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Hi Mike This will be my last post to techdiver regarding this, all others will be to VBtech only and when answering me please do the same or just to me and I will reply to you and VBtech, that way others can see what you're saying. List-Help: <mailto:vbtech-request@ci*.co*?body=help> List-Subscribe: <mailto:vbtech-request@ci*.co*?body=subscribe%20vbtech> List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:vbtech-request@ci*.co*?body=unsubscribe%20vbtech> Cobb host the list, even he behaves on there, lately we have discussed some things and it was very civil and I think a great many of us learned more about 02 in a week than I did on techdiver for a year, it is a quite list until something is worth posting about, this event is one, because you are willing to give us a first hand account. I only have a couple of days (going diving for a week) to talk this over and then I will pick it back up in a week or so, but I would like to discuss your account below and get a start. >I was the only diver who entered the water with Eric, and as such, I am the >only source of information concerning the events. Eric was fully certifed >on, and diving, a Cis Lunar MK5P Closed Circuit rebreather. I was diving an >AP Valves Buddy Inspiration Closed Circuit rebreather. We both had OC >bailout and deco gases available, as well as all other normally carried tech >gear. You are diving as a buddy team at this point, lets agree on this because you entered the water together. >We agreed to drift into the wreck and go about our separate plans once on the >wreck. We had both 25 minute planned bottom times, with total run times of >107 minutes and 121 minutes. Eric was likely to finish deco first, as the >Cis Lunar has onboard realtime deco capabilities. I was carrying a reel with >an enclosed bag inflated on the surface which I would tie into the wreck and >use to drift off of after the dive. Eric was to shoot his own bag from the >wreck. Once again you are agreed buddies until you reach the wreck. >Current on the site was 1.5 knots south, visability was about 40 -45 ft. >Eric was carrying gear to contain the tropicals, which were positively >bouyant, thus slowing his desent. I watch him above me occasinally as we >drifted into the wreck. Entry time was 13:20. Again, you are being buddies, you are acting as a buddy does , by checking him. This was where the mistake of the dive started. Eric is the diver at risk and should have been in front for you to easily monitor. It does not matter if it is a camera, video camera, or gear to collect fish. Those divers should lead as this extra gear puts them at risk. The weakest diver should also always goes first. >I hit the bottom at run time 1 minute and put my depth guage in the sand to >get a bearing on the wreck location which was not in view. Depth was 268 >which meant that the wreck was slightly west of our location. I took a >compass bearing and swam at an angle westward, and looked up and saw Eric >about 30 ft above me and slightly behind me, next to my line. I did not see >him having any problems at this time. correct me if I get this wrong This is were Eric made his mistake, again you are being buddies, but he is above and behind you to far away. You are on the bottom using the sand to maintain yourself against the current, your body is now adjusting it self from the descent. Eric is still swimming to maintain his position near you because of the current, never resting even for a minute, overweight(he's fat). You head for the location of the wreck he follows, something happens???? Eric put himself in a position that you could not have seen anything happen to him or could he even catch up to you to tell you. A buddy who hovers over and behind you are the worst kind. Just ask anyone who has dived with me what I do when they pull that shit by even a few feet.... >Decent time is a busy time for rebreather divers. In addition to normal >descent procedures, a rebreather diver has to monitor his PO2 readings, add >diluent to the counterlungs, change from low set point to high set point, >etc. Suffice to say, it is a high task loading period. Now we get to the RB, Eric is stressed, tired, confused maybe. The Cis Lunar has to many bells and whistles, what did he do or not do to that RB to cause him to go unconscious . He was overweight, stressed , tired, ect.... you get the picture. >Shortly after beginning to head west, I caught a view of the stern of the >wreck and swam hard for it, as the current was fairly strong. I got up to >the deck of the wreck, moved to the leeward side to tie in so as not to chafe >the line on the superstructure. I viewed my PO2 and systems, and noted a run >time of 3 minutes. 3 minutes, things went "south" real fast..... >I then went back to the other side of the wreck to see where Eric was. I did >not see him, so I swam the wreck to the point of contact with the RBJ in >search of him. Though the visability was poor by Florida standards, his >large yellow rebreather would have been relatively easy to spot. By this time Eric was history, he had made himself neural and as he became unconscious, drifted with the current before touching the bottom. >I began to consider what could have happened. My thoughts were that one of >three things were possible. 1. Eric missed the wreck, surfaced for another >drop, or continued a "dirt dive" out of my sight. 2. Eric saw a fish he >wanted, and went after it, as that was his goal. 3. He had a problem on the >dive. It could have been a number of things... >I acted in a worst case scenario and began a full bottom search for him. I >began by backtracking to the area I had last seen him, with a difficult swim >against the current. I then attempted to search other areas of the wrecks >that were previously out of my view. As the wrecks are 226' and 180' this is >a large search area with this visability. I'm sure at this point you did all you could. >I sent up a second lift bag to notify the surface there was a possible >problem. I completed my deco and surfaced to find that Eric was not on the >boat. How would they know something was wrong, you stated Eric was to send up a bag. There is nothing like putting a diver in the water on these dives just to count divers who are decoing... correct me where I'm wrong... and also let us know how the search is going. JT >We immediately contacted the boats in the area, told them the situation, and >began looking for a lift bag. We contacted the USCG and advised them of the >overdue diver, and were offered assistance by boats too numerous to mention >here. My sincere thanks for all who tried. > >We identifed the areas where Eric might surface based on current and run >time. A full search effort was underway to include air support. I requested >permission from the USCG to do a SAR dive in the area where I felt Eric might >be. They were understandably hesitant to agree, but contacted superiors for >permission. I agreed to their terms as it was their scene at this time. > >At approximatley 18:50 the USCG stated they did not want me to dive, but >reversed that decision shortly thereafter. With the sun low on the horizon, >poor vis and low ambient light, I decided the dive would be fruitless. There >were other factors, including support, stack time on the breather, diluent >gas, etc. I decide to try the next morning. > >I and a team of OC divers assembled this morning to attempt to recover Eric. >Dive conditions were very poor. Current at the site was 3.3 knots south, and >another dive boat reported 20 ft vis on the Miller Lite, a shallower but >nearby wreck. > >We will attempt again tomorrow. I will continue with this effort until it is >accomplished. >We have seen other tech diving fatalities, and the community has come >together to recover the victims. This is done mainly for the benefit of the >family, but also it is done for the dive community. It is what we should, >and will, do. > >I am sure that there are some who will second guess my actions on this dive >and I am amoung them. All I can say is that, though we were diving solo, I >did the best I could. Those of you that know me know that is is nothing I >would not have done in efforts to rescue Eric, or for that mattter, any >diver, had I been sucessful in locating him. > >My deepest condolences to Eric's family and friends, and my heartfelt thanks >to the many who have offered assistance and support. > >Regards, Mike >============================================================ >To contact the list administrator, email >Mike Rodriguez at mikey@mi*.ne* >To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, send a message to: >listserv@mi*.ne* >and in the *BODY* of the message type: >unsubscribe FLTechDiver "You can't learn to dive on the net, sooner or later you have to get in the water" Your Guide to Great Wreck Diving along the East Coast & more Web Site http://www.capt-jt.com/ Email captjt@mi*.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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