Tom,
Thanks for answering this post as well as you have.  As a result of this
increased level of moral  responsibility which you have just demonstrated,
I will assure you that my future postings on this issue will hold you in
much higher regard, and I'll even go so far as to apologize for the
emotionally charged charicterizations, which have certainly been unkind, to
a Tom Mount who I had mistakenly assumed was planning no negative sanctions
for Derrick, due to the inaction up to now in response to my posts.

I will send you the name of the investigator, and his number, by private
e-mail, in just a few minutes.

And thank you for speaking out against the idea of an instructor telling the
students he is about to lead on a training dive, that they would be on their
own in an emrgency like Jane faced.  This position by you was required to
place a confidence level back into tech instruction---students need to know
that they have help available if they need it.  They need to know this is an
agency stance, a "categorical imperative".... By your position, you
reinforce the obvious, and the only intelligent position on this.
Thanks again,
Dan Volker




>Dan
>As explained on the list Derrick is on limited teaching status with IANTD
>technical courses until the investigation is complete.
>
>The BOA-QA  (The QA board includes Billy Deans as the BOD rep) board will
>make the determination of any action. At this moment we still need the ME
>statement and one of the divers on the dive to turn in his report at that
>time all information will be forwarded to the QA board and they will reach
a
>conclusion. based on all the FACTS and statements which is already about a
>four inch thick file.  So to answer your question the investigation is just
>being completed and the QA board will now receive this information and
>hopefully make a quick determination as to the proper course of action upon
>reviewing all these facts.
> THESE INCLUDE
>1. QA forms from former students (all who replied as every student Derrick
>has ever trained was sent one)
>2. Written statements from all divers on the dive explaining in detail the
>dive planning(includes emergency procedures what ifs etc that may have been
>discussed and agreed on)  , the dive itself and their opinions on the
>management of the accident.
>3. Statements from you, George and Robert
>4. ME statement (hopefully it will arrive today)
>5. ETC.
>
>As far as me condemn or endorse any one it is the BOA QA board that will
>determine the outcome and any statement I make would be inappropriate, and
>anything I stated would be undermining their efforts Thus I will allow the
>QA board to do its job
>
>No we do not advocate a instructor telling a class that everyone is for
>himself and I would like to know the name of the investigator who told you
>that as they sure have not given us that information. That would be vital
>information so if it is true please give me the investigators name so I can
>have him submit that to the QA board. In fact I will place a call to the
>Broward Sheriffs dept and see if I can talk to the investigator and get his
>statement.
>
> We expect instructors to act responsibly in regard to student behavior and
>we would condemn any dive plan (regardless of depth 10 feet or 300 feet)
>that told a student he / she would not get assistance in a life threatening
>or any other type of emergency. I find it unbelievable that an instructor
>would state that to a class or behave in that manor. Have you talked to any
>divers on the dive to verify this?? I have and have their replies in
>writing. This post from you will also be in the file sent to the QA board.
>
>The instructor is there to train the students in safe diving skills ,
theory
>, practice and technique and to do all in their power to ensure the safety
>of the student.
>
>If the list will wait until the QA board has reviewed all facts they will
>see that our QA standards do provide appropriate actions and that it
>considers all factors in the case and therefore is capable of making a just
>decision what ever that decision will be
>
>Dan, you have some wrong facts Derrick has been a PADI instructor for
>several years, he crossed over to IANTD as a Advanced EANx instructor in
>1995, he became a technical EANx instructor in May of 1997 and a trimix
>instructor in Sept of 1997. So your info on 9 months from OW diver to
>instructor is incorrect.  This is not a defense of Derrick it is just the
>truth on when he became an instructor and at what levels he did so.
>reviewing his files he had met all the prerequisites based on both
>equivalent experience and formal training and number of classes taught,
>number of dives made prerequisite teaching at each level certified to etc.
>Other than the fact that he did meet all the requirements to become an
>instructor this has no bearing on what the QA board may decide to do, as
the
>QA board will make its decision on the event itself. The instructor
>information is just for you to know.
>
>Again we have a very qualified QA board who will make the decision on
action
>taken by IANTD.
>
>If you have other relevant information such as the reference you made to
the
>investigator please forward it to me today. We do expect to get the last
>divers letter(we already have a faxed copy but require a original signed
>letter) in today and the ME report. This hopefully this will go out to the
>QA board by tomorrow. Gathering facts and getting them in writing does take
>time but it also ensures that those reviewing the accident will make a
>complete and fair decision and that a proper determination will be made. I
