Accident Review

[Lockedin]

My best friend's daughter was getting her Open Water Certification this past weekend, and he had asked that I accompany them (to maintain HIS sanity).

The Incident
My friend (E) and I were on our second dive of the day (third for the boat), we were in 45ft of water, visibility was 40ft, water temp was 66f, minimal current. Somehow, we had both botched our navigation through the kelp forest, and decided to surface, and get our bearings. We signaled the divemaster OK after surfacing, when another diver (The Vic's instructor) surfaced about 40ft to our right and about 40ft from the boat and screamed "Help!!!!", then began towing the Vic towards the boat.

E said "We should go![to them]", and we began kicking hard on the surface. The Dive Master (DM) climbed to the swim step (they were close enough to the boat that jumping in would waste time), and began directing the scene. A few moments later we approached the victim (Vic) as the instructor towed Vic to the swim step of the boat. An assistant instructor (AI) who had opted out of that dive, had jumped in the water, and was on the Vic's other side as we reached the step.

At the step, Vic was not breathing, eyes were not focused and had a lot of hemmoraging in the whites, color was pallid, lips were purple, all limbs were loose. We got the victim on the step, and the DM administered two rescue breaths using his hand as a gasket. The DM called for a pocket mask - 1 failed (I do not know who's), but the second one worked. I stayed in the water, at the victim's feet, while the DM and the AI worked on the victim. The DM began chest compressions, and Vic produced a white, mucousy foam, and shortly we observed that Vic was breathing, but extremely shallow, and somewhat random, weak breaths, his eyes (though still wide and unfocused) began to move slightly. The DM attempted to administer oxygen, but the regulator failed. E assisted me in removing my BCD, and collected the AI's, and my fins. The DM called for a backboard, and we were able to get the board beneath him quickly. As the boat crew (on the deck, five feet up), began to pull the backboard's tether, the buckle around Vic's chest failed, and so did the strap I'd put around the feet. A second attempt as made with the backboard, but the buckles failed again. Vic had no apparent broken bones, so the DM opted to have the AI and I dead lift the Vic from the step, while he and a deckhand used a thick rope under the Vic's arms to guide Vic through the transom gate, a second (working bottle of oxygen was administered. All of this happened in less than five minutes.

With the victim on deck, the AI and I turned to the task of getting the other 35 or so divers on deck, safely, but quickly, and the boat crew worked to keep the deck, and the victim clear, and safe. A Coast Guard rescue helicopter was already circling the boat, waiting for us to get underway. We counted our divers, and got under way. The DM's conversation began to include "...don't worry about your gear..." and "hold this on your face" statements, indicating that Vic was conscious, and responsive. All uninvolved divers moved into the boat's galley, and the Coast Gurad helicopter approached, matched our speed, and descended to appx. 50ft above our deck. The winchman lowered a basket on a cable to our deck. After the basket had touched down, The DM and crew loaded Vic into the basket. Vic was still conscious, and assisted by holding the oxygen mask on face. As the basket was raised to the helicopter, Vic waved to us - definitely a good sign.

The helicopter left for the chamber, and the boat turned back to finish the day with one more dive.

The entire scene happened in roughly 1hr (more or less).



What went wrong (ALL IMHO)
Other divers reported afterwards that Vic showed disomfort during the pool sessions - what made anyone think that the open ocean would improve Vic's outlook?

The pocket mask failed

The back board failed

The oxygen failed

What went Right (AGAIN IMHO)

The Dive Master - Managed the scene extremely well, made great use of available resources, and coped well when gear failed. Went to the step instead of diving in, enabling him to manage the scene better.

Teamwork - the DM, the AI, the crew, Vic's instructor, E and I worked as an excellent team

The other divers - nobody panicked, everybody complied with the AI's instructions, my instructions, and the DM's instructions without question.

The other instructors - two things, (1) The other instructors helped steer the other divers to the swim step in an orderly, patient fashion. (2) One class had two young girls (my buddie's daughter & friend), that instructor diverted the girls' attention while we worked with Vic, maintaining calm and minimizing trauma for them.

Gear - though the first pocket mask failed, there were others on board. There were also additional oxygen canisters.

The Coast Guard these amazing people performed their near impossible task (hovering a helicopter over a pitching, rolling boat, while safely loading an injured diver into their craft) as though it was routine! Incredible!

Be Safe! Have fun!

[ILDiver]

Wow, impressive scene and events. Other than equipment that does not get used or checked much, it sounds like the crew was solid.

