Near-Fatal Shipwreck Scuba Diving Accident Caught on Video

Freaky.

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Here's the story in the diver's own words...

“I am happy to share my experience in case it can knock some sense into someone like me that knows better but ignores the warning signs.

Here is a video captured from my mask camera that shows the worst of my incident in which I got lost in the shipwreck. The video stops when I hit my head on the roof of the room I was trapped in before I found my way out. It took me a while to watch the whole thing because in two places you can hear me scream in my regulator.

At first I was embarrassed to talk about it. I knew better, I knew my limits, I ignored it all against my better judgment. Now I feel comfortable sharing what happened in case it might stop someone from having the same near death experience.

Whenever I have read scuba dive column detailing an accident in a post mortem it is easy to see the glaring warnings that go by like a flashing road sign. In my case I ignored them and put myself in a situation that was above my skill level and equipment for a penetration dive.

During a great dive in wonderful conditions on the SHIPWRECK we started talking about our second dive on the ship. A group of us talked about doing a slight swim through penetration dive through some large openings. My buddy and I opted in and I started gearing up for the upcoming dive. I turned out to the be the last one in the water so once I cleared "OK" upon entering the water I raced to catch up to my buddy who was #4 on a group of 5 about to penetrate the wreck. Being the trailing #5 diver I formed up and followed my buddy along one of the ship walkway at 100 feet. When I reached the door I saw daylight on the other side of the ship and thought this was a bit more than a swim through but entered anyway without lights.

I later learned after the dive that my buddy had formed up on an entirely different group, a group of three that had no idea who we were and that we were following them.

When I entered I quickly knew that something was wrong when I saw the group descend down a stair case, seeing bright sunlight ahead and silted enter way behind me I pressed forward in total darkness thinking I would find a clear path out.

I found myself in a room with only portholes out, no path to swim out. I was stuck in a silted dark room with a silted exit route and as panic began to set in I started burning through my precise air at an accelerated rate at 100 feet.

This is the point in which my fate was in the balance. Panic was starting to set in and I began to see my life flash before my eyes. Thoughts of my family, thoughts of how I was about to learn how painful drowning is, thoughts of how my death would tarnish ********references deleted to protect the identity of the diver******, all while flashes from a small blue LED light from my camera equipped mask reminding me that the camera was rolling would be part of the accident investigation.

The best way I can describe the feeling is that it is like when you have a near miss car accident, only this feeling lasted over five minutes.

Then something clicked that saved my life - in the waterfall of negative thoughts I yelled back. "Shut the fuck up!" "You know what to do, you have trained for this, you need to solve this problem right now or you are going to die." I told myself to take inventory of the situation, check your air, relax, let the silt settle, preserve your night vision by not looking at the bright light coming in from the port holes. I charged up the glow in the dark element of my gauges and then started to settle down. Somewhere in this time line my camera stopped, the stop button must have been pushed when I hit my head.

As a laid back and started to settle a square glint of a doorway appeared. I slowly peered out the door and saw a glint of a hallway. Knowing the hallways were safe from overhanging wires and ducts I headed into the darkness praying not to find any resistance. As I traveled down the hallway I found my environment getting brighter. I made it to the end of the hallway and found an entry that felt as big as the Grand Canyon. I swam for it and was free. Free, but alone - where was my buddy?

I was very low on air but my fear shifted to my buddy, I was worried that he had a similar fate and maybe he was still trying to get out of his.

I went to an ascent line at 60 feet and looked for bubbles and looked for the group that we mistakenly followed into the wreck. I planned to suck the tank dry and wait for him. My ascent from 100 to 60 was pretty fast and my computer was indicating that I needed to burn off some more gas. Once the deco flag went away from my computer I ascended to 15 feet and planned to burn off whatever I had left while I watched for my buddy. When I dropped below 500 psi I surfaced and found I was the first diver back.

Not knowing if an emergency was occurring I let the Captain know that I was #5 of a group of 5 that broke off a penetration dive and I wanted to look for the group. I grabbed my snorkel and fins and watched for the group to emerge from the wreck. After 5 minutes I saw the 4 person group emerge from the bubbles and surface.

When I met my buddy on the boat he was surprised to see me but unaware that I had left the group. When I spoke with the lead three of the group they had no idea who I was and that my buddy and I were following them.

For days I would shudder whenever the thoughts of what could of happened settled in my head. The mistakes and ignored cues are almost too many to count but I did learn a huge lesson from this dive. One that I am very fortunate to have survived.

I wish to remain anonymous but you are welcome to share this story if it helps keep someone from making the same mistakes I made.”

