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>Recently I dove out of hatteras in 85F surface temp waters. I still used >my drysuit as I did not have any idea of what buoyancy characteristics my >gear would have using a wetsuit. What posessed Tony to use a weightbelt >with steel doubles with a skin and why nobody on the boat questioned this >is a mystery to me. Hi Jim As many may or may not know you , some others and I have tried to dive together and arrange our gear the same.I have also tried to show you some things that in time you may have to use to save your life when things go bad and sooner or later they always do.You also know that when I'm on board the boat as Capt , mate , or diver , everyone on board knows I am watching , very few things get by me , most have that feeling that they should be very careful in my presents .To the point , I can not stop all from doing dumb things or bad gear configurations.Do you remember the diver who lost control of his drysuit early this year and rocket up from 120ft , he did not get hurt , but what if he had held his breath in a panic , death would have happen , we were all there , who gets the blame , we all saw that the suit did not fit him well.He said it was fine , alittle big , but OK for he got a good deal on it.How could I stop him from diving , because his suit was alittle big?He was also more upset that I was present when it happen and he had gotten the personnel invite to my yearly cookout, than the fact that it happen. Do you remember when the new owner was on board last year and cut our dive time on a tech dive , we have never gotten on board again when he is in charge.Things have to be really bad before you stop someone from diving to the point that all on board can see it. I even point to the boat Grateful Diver which is the one I think that the WKPP backs , you can CK the archives on Dumb and Getting Dumber Oct 22 1998 by Bill Mee , which the Capt took out an instructor with students on a deep dive with steel doubles and stages in a wetsuit and a story was wrote about it.This was even after the triple death down there , if someone would have died on that trip , would you still ask why nobody on the boat question this before they let them do it or why they let them do it at all. Jim you and I both dive solo , just as Tony did , we have tried to buddy up , it does not fit into our plan , the only dives that work as a buddy for me are the very deep ones that I do , beyond 275ft .And that is for companionship. The fact is Tony killed Tony , all he had to do was open his valves , even in the water , that is why you see me open my valves with the tanks on my back , if I can't do it on the boat what makes me think I can do it underwater during stress. No one can predict if they will panic or not when things go bad until it happens.Being OOA will always be a true test , I can not think of a single thing that brings panic as fast , only those that have been there and lived know that to be true.Jim ,you and I both know that to be true.I am truly sorry for the death of Tony Smith and my prayers go to the family , friends ,and Capt. and crew of the boat. Capt JT >Recently I dove out of hatteras in 85F surface temp waters. I still used >my drysuit as I did not have any idea of what buoyancy characteristics my >gear would have using a wetsuit. What posessed Tony to use a weightbelt >with steel doubles with a skin and why nobody on the boat questioned this >is a mystery to me. > >I really hope you guys read this carefully and learn. This death should >not have happened. > >-------------------------------------------------- > Subject: Re: Recent Fatality Sea Gypsy North Carolina Date: 1999/07/02 >Author: Michael Blitch <mblitch1@ta*.rr*.co*> Posting History > > On 1 Jul 1999 17:09:44 -0500, tfkelley@wo*.at*.ne* (Tom Kelley) >wrote: > >I'm trying to find as much info as possible about the recent death of a >friend >of mine diving in North Carolina on Sunday 6/27. Not looking >for blame just >as much as I can find out to put this to rest for >me. His name was Tonymith >and he was diving with the Sea Gypsy. >Any info would be appreciated. > >Below is some of the correspondence about the accident that was posted on >a private e-mail list. Someone was also looking for info on their friend >and got the details. Also quoted (besides the accident info) is a short >message from the person who asked for info in the first place (apparently >the fiance of the deceased). The e-mail address and names of the poster >have been deleted due to privacy. Ask me if you need it for some reason. >Remember, accidents can happen, but complacency kills. > >************************************************************* > > From: ************ Date: Tue, 29 Jun 1999 02:44:00 EDT > >As always - the members of this list are outstanding. > >Thank you to those who conveyed condolences, and to those of you who >helped with info. What I discovered was VERY distressing, but somewhat >predictable. > >Tony has been diving 10+ years, is Full Cave/Trimix trained, and crews on >the John Jack for Capt. Zero in Staten Island. He did 60-80 tech dives a >year, if I remember right...