Do you know if he was working with an instructor and panicked during a skill? Buddy seperation? (he was alone at the surface) Just wonding if you overheard any instructor mention anything.

I'm going through an instructor course now. Those types of details are of interest to me, so I can better recognize a student situation.

Thanks for posting, glad everything went well overall.

[Lockedin]

Originally Posted by ILDiver

Do you know if he was working with an instructor and panicked during a skill? Buddy seperation? (he was alone at the surface) Just wonding if you overheard any instructor mention anything.

The student was with the class, at appx 15ft. (safety stop). The instructor (and class) said that the Vic didn't exhibit any signs of panic, but suddenly went limp, and sank to about 20ft before the instructor could get there. The insturctor (who might be bent as well) ascended (too) quickly with the Vic, and screamed for help upon surfacing.

Again, the other students mentioned that the Vic was not comfortable in the pool, which makes me wonder about the wisdom of bringing the Vic out into the Ocean...

Good luck w/ your instructor course!

[ILDiver]

Ah, I see. I read it as "another diver surfaced and called for help" and thought they (the individual was) were alone, conscious at the surface, then went unconscious

As for the comfort of the student in the water, it's hearsay and speculation. It sounds like a heart issue though (I'm not a doctor, just an un-educated guess). Was it stress induced? Who knows? Not saying your wrong in your questioning of taking that person into open water. It's not unheard of that an instructor would take an uncomfortable student into open water. Some people are more concerned with pushing students through. But There is not enough information to make that call imo.

[kelp princess]

Originally Posted by Lockedin

The DM attempted to administer oxygen, but the regulator failed. E assisted me in removing my BCD, and collected the AI's, and my fins. The DM called for a backboard, and we were able to get the board beneath him quickly. As the boat crew (on the deck, five feet up), began to pull the backboard's tether, the buckle around Vic's chest failed, and so did the strap I'd put around the feet. A second attempt as made with the backboard, but the buckles failed again. Vic had no apparent broken bones, so the DM opted to have the AI and I dead lift the Vic from the step, while he and a deckhand used a thick rope under the Vic's arms to guide Vic through the transom gate, a second (working bottle of oxygen was administered. All of this happened in less than five minutes.

wow - what an ordeal - i hope the diver and everyone involved is okay - so rick what exactly failed on the O2 reg? do you know?
was it the second stage or was it something else?

and i'm wondering why the backboard protocol at all - as someone who's handled many in-water rescues - w/o a specific assessment for a reason why, it seems to me to be a bit of an ill-fitting choice that added extra time?

i am glad the younger girls/students were not witness to too much of it.

good for you Rick for helping out.

and ILdiver the best way to get a sense of these types of situation before you become an instructor is to help with classes and on boats as a DM - get with the people so to speak. knowing how to handle these situations comes more naturally when you are constantly in this environment. they don't teach you that (experience) when you go thru your IDC. experience really comes from putting yourself into real life scenes. and judgement and reading people come with time - at least that's what i've recognized IMHO.

and yes good luck w/ your course - one of the happiest days in my memory was when i passed those first battery of tests - hoorah! it was all cake after that

way before i even got my DM certification i was hanging around the boats and the other instructors like a big water rat - eager to help and fortunate to be observing and learning - even if i didn't recognize it at the time

kp

[Marwan]

hmmm maybe the vic is ill with something or got vertigo at some depth..when i read the first post i can imagine one scenario leading to that...if the diver is not too comfortable with the water and for some reason inhales water through the reg or gets water in the mask...they can panic and instead of attempting to clear the regulator they head for the surface in panic (tunnel vision, get me the hell outta here)..depending on the depth they might not make it conscious, which would explain both the water foaming and the unconciousness..but that doesnt tie in with the DM's account of the victim falling 20 feet ...that could be caused by a medical condition perhaps...
sounds like it was managed well though..

[ILDiver]

I do help with as many classes as I can. Boats, only on vacations. I hear what your saying, I always try to empathize with the student and put myself in their place. I have not had to deal with any in-water incidents. I've been certified since 1993 and a DM for 4 years now. I consider myself lucky. It's the nervous students that are the most rewarding to work with.

I started my DM with a shop that was more concerned with pushing students through. I finished my DM and continue to work at a shop that takes pride in turning out confident students who are comfortable in the water. If we feel they are not comfortable in the water, we talk to them and try to get them to do more pool time before open water.

I definately appreciate experience as well. I often wonder how some of these centers can turn a non-diver to an instructor in 60 days or whatever and think that they are a good instructor.

Thanks for the advice.