You can read the analysis here.

Be safe out there, friends.

Divers Alert Network Releases 2009-2010 Progress Report

You can read the press release here or jump right to the report here.

For 30 years, Divers Alert Network® (DAN®) has served as a lifeline for divers, whether in the realm of emergency assistance, medical assistance, diving research or simply as the go-to source of information. But despite all that DAN has achieved in the diving community, we’ve never been content to rest on our laurels, and the last 18 months have produced several notable steps forward in our continuing commitment to divers and dive safety.

Divers can read all about it in the 2009-2010 Progress Report, now available for download at www.DAN.org. The report details the restructuring of the organization to maximize resources, the streamlining of the DAN Emergency Hotline, the upgrades to the DAN Medical Services Call Center, the launch of new DAN Research projects and the expanded outreach to improve education opportunities in the medical profession.

“DAN faces the same challenges that have brought many other organizations to their knees,” said Joe Poe, chairman of the DAN Inc. board of directors. “But we’ve met these challenges head on, and we’ve taken the right steps to ensure that whatever happens in the world, DAN will always be here for divers. The report is one way for everyone in the dive community to see exactly how we plan to do that.”

The report also provides a glimpse of DAN’s fiscal status, allowing divers to see just how far the reach of membership and business support extends.

Scuba Clean, Inc. Cited for (and Disputes) Willful Safety Violations

The federal government has cited a boat cleaning company in St. Petersburg with safety and health violations which carry with them proposed fines of $200,900.

Scuba Clean Inc., a family-run boat cleaning business, was cited Thursday with three willful safety violations, which come with proposed penalties of $147,000. They are for hazards associated with divers not being trained, divers not being accompanied by another diver with continuous visual contact and using air hoses not rated for diving.

But there's definitely more to the story.

The company disputes the violations, and says the OSHA standards and guidelines that the company was judged by apply to commercial diving operations like deepwater oil rigs, and not a business whose divers usually don't even go past 5 feet.

"It's truly mind-boggling," said owner Phil Secord, 54. "We're simple boat cleaners."

OSHA said the violations are related to use of a "hookah," diving equipment that uses a pump at the surface to deliver air rather than a scuba tank. Scuba Clean failed to provide equipment needed to safely perform "hookah" dive operations, to secure compressed air cylinders, and to develop and maintain a written chemical hazard communication program, the agency said.

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Secord said his divers don't even use hookahs and go through extensive training to learn how to scrub debris and dirt off the underside of boats. In 75 percent of the jobs, Secord said, his men are standing on the bottom of the surface in shallow water.

"I've been in business 30 years," Secord said. "We have cleaned 190,000 boats, and we have not had one in-water accident."

He said OSHA's interest in his company came late last year, after a disgruntled employee who had been fired made a complaint and wrote to local and national politicians and government officials. When two investigators were sent out, Secord said, they appeared clueless about simple diving procedures and the business.

OSHA confirmed its investigation was prompted by a complaint, but would release no further information because of confidentiality rules.

"The compliance officers we send out are fully trained," said Mike Wald, an OSHA spokesman. "We would not have issued violations if we did not believe they were real."

Scuba Clean said it plans to ask for a conference with the local OSHA area director to plead its case.

You can visit Scuba Clean, Inc. online at: www.scubacleaninc.com

Katie Price Warned About Personal Risk Involved in Scuba Diving

And if you know one (okay, maybe two) things about the British model and businesswoman, you know why she was warned.

Katie Price has been warned that her surgically-enhanced breasts could explode or drown her if she goes ahead with a diving course, according to a report.

The glamour girl is currently enjoying a holiday in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh with husband Alex Reid and her eldest child Harvey, 7.

Earlier this week, insiders claimed that Price wanted to go diving in the Red Sea as part of the break.

However, a source told the Daily Star: "There have been scare stories about implants exploding underwater.

"Research has shown this is unlikely but they do fill with air bubbles as the pressure increases and can change size underwater. Implants also affect buoyancy so she'd have to make extra efforts to stay afloat.

"Given the risks, and how long she has spent perfecting her boobs, it is unlikely Kate will go ahead."

Continue reading...

Cave Diving: A Deceptively Easy Way to Die

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DAN Debuts "One Call", New 24-Hour Diving Emergency Hotline

A good idea for times in need. Be sure to store this number in your cell phone. (Thanks, Mike!)

Effective immediately, the phone number for the DAN 24-Hour Diving Emergency Hotline has changed. The new number is (919) 684-9111.