>will not and cannot state my opinion on this determination, as it is not my
>decision and either way would be undermining Billy and the entire QA board
>
>I think this is a responsible and ethical answer to your questions. I do
not
>run and hide.
>and
>I do not take irresponsible actions that would undermine the efforts of the
>QA board and the IANTD process of ensuring quality control and enforcement
>of standards.
>
>Tom
>
>-----Original Message-----
>
>
>
>
>From: Dan Volker <dlv@ga*.ne*>
>To: Tech Diver <techdiver@aquanaut.com>; TOM.MOUNT@wo*.at*.ne*
><TOM.MOUNT@wo*.at*.ne*>
>Cc: 'cavers' <cavers@ge*.co*>
>Date: Monday, May 18, 1998 5:34 PM
>Subject: Does IANTD believe an instructor should NOT pursue a sinking
>student?
>
>
>> Tom,
>>I have just heard from Alan Pelstring----the dead girl's boyfriend, that
>>Derick McNulty is still teaching, and that he had students over the
>weekend.
>>So, are we to understand, that after the "exhaustive investigation"  you
>>have most certainly completed by now, you have determined that Derrick did
>>NOTHING wrong?????
>>
>>Tom, is it IANTD  "Standard Operating Procedure",  for instructors to "
NOT
>>PURSUE" , a sinking student?
>>
>>Derick has now stated to the investigators that he felt his life would be
>in
>>jeopardy if he was to attempt to  descend after Jane. As you know, this
was
>>with less than 13 minutes bottom time , and with close to 2/3  of his back
>>gas left.  So again, "Should an IANTD instructor, who is "buddied" to his
>>student,  NOT PURSUE this student,  should the student begin  a descent
>>which clearly represented the student  was in an emergency situation" ????
>>
>>Is it IANTD policy to tell a class of your students, that it is, "everyman
>>for himself, and if you have an emergency, your on your own, because if I
>>have to help you, it could jeopardize my own life"...????
>>
>>Tom, you don't have to answer about Derrick---just answer this in general
>>terms.  What is an acceptable level of safety protocol for an instructor
to
>>set up for a dive???  And if a 300 foot dive is so life threatening, that
>an
>>instructor has to brief the students that if they have a problem, no one
>>else will be able to help them, due to the strong likelihood of a multiple
>>death tragedy, would this not indicate an UNACCEPTABLE level of risk for
>the
>>dive in question??? Would this not be reckless disregard for human life,
to
>>bring students into a situation so extreme, that they can expect no help
>>from their instructor, should they experience a problem?? Would this not
be
>>a potential _suicide_  dive???
>>
>>Please  Tom, What is your SOP in these matters.
>>
>>And if you would "like" to call Derrick negligent in his actions, it would
>>certainly go a long way toward convincing a great many people on this
list,
>>that you actually care more about human life, than about protecting a
>>potentially dangerous IANTD  instructor. Don't think for a second that
huge
>>numbers of divers are not questioning Tom Mount's ethics  right now.....No
>>one has heard you condemn  Derrick,  for actions which are clear to
>everyone
>>else on this list, as  negligent.  If you want to be the only one who
wants
>>to stand there and say that Derrick was performing his duty properly, I
>>think most will agree that this position by you will tell the world a
great
>>deal about IANTD----and they won't like what they just heard.
>>And as Alan Pelstring just told me that Derrick has had a grand total of 9
>>months from being an open water diver, to becoming an instructor
>>trainer---you might want to comment as to whether this is true---and if
so,
>>HOW is it possible for IANTD to crank out an instructor trainer so
fast????
>>
>>Tom, you can't claim to be investigating STILL....All the facts are in.
The
>>Medical Examiner is done, statements have been taken, and you certainly
>have
>>read everything by now.  So far you have ignored my posts to you----I'll
>>assume you did not like my tone, so you chose not to answer me.
>>
>>Sorry Tom, I felt this girl was murdered by Derrick.
>>This belief would make most people with any shred of moral decency, pretty
>>upset.
>>
>> Would I have been  right to call you an  accomplice to this murder ----
>>probably this would have been an unfair characterization of you,
>>particularly since I know that if you had been the instructor, you would
>>have gone down after her, and you would have saved Jane's life. George
>>Believes this, as to Robert, Bill, Errol  and myself.  So we know how the
>>top guy at IANTD would have handled this  situation.  We know how a 9
month
>>IANTD wonder named Derrick handled this.  There is NO continuity here.
>>Either he teaches like you , or he doesn't, and it looks to us like he
does
>>NOT.  So how about admitting that Derrick did not perform his job the way
>>an IANTD instructor is supposed to. How about becoming part of a solution
>>here, by preventing more students  from death, at the hands of an
>instructor
>>who is incapable of acting as you would require him to act.
>>
>>Do you want people to see IANTD as a reflection of Tom Mount, or as the
>>agency of cowardice.
>>
>>How about a decision.  And how about answering this post---I'm not likely
>to
>>go away.
>>
>>Show me you have the balls to tell the truth here----or has martial arts
>>training to "5th dan" only taught you how to " run and hide today--live
and
>>run another day ( the credo Derrick obviously goes by, but hopefully you
do
>>not...).
>>
>>Dan Volker
>>
>>
>>
>

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