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Excellent story. Thank you. I'm leaving it quoted so everyone can read it again. Ken > Date sent: Mon, 8 Jan 96 20:30:53 PST > From: urbanski@ma*.no*.mi* (Charles T. Urbanski) > To: kens@uf*.ed* > Copies to: gmcgee1@fo*.co*, techdiver@terra.net > Subject: Re: Re: Long hose Methods ?? > ------- > Ken - All at Techdiver, > > Normally I keep quiet on most issues, but, I need to speak up here on the > recent posts concerning the long hose and out of gas emergencies. The > following report concerns something that happened to me and which I will > never forget for the rest of my life. It reshaped the way I configure my > gear, the way I dive, and even affects whom I will (and will not) dive > with. > > > > *****************************SEPARATOR***************************** > > Several years ago (1984) I was diving a wreck in 140 ft off New Jersey on > a typical charter boat dive hosted by a local dive club. I was not a > member of this club and was filling out the boat for them since they had > openings. There were 24 divers on the boat, most of who were hard core > regulars. I knew 6 of the divers on the boat that day. During my first > dive soon after I had reached the wreck I had a diver suddenly come over > my left shoulder from behind me and violently take the regulator from my > mouth. I normally do not dive with a buddy (I have always subscribed to > the theory that I am responsible for myself) and was not expecting this. > When it happened, by reaction, I bit down tighter on the mouth piece since > I did not see the other diver at first (looking in hole at lobster). I > was spun over banging the wreck, tangling my bug bag in the wreck > effectively tying me to the bottom, and ending up with my mask partially > flooded (good thing I wear the mask strap under my hood or I would have > lost the mask). By the time I saw the other diver I had lost the mouth > piece battle and ended up with a small part of the teeth lug in my mouth > (bit off). The mouth piece was silicon and besides the lug ending up in > my mouth, a large piece of the silicon was pulled between two of my teeth. > > > MY GEAR CONFIGURATION THAT DAY: (No flames please - this was 1984) > > - Double 72's rigged independent in backpack. > > - Both regulators (MR-12 on right tank / SCUBAPRO on left > tank / hoses matched for both regs to have 2nd stages at mouth > equally) over right shoulder with ty-wraps holding hoses together > approx 12 inches from 2nd stage. > > - SHERWOOD SHADOW back-up on BC hose. > > - Large gauge console clipped to weight belt on left side. > > - Large bug bag clipped to weight belt on right side. Allen light > tied to bug bag. Lift bag and Jersey wreck reel in bag. > > > I got turned over and pushed the other diver away from me to the limit of > the regulator hose (he had the SCUBAPRO in his mouth and the adjustment > was turned down somewhat as I do not like a regulator that tends to free > flow). He was totally panicked and I was not not doing so well either > from the surprise attack, in fact, I realized that I was also struggling > for my life now. I was able to get the second regulator (MR-12) into my > mouth for a few quick breaths but the other diver was just flailing around > banging my mask trying to get up by climbing up over me and pulling on me > by the regulator (both regulators ty-wrapped together had us face to face > real close). My bug bag was tangled in the wreck and it was clipped to my > right side on the weight belt. I grabbed my BC hose and put the SHERWOOD > SHADOW in my mouth (I was very anxious at this time), took a few quick > breaths (probably 6 - 8), and then spun the other diver around and > latched onto him by his tanks. I really did not want to be this close to > him realizing he was panicked and had just taken my regulator without any > warning. Releasing my bug bag was a little difficult, but once it was > done I had him under control (fortunately, he was not a big person and I > was able to handle him). The other diver was so panicked that he only > wanted up and did not even think to put any air in his dry suit, he was > just trying to climb up and over the wreck and anything in his path. I > handled him thru inflating my BC, (did not want to try and release his > weights for him) and got him straight up the side of the wreck and to the > anchor line which was approx 20 ft away from the top edge and in plain > sight (vis that day was 40 ft). Once on the anchor line he calmed down > somewhat but was still panicky (he really held onto the line and ignored > me). We ascended (real fast - he was pulling on the line hard) and around > 60 ft, after passing thru the thermocline, he stopped and held tight to > the line signaling he was now OK. At this time I reached for his > regulator (on his tanks) and pushed the purge button - IT WORKED. We > worked our way up anchor line to 10 ft slowly (probably went from top of > wreck at 115 ft to 60 ft in 10 - 15 seconds) and both did a 10 min deco > safety stop (I did not take my eyes off him at all). I was not in deco > status - did not know about him - but he was signaling he wanted up. I > did notice some difficulty breathing when both of us were inhaling as the > SCUBAPRO regulator was the one with the SHERWOOD SHADOW on it and we both > were pushing the flow out of the first stage to the limit. The piece of > silicon that stretched between my teeth and stuck there was really > irritating and causing me to take in a little salt water with each breath. > > When back on the boat the other diver was very reluctant to discuss what > happened, he only said his dry suit flooded and then his regulator > failed. He was very shaken, probably embarrassed since his regulator was > tested by other divers on the boat and it seemed to work. The flood on > his dry suit was caused by a loop of line tied to the zipper (he used a > UNISUIT) which caught on the wreck. He fixed the open zipper and had put > air in the dry suit (fortunate for me) when his regulator froze. His > "friends" really broke his balls over the incident. He did not dive the > rest of the day and later I found out he gave up diving after this. > > I ended the day by doing a second dive to recover my bug bag and light and > get the lobster I had just spotted when the incident started. During this > second dive I felt very uncomfortable and kept looking over my shoulder. > I felt this way for several months and to this day, still look around to > scope out the surroundings when I am about to dedicate my concentration in > one area for a short time. > > > LESSONS LEARNED: > > - Ty-wraps to hold regulators together are a bad idea unless you have > a third regulator on an independent gas source available. > Electrical tape, velcro straps, or something that can be pulled free > is a better way to go. I started using neck straps with regulators > releasable from them after this incident. I also put a longer (48 > in) hose on one regulator which was always on the right tank and > started using that as my main and bringing the hose under my right > arm and tucking it in my BC. > > - I carry my bug bag in my hand when on the wreck and anything that can > clip to me also has an in-line clip (two methods for release). > > - I removed all dangling items, hoses, clips, lights, gauges, etc. > from my gear configuration that were not necessary for the specific > dive profile and became streamlined. My attitude was the simpler it > was with the least amount of straps was the way to go. I wanted > to make sure I would never be tangled in a wreck again. > > - An out of air diver who is panicked will do whatever it takes > for survival. I have talked to two other divers who have had > out of air (real panicky ones) emergencies and both related > the same thing. The panicked diver will go for the regulator > they see first - most likely the one in your mouth - with > whatever aggressive action it takes to get it. > > - Its not easy to handle a panicked diver underwater. If this > other diver was much larger than me and I was not comfortable > with my abilities I might have not survived this incident or > he might not have survived. I'm positive after rethinking this > many times over the years that if it were him or me --- I would > do whatever it takes to survive. I would try my best to rescue > him, but, my personal safety is paramount to me. I'm sure as he > was in a stressed state, his survival was the first thing on his > mind and he did not have the presence of mind to do anything > other than try to survive. > > - Keep a panicked or upset diver in front of you for control. > > > Since then I have trained and practiced more. I look for better ways to > do things with safety and streamlining in mind. I have moved to mostly > HOGARTHIAN and believe totally in breathing the long hose regulator as my > primary. I used to stuff the long hose (as was taught in my cave course), > but, as a solo diver it was too difficult to restow "when" (notice I said > when) it came loose (as it did many times). Now I wrap it under my light > battery canister (right side on waist belt) and around head in traditional > HOGARTH style. If I ever have a panicked diver go for my regulator again > I EXPECT (BASED ON PAST EXPERIENCE) THEY WILL TAKE IT FROM MY MOUTH and by > "my choice" it will turn out to be the long hose and I can then push the > other diver away and control them. If another diver needs to share my gas > and they are in control of themselves and signal for it, then, it is still > "my choice" to give them the long hose and react accordingly. > > WHEN DIVING SOLO, I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR HOW I CONFIGURE MY GEAR, HOW I > EXECUTE MY DIVE, AND HOW I WILL REACT TO SOMEONE ELSES EMERGENCY. > > WHEN DIVING IN A TEAM, OTHER RULES APPLY. > > > > > Regards and good (safe) diving, > Tim Urbanski > ------- > > -- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Ken Sallot "Mock me if you like but don't mock the gods!" CIRCA - Joe Nightengale kens@uf*.ed* (352) 392-2007 http://grove.ufl.edu/~ken -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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