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Interesting reading - Why Divers Die

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#1 ·
Interesting reading

Why Divers Die
Part V- problems with gear
From the September, 1998 issue of Undercurrent

Faulty equipment from a manufacturer rarely leads to a diver's death. More common is a diver's failure to maintain equipment, carry or wear the right gear, or assemble his gear properly. Newer divers are especially vulnerable to errors. Wearing too much weight, having an encumbered weight belt, or failing to drop the belt when one's life is at stake frequently contributes to diver deaths.

Inexperienced divers often wear far too much weight. Then, once underwater, they fail to add air to their BCs and unknowingly kick constantly to keep from sinking. Next time you're among a dozen divers on a day boat, you will invariably see one or more kicking like crazy to keep from sinking. Of course, that diver will be the first to run out of air.

Consider this 32-year-old inexperienced diver who toted 46 pounds of weight. He ran out of air after he went to 123 feet for twenty minutes. He refused to buddy breathe, but did accept his buddy's spare air. However, during his ascent, he panicked and headed back down, or perhaps sank, never dropping his belt. His body was recovered later.

When you're in trouble, you drop your weights to ensure that you will float; that's why it's important to make sure during your pre-dive check that you can indeed release your weight belt. This 50-year-old guy, with only five dives, could not. He ran out of air and became separated from his buddy. Another diver found him floating beneath the surface, unconscious, and they could not resuscitate him. He had incorrectly attached his weights so that he couldn't release the buckle on the weight belt.

A similar fate befell this 31-year-old certified diver, who made a shore entry with his buddy. After a long dive, but only to 15 feet, they surfaced and began to swim to shore. Struggling against a strong current, the decedent sank below the surface. When they recovered his body a month later, they found he had unsnapped his weight belt, but it was caught under the straps of his buoyancy compensator.

Frequently, when divers set out to do a brief task, they treat their gear cavalierly. This 65-year-old diver jumped in to retrieve a ladder he had lost in 20 feet of water. He didn't connect his power inflator to his BC and inadvertently put his weight belt over his regulator hose. He apparently discovered the problem in the water, but a strong current swept him away from his boat, he sank, and he drowned.

Off Fort Lauderdale, four people on a private boat were ready to dive, so a 38-year-old diver jumped in the water to attach the boat to a buoy. He had yet to don all his gear, but wore his weight belt, which pulled him down when he hit the water. When he didn't surface, the other divers went in after him and pulled him to the surface, but it was too late.

A 46-year-old male was collecting mussels while on scuba, but was not wearing fins or a wetsuit in 64-degree water. He was found drowned, without his weight belt, in water shallow enough to kick out of had he been wearing fins.

A 33-year-old male on a large dive boat went down alone to hunt lobsters. When he didn't return, divers searched and found him drowned in a cavern at 50 feet with an empty tank. It turned out that his BC would not hold air and that he had incorrectly attached his first stage to his tank, probably resulting in a large air leak. While he failed to monitor his air, a buddy would have noticed the leak and presumably informed him during the dive.

A 43-year-old male with only three post-certification dives entered a lake with his buddy to spearfish. His buddy became entangled in fishing line, and when he freed himself, he could not find his dive partner. After searching, he went for help. Two days later, the dead diver was found entangled in fishing line at 80 feet. He did not have a dive knife and carried his weight in his BC pockets.

A 43-year-old experienced female diver hadn't been diving in eighteen months. Before her shore entry in rough seas, she complained that the neck dam was too tight on her drysuit. She said she was going to skip the dive, but when the other divers returned they found her floating beneath the surface. An investigator found that the neck dam was so tight it could have interfered with her breathing.

Most experienced divers know that just because a diver sports an advanced certification doesn't mean he knows how to dive, let alone lead dives. There is no substitute for experience and maturity. Nonetheless, training agencies continue to turn turkeys into divemasters if they invest the money and time to go through a course - brains are not necessarily a criterion. Take the case of this 31-year-old certified "divemaster" who was now on his 32nd dive. Wearing a drysuit, he went to 34 feet in a freshwater lake, where he had equipment problems and aborted the dive. On the surface, he told his dive buddy that he was unable to inflate his buoyancy compensator. His buddy tried to help him to shore, but the decedent slipped beneath the surface and drowned. He was overweighted, and his low-pressure inflator hose was not connected to his BC.

