# Dive Tragedy



## NEPTNOON (May 28, 2008)

I wanted to share a terrible event that happened Saturday with our friends, family, and fellow divers. We lost a diver, who died Saturday night. This record is also being used as my affidavit provided to the US Coast Guard, along with my dive profile. I have removed any names of divers to protect his family.

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Affidavit of XXXXX

RE: Events of April 9, 2011 resulting in diver death



We started an incredible dive Saturday morning with 6 divers, and a bubble watcher. We all went down together with the plan to stay together. We were diving in 102 feet of water on natural bottom in the Gulf of Mexico off of Pensacola Beach, about a 45 min boat ride from the Shoreline boat dock. Divers had either 80 or 95 cu tanks, with enriched air Nitrox between 30 and 36%. Visibility was good, maybe 30 feet. I was diving a 95 cu. steel tank, 2900 psi, with 36% nitrox. My dive computer showed temperature was 64 F, max depth 102 feet, and 35 min dive time.

I swam away from our group chasing a red grouper, which I shot. I was surprised when DIVER came next to me and helped me get the spear out of my fish (I assumed he was with the group). My plan was to return and find the group, but instead I followed DIVER, who appeared to be vigorously looking for lobsters under the bottom ledge. We swam farther away from the boat along a natural break in the bottom. At about 1100 psi, I grabbed DIVER and signaled we needed to head back. He nodded and followed. After a minute or two I looked back and he was in the distance fishing again. 

I grabbed him again and we started back. My gauge was showing about 700 psi, so I signaled we needed to start ascending, which we did. He showed me his gauge somewhere about 80 feet, indicating he was low or out of air. I could not read his air gauge which puzzled me (later realized his gauge is all red and black from 0 to 1000 psi, even the arrow is black, making it difficult to see in low light..i.e., it all looks black when you are deep). I did not think to use my flashlight, and instead just shrugged and handed him my octopus and we ascended together.

My computer started showing too rapid ascent at about 67 feet, so I made us stop for about a minute. We then ascended again to within 20 feet of surface. My gauge (an analog) showed 0 psi, which I showed to DIVER. He apparently had been rapidly consuming air, which should have been enough for both of us to safely go to the surface, including a safety stop. I pointed to my octopus, to him, and then the surface and he handed me the octopus and ascended rapidly to the surface. I am not sure if he put his own regulator back in his mouth; there should have been enough air in his tank to breath since we were now shallow. I don’t recall if I saw him blowing bubbles during the ascent. 

I stayed down and finished my safety stop (computer said 3 min, indicating our ascent to 20 feet was within guidelines). From my position below him, he seemed to be acting normal on the surface. He turned himself on his back and started fining. I followed underwater thinking he was headed toward the boat. Near the end of my safety stop, he quit moving. I ascended and found him on his back, BC inflated, purple face, with his mask on. His face appeared swelled. I took off his mask and tried to wake him up; I manually added more air to his BC, and kept his head out of the water and yelled for the boat.

They threw anchor and came to our location as I finned pulling DIVER towards the boat. Two of our group jumped in and brought him to the boat, removed his dive gear, and then others lifted him into the boat. The Coast Guard (CG) was called and we started CPR. We gave coordinates and started heading back at full speed. 

DIVER seemed semi responsive for about the first 20 minutes, slowly gasping for breath and occasionally slowly moving an arm; he did not blink and his pupils were dilated and eyes half shut. He remained purple with veins showing in his cheek and neck. His face was very swelled. I noted gurgling in his lungs as I gave breaths. We radioed the CG and asked for advice on water removal from his lungs. Only guidance received was to continue CPR. We periodically turned him on his side and hit his back in effort to dislodge any water, then immediately back to CPR. At one point we ran the boat so fast the engine cut out in our effort to get to shore as fast as possible.