The change, dubbed “One Call,” is part of the continuing mission of Divers Alert Network® (DAN®) to increase the safety of divers. With the new hotline number, divers need only to call a single phone number to activate emergency services, regardless of what kind of emergency assistance is needed.

"Over the last few years, as the benefits and resources we provided the dive industry increased, so did the phone numbers to access the assistance," said Nicholas Bird, MD, vice president of DAN Medical Services. "Divers were getting understandably confused. By simplifying the process to a single phone number, we’ve given divers needing assistance one less thing to think about in a stressful situation."

The new number replaces the need to decide whether to call DAN, TravelAssist to facilitate emergency evacuation, or a medical facility. Simply call DAN at the new hotline number, and all emergency assistance will be triaged and facilitated from there.

"We had a goal this year to streamline our emergency assistance resources," said Dan Orr, president and CEO of DAN. "One Call is a huge step toward that goal, and it’s an extremely positive step in moving diver safety forward."

Continue reading...

DAN Releases Annual Report On Dive Fatalities and Accidents

From the Underwater Times:

The latest edition of one of DAN’s most notable and widely-read publications, the Annual Dive Report, is now available. Each year, divers count on it as a resource to educate themselves; the knowledge they gain, hopefully, makes them safer divers.

Once again, DAN Research has compiled its findings from data gathered from incident reports and information shared through Project Dive Exploration (PDE). The DAN Annual Diving Report – 2008 Edition examines contributing factors in dive accident and fatality cases in an effort to understand those factors and improve dive safety.

Members and non-members alike can DOWNLOAD THE REPORT HERE.

Fijian Gov't Launches Investigation Into Abandoned Scuba Diver Incident

In a follow-up to the article we posted last Friday about the abandoned scuba diver who survived a 12-hour swim to safety off the coast of Vanua Levu, the Fijian government has ordered an immediate investigation into the incident.

Initial reports say that a 40-year-old German tourist had to swim for about 12 hours before reaching land.

Ministry of Tourism Acting Director, Ratu Manoa Malani, questioned the logic of the diving trip at Rainbow Reef near Viani Bay in Vanua Levu.

Ratu Manoa says he is concerned about the practicability and sense of sending tourists at 5pm in the afternoon and the risk of going out to dive without adequate air.

The 40-year-old German tourist was among three other tourists who were part of a diving trip.

25 minutes into the dive he had to surface because he had exhausted his air supply.

The tourist was then told by the dive master to wait for him whilst he (dive master) went in for the remaining three who had also exhausted their air supply.

The tourist said he could see the boat about 100 feet away but was unable to swim for it because of strong currents.

Despite noticing lights on Vanua Levu, he decided instead to swim for Taveuni where it was more populated.

He kept swimming until he felt the seabed, screamed out for help and collapsed on the shore.

A woman rescued him after hearing his cries for help.

Two Shipwreck Scuba Divers Hurt by Trapped Air Explosion

Wreck diving can be -- and is -- extremely exciting and rewarding. However, divers must never forget that underwater wrecks bring a whole new set of risks to the table.

Two divers involved in the salvaging of a sunken cargo vessel in Culasi town in Antique were taken to the hospital Monday after being hit by trapped air from one of the vessel's compartments.

Primitivo Morales and Rodel Lazaro were given medical treatment first at the Culasi District Hospital and later confined at the Aklan provincial hospital in the capital town of Kalibo after they complained of difficulty of breathing, Coast Guard Western Visayas District commander Commodore William Melad said in a telephone interview on Wednesday.

Melad said the two divers were less than 30 feet under water and were boring holes on a compartment of the M/V Ocean Papa when an explosion-type force knocked them off.

“Trapped air or pressure inside the compartment could have been released when the holes were bored,” said Melad.

Aside from difficulty of breathing, the divers suffered no other injuries.

Lazaro is set to be released from the hospital after undergoing observation but Morales will still be confined because he was found to be already suffering from diabetes and a previous respiratory ailment.

The divers are part of a 10-member salvaging team of the CV Gaspar Salvage and Lighterage Company that has been cutting up the vessel into pieces and transported to the shore.

Will 'Electronic Dive Buddy' Make Scuba Diving a Safer Sport?

The engineering students at the University of Auckland seem to think so.

Anatoly Kudryashov and Jenny Xu from the Department of Mechanical Engineering’s Mechatronics Engineering specialisation have designed a computerised system to automatically adjust a diver’s buoyancy if they get into trouble. The project was supervised by Associate Professor Vojislav Kecman and assisted by Technical Officer Rob Earl.

"The most important task for a diver while underwater is buoyancy control. Normally this is controlled manually by adding or releasing air in a buoyancy control device, which is worn like a jacket," Anatoly says.