[Lockedin]

KP - it was the second stage on the O2 mask, not sure exactly which part. There was a second cylinder waiting on deck, so that solved the issue at the moment, and afterwards it just didn't occur to me to follow up on that issue. The backboard decision was mostly because the Vic weighed in somewhere around 250 pounds, and was completely limp and unresponsive, so strapping the Vic's body to something that we could manage better was the thought process there. If it had worked, I wouldn't have such sore muscles today! I found it extremely difficult to lift a 200-something pound rag doll in a wetsuit from the swim step to the deck, (five feet up).

The AI (who was on his other side) and I managed the vic into something like a sitting position (picture in a chair) with our hands on the thighs and buttocks, while the crew above us steadied the vic's torso until they could apply some lift too (the deckhand got a thick rope under the arms for that). Had the board not failed, we could have had two more people on the swim step, and ropes attached to the board would have allowed assistance from above.

Had the vic been smaller, I think we would have simply heaved the vic to the deck.

As for the Vic's mental / emotional state - you're right, it's hearsay and opinion. But I feel that it is something to consider. It seems that a lot of divers get into a mind set of "I paid $XXXX for all this stuff, and another $XXX for these lessons, and another $XXX for this boat trip - I'm diving even if it kills me!" and sometimes it does. Especially newbies, who haven't seen more experienced divers opt not to dive (for whatever reason), will feel more obligated to dive, or ashamed if they are feeling fearfull of diving. Again - All this is IMHO.

I will be in touch with the DM - I have a lot of respect for him (I've taken a lot of classes with him as an AI), and would like to find out what he thinks of the incident.

[ILDiver]

I'm sure many factors played into the incident. Peer pressure and the fact he spent money on it I'm sure helped "push" him into the water. The stress very well could have played a roll. I would have to guess his physical condition mixed with mental state and exertion level lead to his trouble. It seems a common combination in incidents I read about.

I guess I have an issue with saying he was not ready to go in the water, mainly because I don't have all the facts. I'm giving the benefit of doubt to the instructor that the vic's skill and comfort level were ready. It would be great to hear the instructor and the victim's side of this. (not saying it's possible, just that more insight is better to learn from)

[Lockedin]

Originally Posted by ILDiver

I guess I have an issue with saying he was not ready to go in the water, mainly because I don't have all the facts. I'm giving the benefit of doubt to the instructor that the vic's skill and comfort level were ready. It would be great to hear the instructor and the victim's side of this. (not saying it's possible, just that more insight is better to learn from)

I agree - the instructor cannot be blamed - after all, the Vic made a conscious decision to attempt the dive, and (as far as I know -after asking the vic's buddy and others in that class), did not express any worry or trepidation about the upcoming, or previous dives.

The Vic's physical / mental state is really the only grey area to me. The rest of the scene played out almost directly from the rescue course. I'm just glad that the scene ended as well as it did.

[Lockedin]

The Vic is healthy!

Oddly, they did not chamber him - but I guess that's why they have PHD after their names, and I don't. The final word is that the Vic panicked at 15feet, sank to 20, and was then surfaced, and rescued.

I could not get much more info, due to patient confidentiality.

[drunkinbda]

Originally Posted by Lockedin

The Vic is healthy!
Vic panicked at 15feet, sank to 20,

great to hear!!!!!always good when things end up ok.

i am trying to picture how you panic and then sink tho... perhaps disorientation? bad bouyancy? or he actually passed out..

[omega3]

Heamorrageing eyes from squeeze and blue lips!
oops!!...probably forgot to breath/fainted. LOL! first rule of diving " if you cant breath out breath in"
Great to have that much back up.
Great that the "CASUALTY" is fine LOL!

[SkBunny]

Originally Posted by ILDiver

I finished my DM and continue to work at a shop that takes pride in turning out confident students who are comfortable in the water. If we feel they are not comfortable in the water, we talk to them and try to get them to do more pool time before open water.

I am new to this forum. I just got my open water diver certification and I was one of those 'nervous students'. I let my instructor know I stopped feeling comfortable once we got into the deeper part of the pool. One of the things he suggested was a discovery dive. I am not sure if this is a common term but basically a diving instructor is holding onto you all the time during the dive. We took time descending and at one time I had to signal to surface. We tried again and took it even slower. After a couple of dives like that I begun to feel more confident. Later I had an additional one on one session with the instructor. All that attention worked and all my following dives were great. Now after several more dives I don't feel any anxieties underwater. Personal attention and sensitivity helped me tremendously.
I think Vic would have benefited from such attention before attempting a dive.

Ewa