(how many nights was he gone...sleeping on >the boat? :-) . Last month he came back from his Dream Trip - Truk >Lagoon, doing amazing dives on the deeper wrecks. > >He tried to dive as much of the DIR configuration as possible for him. >But DIR is also a philosophy and mindset, not just a gear >configuration. Unfortunately, he was NOT always as attentive to >details as he could have been (therefore, I wouldn't usually dive with >him), and it caught up with him...... > >I am somewhat reluctant to post these findings, because they display >utter strokedom, but I know that you will read both, shake your heads in >disbelief, and begin to feel my frustration at this senseless waste of a >precious life. He DID get shown George's tapes - 6 of them - multiple >times! We had LONG discussion/debates about scenarios, etc. He DID >practice reaching his valves. I converted him from deep air to gas. >And it all came down to carelessness. Utter stupidity. I just hope he >dropped like a rock, quickly blew out his ears, and got knocked >unconscious. None of us want a dear friend, even when being a stroke, to >suffer. > >If more divers would listen to George and JJ.....we wouldn't have tears >on our keypads as we permanently delete e-mail address from our "diving >buddies" directory..... > >Thank you all for your support, S**** B******** << "I am writing this >and I am sad to say it really happened, buck just called me with the >facts.A new York tech. diver, who was trimix certified and very >experienced put his gear together, charged his regulators, and then >turned his tanks back off. This was done on the ride out, this was also >his first dive this year without a drysuit.When they anchored the wreck >the diver put his steel doubles on, his aluminum 80 was clipped to his >side, he put his weight belt on,over his dive skin, he put the crotch >strap on over his weight belt.See the problem yet, he jumped over the >side without turning his tanks on and being about 30 pounds negative if >my math is right, he couldn't ditch his weight belt , he apparently >couldn't reach his valves either. They found him on the bottom with 4000 >psi in every tank, and all tanks were turned off." > > This second one sadly tells of even MORE mistakes.... > >Subject: A Preliminary Analysis Date: Mon, 28 June 1999 06:39 PM EDT >From: ***************8 > >Over the weekend a "technical diver" lost his life along the NC coast. >The following information is based on local news reports, comments from >the physician that completed the postmortem examination and discussions >between the boat captain and US Coast Guard on the marine radio: > >Diver had been diving for approximately 10 years. The dive was to be a >work-up dive for an upcoming tech dive to 230 FSW. Maximum depth at the >site is 135 FSW. The victims exposure suit was a dive skin. Victim's >weight was estimated at 300 pounds. Victim was wearing 12 pounds of lead >on his weight belt. The diver was equipped with double, high-pressure >steel tanks (mix not reported). Victim was carrying a stage bottle (tank >size/material and contents no reported..... stage bottle was reportedly >found several feet away from the victim). > >The unofficial report is that the diver entered the water at >approximately 11:30 AM. His tanks were not turned on. His low pressure >inflator hose was not attached to his inflator/deflator mechanism. The >diver entered the water, slipped beneath the surface and was not seen >again. After all other divers were onboard it was noted that the victim >was not present. The divers were apparently diving solo. > >Analysis: > >There appear to be several problems that may have lead or contributed to >the fatality. > >-The diver's choice of tanks was inappropriate for the exposure suit he >was wearing. The diver would likely have been near negatively buoyant >without the addition of the weightbelt. Such a configuration could >prevent the diver from making an emergency ascent to the surface. > >-Apparently the diver failed to do a basic systems check before entering >the water. Obviously the diver was not aware that his tanks were not >turned on. One can only assume he also didn't realize that the low >pressure inflator hose was disconnected. (I have seen divers enter with >the hose disconnected "because the inflator leaks a bit/free flows until >I get a few feet under the surface.") > >-All the divers involved chose to dive solo rather than executing a team > >effort which would have greatly reduced risk in the event of a problem. > >-Divers apparently failed to file a dive plan with the boat crew. Crews >can become aware of problems before it's too late if they know when to >expect to see divers returning to the deco lines. > >-The dive boat crew may have failed to do a quick visual check of the >divers' equipment before entering or the diver may have entered the water >before completion of the pre-dive briefing. > >Summary: > >This type of accident simply should not happen. No diver should ever be >in such a hurry to enter the water as to skip a basic systems check of >all life support gear. Regardless of experience and certification level, >always perform a pre-dive safety check, use equipment that is appropriate >for environment/compatable with the entire system and apply team >diving techniques. > >It will be interesting if the diver's certification is reported in the >near future. It may also be interesting to find out if the diver had >previous experience diving technical style gear configurations. > > ------------------------------------------------------------------- > Learn About Trimix at http://www.cisatlantic.com/trimix/trimix.html > > > ><< Send subscribe/unsubscribe/help requests to VBTech-request@ci*.co* >> > -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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