"To rise in the water, a diver adds air to the buoyancy control device. To sink, air is let out. If the buoyancy is not adjusted correctly, a diver may rise too rapidly or descend too quickly to an unsafe depth, risking serious injury or sometimes death," Jenny says.

The Electronic Dive Buddy attaches to the buoyancy jacket and monitors the diver’s motion while underwater. It automatically adjusts buoyancy if an unsafe depth or velocity is reached. The device also has a ‘cruise control’ feature, allowing divers to automatically maintain a desired depth in the water.

Anatoly, who is in avid diver, couldn’t understand why computer control hadn’t been introduced to scuba diving and decided to tackle the problem as part of his assessment for a Bachelor of Engineering Degree. Mechatronics Engineering students work in pairs to complete a major research project in their final year of study.

The Electronic Dive Buddy prototype was tested in the laboratory and in a 4.7 metre deep swimming pool.

"Our tests so far have proven the device to work, so the next step is to look at its marketability. As far as I know, a device like this does not exist," Anatoly says.

Anatoly and Jenny presented their findings at The Department of Mechanical Engineering project display day on Friday, 10 October 2008. The students received an IPENZ Award for the quality of their presentation and display.

Divers, what do you think?

Heroic Scuba Instructor Saves Diver's Life

A 60-year-old man escaped what could have been a fatal dive accident when a dive instructor discovered him unconscious in the water and came to his rescue.

Bryon Marshall, 29, came to the man's rescue after he began to sink beneath the surface before his due descent.

The man, believed to be from Melbourne, was among 21 people diving off Boarfish Reef on Sunday, about one nautical mile from the coast.

Queenscliff Dive Centre chief executive Jason Salter said the experienced diver got into trouble after removing the regulator from his mouth and swallowed mouthfuls of water.

"It was nothing sinister. He dropped the regulator from his mouth to talk to a buddy," he said.

Mr Salter, the boat's skipper, said dive instructor Mr Marshall saved the man's life after dragging him from the water and resuscitating him during the trip back to Swan Bay boat ramp.

"Bryon performed CPR for about five minutes and successfully got the guy breathing," Mr Salter said.

"That person is alive because of Bryon. He is a real hero. I firmly believe had it not been for the quick response of the boat crew, he would have died."

But Mr Marshall remained humble about the rescue, and expressed relief that the man survived the ordeal.

"It was really a team effort," he said. "The whole day was about whether he would survive. I feel great about it now."

Paramedics stabilised the man, who was breathing and conscious, at the ramp. He was then flown to The Alfred soon after 1pm.

A hospital spokesman yesterday said the man's condition was stable.

Divers of all skill levels should be prepared to encounter a situation like this. Check your local dive shop for appropriate rescue diver certifications.

Aqua Lung America Recalls Apeks Scuba Diving Regulators

Yikes! Something is going on over at Aqua Lung.

First, the company recalled 6,000 Titan DIN scuba regulators, now Aqua Lung is recalling Apeks scuba diving regulators.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. (To access color photos of the following recalled products, see CPSC's Web site at www.cpsc.gov.)

Name of product: Apeks Second Stage Scuba Regulators Units: About 25,000 Distributor: Aqua Lung America of Vista, Calif. Manufacturer: Apeks Marine Equipment Ltd., of Blackburn, England

Hazard: These regulators can be missing the diaphragm cover which can cause the diaphragm to become displaced during a dive, allowing water to enter the scuba regulator. This poses a drowning hazard to divers.

Incidents/Injuries: None

Description: This recall involves Apeks TX, ATX, and XTX second stage regulators that have never been serviced. Apeks and TX, ATX, or XTX is printed on the regulator. Sold at: Authorized Apeks dealers nationwide from February 2000 through June 2008 for between $420 and $1,450.

Manufactured in: England

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop diving with these regulators and visit an authorized Apeks dealer for a free inspection and free installation of a diaphragm cover, if the cover is missing.

Aqua Lung Recalls 6,000 Titan DIN Scuba Regulators

Six thousand Titan DIN 1st Stage Scuba Regulators and Titan/Conshelf DIN Scuba Adaptors have been recalled.

Aqua Lung is recalling about 6,000 Titan DIN 1st Stage Scuba Regulators and Titan/Conshelf DIN Scuba Adaptors.

Over-tightening of the DIN retainer by a technician during installation can result in the retainer breaking under pressure, a rapid escape of air from the scuba cylinder, and the regulator detaching from the scuba cylinder. This poses a drowning hazard to divers.

The firm has received one report of a DIN retainer breaking under pressure. No injuries have been reported.

