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This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_008C_01BDBA0F.12C4B900 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable The following are the events that led to the death of Nic Gotto whilst = using the Buddy Inspiration rebreather unit. Nic ran Sundancer II Charters out of Union Hall in Cork (South coast of = Ireland). He was a very experienced diver and skipper. A number of = weeks back, Nic purchased the Inspiration and attended a TDI weekend = rebreather course. I've been informed that the practical aspects of = this course consisted of a 1 hour pool session, a 45 minute dive and 1 = change of scrubber sofnolime - this is on top of the usual lectures and = theory. On Saturday, Nic and 3 other divers went to the wreck of the Kowloon = Bridge (second largest wreck in the world). Nic was with a buddy and = the other 2 dived together. I do not know if Nic's buddy was using an = Inspiration or OC. Whilst diving at a depth of 10m (ppO2 1.3 bar), Nic = encountered a down-draught that almost immediately swept him to 25m = (assuming same fraction of oxygen ppO2 2.3 bar). An oxygen toxicity hit = occured. (I can only assume that the unit did not respond to the = increased ppO2 in time and that Nic expended a lot of effort getting out = of the down-draught). His buddy tried to assist and in the struggle = lost his weight belt and mask. Buddy came to the surface, alerted the = dive boat and was given another mask. He pulled his way down the = shotline and found the other 2 divers. The situation was indicated to = them and they commenced a search. Nic's body was found and a rescue commenced. At about 20m, Nic inverted = in his drysuit and at about 14m contact was lost with him but he went to = the surface. At the surface, these divers cut him out of the harness. = As they knew nothing about rebreathers, they didn't close the loop. = Subsequently, the loop flooded and the unit sank back down to the = seabed. Nic was pulled onto the boat and blood was found foaming in = this mouth. Boat crew immediately commenced AV and CPR for 45 minutes = at which point the lifeboat arrived. Nic was declared DOA. Army and civilian divers and currently searching for the unit that Nic = was diving. I sincerely hope that no-one tries to pin the blame on any = of the 3 divers in the water at the time. They made a vallient attempt = to save Nic, but unfortunately it was stacked against them. To date there have been 3 fatalities and 2 resuscitations with = Inspiration divers. There have been about 120 units sent out and about = 250 people trained on the unit. That's 5 serious/fatal incidents for = 120 units (4%). There has been in the UK what I can only describe as a = conspiracy of silence regarding the Inspiration and more particularly = the indicents encountered. I spoke to one diver yesterday who owns 2 = units - he is fuming at the lack of information forthcoming and refuses = to use either unit until there is more openness on it's failures and = proper training. David Shimell posted earlier on this and pointed out 3 main causes for = the incidents: >1. Equipment design or failure. >2. Poor training. >3. Poor vetting of candidates for training. I think 1 & 2 apply. Certainly 2 of the deaths and 1 of the = resuscitations were very experienced divers. Why do some agencies seem = to think that a 2 day course can impart all the information required to = safely dive a rebreather? The Navy spends months training their divers = on a unit! I am sure there will be a full police investigation into this matter and = as I receive more information, I will post it to the list. =20 Regards, John Grogan. ------=_NextPart_000_008C_01BDBA0F.12C4B900 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN"> <HTML> <HEAD> <META content=3Dtext/html;charset=3Diso-8859-1 = http-equiv=3DContent-Type> <META content=3D'"MSHTML 4.71.2016.0"' name=3DGENERATOR> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000><FONT size=3D3>The following are the events = that led to=20 the death of Nic Gotto whilst using the Buddy Inspiration rebreather=20 unit.</FONT></FONT><FONT size=3D3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000><FONT size=3D3></FONT></FONT><FONT=20 size=3D3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000><FONT size=3D3>Nic ran Sundancer II Charters = out of Union=20 Hall in Cork (South coast of Ireland). He was a very experienced = diver and=20 skipper. A number of weeks back, Nic purchased the Inspiration and = attended a TDI weekend rebreather course. I've been informed that = the=20 practical aspects of this course consisted of a 1 hour pool session, a = 45 minute=20 dive and 1 change of scrubber sofnolime - this is on top of the usual = lectures=20 and theory.</FONT></FONT><FONT size=3D3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000><FONT size=3D3></FONT></FONT><FONT=20 size=3D3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D3>On Saturday, Nic and 3 other divers went to the = wreck of the=20 Kowloon Bridge (second largest wreck in the world). Nic was with a = buddy=20 and the other 2 dived together. I do not know if Nic's buddy was = using an=20 Inspiration or OC. Whilst diving at a depth of 10m (ppO2 1.3 bar), = Nic=20 encountered a down-draught that almost immediately swept him to 25m = (assuming=20 same fraction of oxygen ppO2 2.3 bar). An oxygen toxicity hit=20 occured. (I can only assume that the unit did not respond to the = increased=20 ppO2 in time and that Nic expended a lot of effort getting out of the=20 down-draught). His buddy tried to assist and in the struggle lost = his=20 weight belt and mask. Buddy came to the surface, alerted the dive = boat and=20 was given another mask. He pulled his way down the shotline and = found the=20 other 2 divers. The situation was indicated to them and they = commenced a=20 search.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D3>Nic's body was found and a rescue commenced. = At about=20 20m, Nic inverted in his drysuit and at about 14m contact was lost with = him but=20 he went to the surface. At the surface, these divers cut him out = of the=20 harness. As they knew nothing about rebreathers, they didn't close = the=20 loop. Subsequently, the loop flooded and the unit sank back down = to the=20 seabed. Nic was pulled onto the boat and blood was found foaming = in this=20 mouth. Boat crew immediately commenced AV and CPR for 45 minutes = at which=20 point the lifeboat arrived. Nic was declared DOA.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV>Army and civilian divers and currently searching for the unit that = Nic was=20 diving. I sincerely hope that no-one tries to pin the blame on any = of the=20 3 divers in the water at the time. They made a vallient attempt to = save=20 Nic, but unfortunately it was stacked against them.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D3>To date there have been 3 fatalities and 2 = resuscitations with=20 Inspiration divers. There have been about 120 units sent out and = about 250=20 people trained on the unit. That's 5 serious/fatal incidents for = 120 units=20 (4%). There has been in the UK what I can only describe as a = conspiracy of=20 silence regarding the Inspiration and more particularly the indicents=20 encountered. I spoke to one diver yesterday who owns 2 units - he = is=20 fuming at the lack of information forthcoming and refuses to use either = unit=20 until there is more openness on it's failures and proper = training.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2><FONT size=3D3>David Shimell posted earlier on this = and pointed=20 out 3 main causes for the incidents:</FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV>>1. Equipment design or failure.<BR>>2. Poor = training.<BR>>3. Poor=20 vetting of candidates for training. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I think 1 & 2 apply. Certainly 2 of the deaths and 1 of = the=20 resuscitations were very experienced divers. Why do some agencies = seem to=20 think that a 2 day course can impart all the information required to = safely dive=20 a rebreather? The Navy spends months training their divers on a=20 unit!</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I am sure there will be a full police investigation into this = matter and as=20 I receive more information, I will post it to the list. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Regards,</DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>John = Grogan.</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_008C_01BDBA0F.12C4B900-- -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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