When we look at diving deaths, we usually learn that the official cause is drowning or embolism or heart attack. However, in many, if not most, of these cases, panic is the precursor - and perhaps the real cause. A diver runs out of air, but he could buddy-breathe and doesn't; a diver gets low on air and shoots to the surface only to embolize; a diver gets entangled and could free himself, but he panics and gets hopelessly entangled.

One of the more tragic examples of panic comes when a dead diver is found with his regulator out of his mouth or his mask missing - often a result of panic. In these pages several years ago, Dr. William P. Morgan noted that anxious individuals exercising on a treadmill often remove an oxygen face mask if they have the sensation of suffocating. In studies, some anxious firefighters wearing a respirator will remove their face mask (their air supply) if they experience respiratory distress. Rescuers sometimes find dead fire-fighters with their face mask removed, although air remains in their tank. Indeed, divers in a panic about running out of air are frequently seen by their colleagues pulling their masks off.

Several DAN cases illustrate the problem:

A 35-year-old inexperienced male diver made a shore entry and a long surface swim with his buddy. He was having difficulty and swallowing water, so they headed back to shore on their regulators. However, he continued to struggle and did not have his regulator in his mouth when the buddy came to his aid. His buddy pulled him to shore, where resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful.

A 52-year-old male with limited diving experience became separated from his buddies just before ascent from 46 feet. They found him on the bottom with more than 1000 psi in his tank, but his regulator was out of his mouth, and he drowned.

A 24-year-old diver with little experience appeared anxious before her quarry dive. Underwater, she panicked at 25 feet and took her regulator out of her mouth. Her buddy surfaced to get assistance and returned to find her unconscious on the bottom. She spent four weeks in intensive care before they pronounced her brain dead.

A 35-year-old certified diver joined a commercial dive charter. At the beginning of the dive, his buddy had a problem with his weight belt and returned to the boat. He continued to dive alone but did not return. They found him drowned on the bottom, with his regulator out of his mouth. He had nearly a full tank of air.

A 54-year-old woman with little diving experience was on a wreck in 90 feet of water. For unknown reasons, she removed her regulator from her mouth while on the bottom. An instructor helped her to the surface, but she could not be resuscitated.

A 40-year-old infrequent but experienced diver was with his son when witnesses observed him having difficulties on the bottom. At one point, he did not have his regulator in his mouth, and other divers helped him to the surface. He lost consciousness and was unable to be resuscitated back on the boat.

Keep this in mind: if you have a difficult time breathing, a sudden chest pain that frightens you, or any other underwater stressor, don't remove your regulator - ever. Keep breathing, get out of the water, and stay alive.
 
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#2 ·
Sobering thoughts

Interesting reading and yes diving is dangerous, all we can do is minimise the danger with proper training, exrerience and well rehersed saftey drills.

I know that I don't practice drills enough, if I had a regular buddy it may be different but I do what I can when I can.

Let he who is without sin cast the first neg rep
 
#8 · (Edited)
One of the more tragic examples of panic comes when a dead diver is found with his regulator out of his mouth or his mask missing - often a result of panic. In these pages several years ago, Dr. William P. Morgan noted that anxious individuals exercising on a treadmill often remove an oxygen face mask if they have the sensation of suffocating. In studies, some anxious firefighters wearing a respirator will remove their face mask (their air supply) if they experience respiratory distress. Rescuers sometimes find dead fire-fighters with their face mask removed, although air remains in their tank. Indeed, divers in a panic about running out of air are frequently seen by their colleagues pulling their masks off.
If you dive often enough and long enough sooner or later you will be 'tested'. The test is simple, you are hit with an overpowering urge to rip off your mask and reg to take a big lungfull of air - while underwater. Those of us posting on here have either passed it or haven't had it yet!

Berko
 
#14 ·
If you dive often enough and long enough sooner or later you will be 'tested'. The test is simple, you are hit with an overpowering urge to rip off your mask and reg to take a big lungfull of air - while underwater. Those of us posting on here have either passed it are haven't had it yet!