The CG met us after about 20 minutes and instructed us to follow in their wake. We asked to have them come aboard or take DIVER because of drowning concerns, but they continued to instruct us to follow in their wake and continue CPR. We continued CPR, with giving breaths more difficult because of a yellowish discharge from his lungs or stomach that caused us to gag. Several of us vomited after taking turns giving breaths. He gained normal color back, but his face seemed to be more swelled. His tongue appeared bitten. 

We arrived at Pensacola Naval Air Station about 20 min later (approximately 40 min of boat time and CPR). The Base fire department got him on a stretcher and administered oxygen (we did not have any on the boat). The helicopter landed as we arrived and took him to Baptist Hospital in Pensacola.

This is a true and accurate account of these events to the best of my ability to remember.

Sincerely,

XXXXX


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The accident was preventable and is a message to all of us to be safer divers, check your gages, and get on the boat with air in your tank. As a friend said, 5 more minutes of bottom time aint worth dying for. The diver we lost was an experienced diver, but not always a safe one. He had pushed the limits many times before. He also did not dive with a computer, which is critical for the diving we do in the Gulf. We are terribly sad for his family and know that we did our best to get him back alive to them. We will put a plaque down on the reef on our next dive as a memorial.


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## WhackUmStackUm (Jan 31, 2010)

Very sad. Thanks for the details, and your efforts to save him.


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## Frenchy (Oct 2, 2007)

*bad day/all my sympathies to the family.*

Terrible day indeed.
I would like to know if he was recompressed immediately when at baptist, would have been ideal to put him in the chamber at the base right away...
Was diver part of your group or coming from another boat ? Was he breathing nitrox as well ?
According to your account of the events, most probably a pulmonary barautroma on the ascent (too rapid, or not exhaling as he is focusing on the lack of gas remaining), possibly induced an arterial gas embolism, the authopsy should tell, not that it will bring back from an easily avoidable fatality.It sucks !!
Insight is a great thing, definetly 02 could have make a difference if administrated right away, elevating his lower limbs to favor any gas to travel upward and not going to his brain, would have help as well.
When giving CPR, you are exhaling, 160mb of 02 gets to the victim, you have tanks with 36%, giving him the regulator and depressing it would save you any health hazard risks and give him 360 mb which is much better. 
This is not to make you feel bad, you did the best you could under the circumstances, I am just pointing a few things out if any of us are involved in the same type of situation (hope not!!).
Your comment about the computer, well I tend to disagree, it is great but you are relying on yet another piece of equipment which potentially could fail or give spurious readings. In my book nothing beats a good understanding of the tables, use preferably conservative ones(DCIEM) and pad them (be conservative), I would never rely strictly on a reading from a computer without having a good base about what I am going to engage, in my head.
There is always a lesson to learn from such a sad and avoidable accident, be careful, ask questions and be safe .


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## hjorgan (Sep 30, 2007)

*I don't dive any more....*

Seen too many stories like this and nearly lost a good friend in a similar mishap many years ago (way before dive computers and other cool gizmos).

I miss it, but with so many ways to screw up going underwater more than snorkel depth isn't my game.

I feel for the family and friends who lost a part of their life, so sad.


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## NEPTNOON (May 28, 2008)

I guess I should have explained, I was not on the boat this account was by a friend of mine. The reason I posted his experience, is that too many times while spearfishing I become too comfortable with my own gauge awareness, and this was a very sad wake up call for me, I had hoped others my feel the same way. We have a wonderful sport but need to remember the serious nature of what we do or don"t do


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## Nicevilleski (Apr 2, 2008)

Wow... sorry.. man


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## pcola4 (Apr 13, 2009)

praying for family and friends


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## marmidor (Mar 15, 2008)

Man that is really sad to hear. Just goes to show you how we are all on borrowed time. I hope the family and friends find some peace in knowing the the death of their loved one has helped one person at-least (me). It should make everyone re-group and pay attention to their surroundings. Praying for the family.


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## Desperado (May 25, 2009)

Thank you for posting.


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## swander (Dec 1, 2007)

Thanks for posting. Very sorry for your friend and his family. 

Steve


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