock of the situation. I can't move. I'm under the water. I'm running out of air. This is how I'll die. The panic started to rise in my chest. I remeber wondering whether I should just take my regulator out of my mouth because I didn't like the idea of it getting tighter and tighter. I'd rather have just got it over with.

But then it occured to me that I didn't want to die but I certainly didn't want to die looking like a plonker and I realised that I HAD to move. I knew what I needed was bouyancy and tried to reach my weightbelt to ditch it to give myself some lift without using air but I couldn't get my hand to the buckle. I could, however, reach my ABLJ direct feed and filled the old bog seat with air. And miraculously the trolley moved! But not far enough.

I strained and squirmed and amazingly found myself kneeling up on the harbour bottom. Still in the trolley but in with a chance. Without thinking too much about it I kicked off my fins, staggered to my feet and started walking. I knew there were some steps by the harbour wall and I had to find them. BANG! I walked straight into the harbour wall but where were the steps? Left or right? If I walked the wrong way I could well have walked to my death. I turned left. I don't know why. I had 10 bar left and the regulator started to tighten. Then the wall disappered. I had reached the steps cut in to the wall!

So up I went and emerged from the water with a shopping trolley wedged onto my upper body and my friends not able to belive what they were seeing! After a considerable struggle I was freed and never was a post dive pint more rapidly swallowed!

Blimey! Is that true! You should send it to the Capt'n Cock up page in Dive magazine (they paid me real money for my story).

Janos

[ratcliffe]

Oh yes, the shopping trolley. First regaled to me at the BBQ at Porthkerris. I didn't laugh.... much

Fantastic !

[frosty the snowman]

Originally Posted by Janos

Blimey! Is that true! You should send it to the Capt'n Cock up page in Dive magazine (they paid me real money for my story).

Janos

Yes it's true. Will they pay me lots?

[Naomi S]

Must spread it around apparently, someone please green frosty for me.

I feel bad that this made me laugh out loud.

That must've been an absolutely horrifying situation to be in. I'm very glad you got out ok.

[Steve Summers]

Originally Posted by frosty the snowman

With apologies to Garf but I was asked to tell this little tale. I didn't want to put it in 'I learned about diving' because frankly I didn't!

On a cold new years day, many years ago I was preparing for the traditional dive in Torquay harbour. Bottles containing raffle tickets had been thrown into the murky harbour, each ticket representing a prize. With viz usually being a few centimetres, we tended to enter the water in pairs, then separate and search the harbour bottom solo by touch. Lovely.

So I found myself groping my way across the sea bed in 3 metres, completely unable to see. Then I experienced someting strange. I felt as though my fins were no longer pushing me forward. I kicked harder but nothing happened. I just couldn't understand it so I thought I should let the silt settle to see what was going on. As the murk gradually cleared I began to make out what looked like a grid in front of me. Looking up, left and right, it was all around me. What was this? Then it struck me. I had swum into an inverted shopping trolley through the hinged bit at the back.

Amazingly, despite the fact that this was the mid 80s and DIR was unheard of, I could backfin but try as I might, I didn't budge. My cylinder was wedged behind the 'gate' and I was stuck fast. Then something caught my eye. The last 50 bar of my SPG was marked in orange and there was a black line across it. I had 30 bar left! Jesus! I took stock of the situation. I can't move. I'm under the water. I'm running out of air. This is how I'll die. The panic started to rise in my chest. I remeber wondering whether I should just take my regulator out of my mouth because I didn't like the idea of it getting tighter and tighter. I'd rather have just got it over with.

But then it occured to me that I didn't want to die but I certainly didn't want to die looking like a plonker and I realised that I HAD to move. I knew what I needed was bouyancy and tried to reach my weightbelt to ditch it to give myself some lift without using air but I couldn't get my hand to the buckle. I could, however, reach my ABLJ direct feed and filled the old bog seat with air. And miraculously the trolley moved! But not far enough.

I strained and squirmed and amazingly found myself kneeling up on the harbour bottom. Still in the trolley but in with a chance. Without thinking too much about it I kicked off my fins, staggered to my feet and started walking. I knew there were some steps by the harbour wall and I had to find them. BANG! I walked straight into the harbour wall but where were the steps? Left or right? If I walked the wrong way I could well have walked to my death. I turned left. I don't know why. I had 10 bar left and the regulator started to tighten. Then the wall disappered. I had reached the steps cut in to the wall!

So up I went and emerged from the water with a shopping trolley wedged onto my upper body and my friends not able to belive what they were seeing! After a considerable struggle I was freed and never was a post dive pint more rapidly swallowed!

Glad you survived to tell the tale mate

Safe diving,
Steve

[wilbo]

Originally Posted by Naomi S

Must spread it around apparently, someone please green frosty for me.

I feel bad that this made me laugh out loud.

That must've been an absolutely horrifying situation to be in. I'm very glad you got out ok.

done..