Berko


i had this test on my 4th OW dive :embarassed:
 
#9 ·
If you dive often enough and long enough sooner or later you will be 'tested'. The test is simple, you are hit with an overpowering urge to rip off your mask and reg to take a big lungfull of air - while underwater. Those of us posting on here have either passed it are haven't had it yet!
Ooooo Sooo Ture :embarasse
 
#10 ·
Actually...

If you look at the incident fatality reports, a number of people who drowned:
1. were found to have plenty of air in their cylinder(s)
2. some had removed their masks
3. some had removed their hoods

In a panic situation, the diver often believes the regulator is not delivering enough air and/or there's a restriction, often resulting in the above!
 
#11 ·
If you look at the incident fatality reports, a number of people who drowned:
1. were found to have plenty of air in their cylinder(s)
2. some had removed their masks
3. some had removed their hoods

In a panic situation, the diver often believes the regulator is not delivering enough air and/or there's a restriction, often resulting in the above!
That's correct... CO2 brings on an urge to breath deeply and our brains and bodies conspire to tell us to get rid of the suffocating mask and mouthpiece.

I remember my 'test' back in 1977, North Sea gas platform, 25m-ish, wearing a Kirby-Morgan 10 band-mask. I had gone from mild exertion to very heavy work within a few seconds and didn't get round to cracking the free-flow on the mask - which would have kept CO2 down nicely. The next thing I know is the mask getting smaller and smaller with each breath and suddenly the most sensible thing to do was pull the thing off my head for some fresh air - mind/body, body/mind, gremlin on the shoulder, do it... don't be stupid, no do it! I wrapped my legs around the platform structure, closed my eyes, opened the free-flow valve to 'Hurricane' force and waited... 20 - 25 seconds and its passed.

Stop, rest, breath deep and keep your head for 25 seconds - thats all it takes to save your life.

A. Berk
 
#12 ·
interesting read. was actually reading the NDC diving incidents report for 2007, havent made it the whole way through yet, but the main cause of injuries or deaths seems to be lack of training or just pure disregard for safety. i cant agree more that no-one, no matter how experienced, can have enough training. scuba is indeed a dangerous sport but can in my experience be one of the most enjoyable and rewarding experiences if treated with the respect it deserves. safe diving to all of you.
 
#13 ·
In truth there are two sorts of people. Those that panic and those that fight.

Good training will make a fighter survive most things. Good training is not enough for someone who panics. Sooner or later they will loose it freak/freeze and get hurt.

ATB

Mark
 
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#17 ·
i have just returned from a club trip up in northan ireland where a member who shall remain namless wanted to dive he brought two sets of gear and twins which he wanted to try out on a 30m dive . his single setup bc was in a terable state salt scale every where ..he is a exp diver but has been very busy with his job the last few months so hasnt dived . he was given a bolloxing by the DO myself and another instructor all of whom are friends with this person he knew how cheeky and stupid he was. after 3 people helped him sort out his kit and was told to go dive the shallow dives for the first three dives before he would be let on to the deeper stuff. starting the year off a club weekend is not how to do it, i still think sea fitness and shallow diving should be started in the cold months to allow for getting back into the swing of things before the main season kicks off. swiming/diving in the pool will NOT make you sea fit.
 
#19 ·
Frequently, when divers set out to do a brief task, they treat their gear cavalierly. This 65-year-old diver jumped in to retrieve a ladder he had lost in 20 feet of water. He didn't connect his power inflator to his BC and inadvertently put his weight belt over his regulator hose. He apparently discovered the problem in the water, but a strong current swept him away from his boat, he sank, and he drowned..
That is definately a bad day! Buddy check anyone?
 
#21 ·
When you're in trouble, you drop your weights to ensure that you will float; that's why it's important to make sure during your pre-dive check that you can indeed release your weight belt. This 50-year-old guy, with only five dives, could not. He ran out of air and became separated from his buddy. Another diver found him floating beneath the surface, unconscious, and they could not resuscitate him. He had incorrectly attached his weights so that he couldn't release the buckle on the weight belt.
There are more than a few divers who now think it appropriate to dive with no ditchable ballast (ie lead). They believe that the achievement of 'some' amount of positive buoyancy at the end of a dive is all they need :frown: Even submarines have the common sense to carry ditchable ballast to give buoyancy in an emergency!

