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Just heard the news that several of my friends were out diving the"Matterhorn", a seamount coming up to within 150fsw of the surface about 25 miles offshore from Channel Islands, CA. Two of the three divers planned on a dive to 300fsw and completed their dives using air as a travel mix to 200fsw and switching to trimix thereafter; the third diver planned a dive with air as a travel mix, switch to trimix and dive to 340fsw, return to 180 or so and hangout on air for about 10 minutes. Divers parted company at 200fsw and the two came back, switched back to air and completed all deco. On arrival on the surface they found that the third diver had rocketed to the surface while they were still on the line according to his girl friend who had been left on board the boat on the surface. His drysuit looked like the Michelin Man at the surface. Coast Guard recovered the body floating face down about 45 minutes after the other two hit the surface. I'll post further details when known; I understand that he was using an OMS 120 pumped to 4000psi for air travel mix, a 72 cu.ft. tank pumped up for bottom mix and two 45's for deco gases. I suspect he ran out of bottom mix, panicked and had his dry suit exhaust valve "stopped down". Arron will be missed by many of us. Harold Gartner hgartner@ra*.or* CompuServe ID 71470,1423 6900 Via Alba Camarillo, California 805 482-9743
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