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In a message dated 5/12/1999 9:31:05 PM EST, PLe@Se*.co* writes: << If any diver got drifted away from the wreck for any reason, the diver would have no choice but to do drift deco. Is it true that this diver is on his/her own then ? No chase boat will be deployed ? >> phi, As soon as a lift bag surfaces 1) and it is apparent that it is drifting we send a swimmer with a line or the chase boat ( if i have one ) 2) and it is not drifting and it is apparent that there are bubbles from a decompressing diver under it we sent a swimmer with a line or the chase boat and tie off so if the up line breaks off the wreck the diver/bag will not drift away, and some one swims down to see if everything is ok.... 3) if you send up a bag far away and it breaks loose or you did not tether it are drifting too fast so that my swimmer can't catch the bag and have no chase boat A) if i dont have people on surface supplyed o2 i will put a big ( 3') tuna ball on the mooring and drop it ( or on my anchor line and cut it )and go pick up the diver or secure him from drifting away ....the rest of the divers know they are supposed to do their deco and wait on the anchor line that i will be right back ......the boat is usualy in sight when they surface at the ball .... B) if i people on surface supply o2 or am otherwise prevented from moving & have no chase boat and the diver and the bag drift away i will a) assign some one to watch with binoculars b) take a compass bearing on the drift c) go chase the diver as soon as possible d) and call in the coast guard to send aircraft and boats to help search if nessassary, other boaters also hear distress calls and rush to help search 4) if you do a drifting decompression or a tethered decompression with no bag , we will know you are overdue and missing but not if you are A) dead on the bottom , B) decided to extend your dive , C) are drifting away underwater , D) or came up an other boats line and are decompressing there.( the popular wrecks may some times have 5 or six boats on them ) By the time we determine a diver is drifting away underwater and not doing any of the other options it is likely....NO ONE WILL EVER FIND THE DIVER your best chance of survival when choosing between a drifting deco in current many miles off shore with no lift bag indicating your situation or surfacing and ether getting back to the boat and going back down or getting bent and being evacuated to a chamber is........ surfacing I will of course conduct an extensive & diligent search ...on the wreck and in the area ....but will be sleeping in a dry bed eventualy .....while dieing cold , alone , exhausted in the vast ocean is the fate of people who do drifting decompression and are not found ...... how many days do you think you would live drifting ....even in a dry suit ....i would rather be bent to death ....and be with my crew and friends then sleep with the fishes -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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