Berko:)
 
#23 ·
Thank you all, guys. I will remember these notes when diving again. Am just an amateur and the risk of fatal mistake is very high, you know
Actually, the risk of fatal mistake is very low. Diving is a very safe sport, which is statistically much safer than many other sports we see as safe.

I don't know the stats in detail, but any sport with millions of people diving every year and a handful of deaths seems pretty ok to me.

Digs.
 
#25 ·
Everybody will panic given the correct situation, there may be people more prone to panic than others,
if you think that you will never feel panic, you are either some male macho wanxxr or never been in a situation to properly test you, and maybe in scuba diving you will never be tested

I have trained two of my daughters, both of them are like fish, the eldest is bomb proof, completely fearless, the younger gets a bit scared in challenging (for her)conditions,
I am more concerned about the eldest because she doesn't have the respect of danger her sister has, and she wont be prepared when a situation arrives she cant handle,
 
#27 · (Edited)
I have been tested on a Dive Trip to Gozo, we were diving a wreck at 35m. The descent was amazing the whole group free falling to the wreck, the water so clear the viz fabtastic 20m, checking my depth and so quickly i was at 34m, we were told the max depth was 30m, so i wanted to ascend a few meters, but I didnt put enough air in my bc, only small amounts but at that depth more is needed, so I was trying to fin up, but getting nowhere, struggling and starting to heavy breathe, all of a sudden panic kicked in, i tapped my buddy to let him know i was having trouble, he said i had gone completely white. But my logical brain kicked in, and all the words from my text book were going round in my head. I knew I had to get to the top of the wreck, hold on and take a few deep breathes to calm myself down. I couldn't go back as I didn't know where to go and i couldn't surface as i was too deep so I just had to deal with it. I finally got to the top of the wreck but by now i am breathing at a rate of notts, heart pounding in my chest, I just knew I had to stop and hold onto the wreck for a few minutes. The DM was great, he saw my panic and came straight over to me, signing to tell me to breathe deep and that i was ok. After a few minutes resting and deep breathing to slow everything down, the panic subsided and i was able to continue and complete the dive. Just a little shaken and sticking to my buddies side like glue!

I learnt so much on that dive, at the time it was so scary, but I knew I was ok.

I still love diving, but I am defintely more aware of how things can suddenly go wrong in seconds and having a Good Buddy makes a world of difference! :eek:)
 
#34 ·
tbh i find that older divers are more prone to forgetting things than new ones (not just from bad memory!) as new divers seem so on the ball so they dont forget things and look a tit, where you get people that have had the same kit for years and somehow one day forget there weight belt or similar.
 
#36 ·
Forgot about this thread.

It's almost the inspiration for the 'I learnt from this' subforum I reckon.

Interesting what people say about going through 'that' moment when fear overrides reality. It is the situation where you have to just stop and think. But training and practicing helps as it makes you more comfortable when a situation arises (like shutdown drills for example).
 
#37 ·
The inspiration was because I was (and still am) saddened and exasperated by those who are injured and killed by errors which could be reduced with a little more publicity, openness and honesty when reporting their incidents. Industrial safety analysis from the 80s came up with a 1:10:30:600 ratio of 1 death:serious injury: property damage:reported incidents which could mean there are thousands of incidents happening each year but are not reported :( (Average 14 deaths over the last years in BSAC reports). ALL are learning opportunities....
 
#38 ·
ALL are learning opportunities....
Though I share your sentiments Gloc, I dont think we can learn from ALL scuba deaths.
There are 2 catagories of incident from which there is nothing to be learnt, one we hear about, the other must be almost impossible to detect though surely must occur.

1. Heart attacks. If they are caused by high stress during some other incident then of course there may be lessons to learn, but otherwise?
2. Suicides. People top themselves in all manner of ways from driving into a bridge support at 100mph to whatever else you've got. I would think Scuba must have its share.
 
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