The recalled regulators have a brass DIN retainer manufactured prior to June 2006. The recalled Aqua Lung Titan Din 1st Stage regulators have serial numbers lower than 6062501 stamped on the side of the regulator’s body. Recalled Titan/Conshelf DIN adaptors are marked “300 BAR MAX” on the side of the part. DIN adaptors marked “300 BAR MAXI” are not included in this recall.

The regulators, made in France, were sold by authorized Aqua Lung dealers nationwide from January 1997 through September 2008 for about $300 to $450 for the scuba regulators or $70 for DIN adaptors sold separately.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled diving regulators and DIN adaptors and return them to any authorized Aqua Lung dealer for a free replacement DIN retainer.

For additional information, contact Aqua Lung toll-free at (877) 253-3483 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.aqualung.com.

New Hyperbaric Chamber Arrives on Bonaire

Bonaire continues to be a top notch dive destination for scuba diving; providing pristine reefs and diverse marine life unique to the Caribbean.

Last month, the island stepped up its safety capabilities with the arrival of a new hyperbaric chamber.

Last week, Bonaire’s new hyperbaric chamber arrived and was delivered to its new location in a building on Kaya John Nicolaas. The location is right behind the offices of Centro Medico Central, the offices of Dr. Richard van der Vaart, one of Bonaire’s hyperbaric physicians, and across the street from the island’s hospital.

The Stichting Recompressietank (Recompression Chamber Foundation) purchased the land and completed the new building. The total investment amounts to 1.6 million guilders (USD $899,000). The first million has been received and has allowed the development to date. The Foundation is looking for additional sponsors for the remaining FL 600,000 to complete the building’s interior and install the chamber.

Plans call for an area which is used as an emergency clinic with the necessary monitors and equipment, where a wounded diver can receive first aid and is prepared to enter the chamber. The complex will also offer room for the stay of divers who are too sick to be transported and where the diver may remain under observation in this intensive care unit until there’s improvement. A guest room, with all facilities, is available for family members of the patient. The foundation will run the new hyperbaric chamber with the help of about forty volunteers.

The image shows the arrival of the new chamber, which was manufactured in The Netherlands and which just arrived from Venezuela. (Source: Amigoe)

Safety Checks: Every Diver. Every Time.

This tragic scuba diving story highlights the responsibility of each diver to ensure proper equipment safety checks have been conducted.

Every diver. Every dive.

Inadequate safety checks led to the death of a 22-year-old diver off the Swanage coast, an inquest heard.

Tragedy struck in August 2005 while electrician Mark Steel from Daventry, Northamptonshire, was exploring the wreck of the First World War liner the Kyarra.

A major search operation was launched but Mr Steel's remains were not found until August 8 last year.

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Northampton solicitor Michael Chapman, who was diving with Mr Steel, recalled how he had lost sight of his buddy' on the seabed.

He said: "Because of the poor visibility I was only mildly surprised and didn't think that anything untoward had happened."

Mr Chapman added: "Only visual checks were done of our equipment; not full hands-on checks.

"It was the first time I had dived with Mark but he seemed very relaxed. I felt perfectly safe and confident."

Michael Marsh, who was the skipper of the dive boat Killer Prawn,' told the inquest how he had seen Mr Steel surfacing.

"I turned the boat, I was about five to eight feet from him and we made eye contact. There was no sense of panic.

"He rolled onto his back and went under. I looked over the side and he was gone."

A post mortem showed that Mr Steel had inhaled water and drowned.

The hearing was told an examination of Mr Steel's diving gear had revealed that the isolation valve between his two cylinders had not been turned on and he had run out of air.

From all of us here at the Neutral Dive Gear Scuba Diving Blog, please be diligent with your safety checks.

Got Oxygen? PADI's New Emergency Oxygen Provider Course

PADI is launching a new specialty course geared at educating scuba divers to better provide oxygen to fellow divers.

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. 12 March, 2008. The Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) is launching the new Emergency Oxygen Provider Specialty course with the goal of improving diver accident preparedness by teaching how and when to give oxygen to an injured diver.

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Course Overview

The new PADI Emergency Oxygen Provider Specialty course is an entry-level emergency oxygen course that also teaches the recognition of dive illnesses treatable by emergency oxygen. Though suited for divers, the new course has no prerequisites and doesn’t include dives, which means it is equally applicable to those who are around divers – boat crew, nondiving buddies, lifeguards, and shore staff. No previous CPR or first aid training is required to take the course.

Free DVD from Divers Alert Network

The Divers Alert Network (DAN) has produced a new instructional/safety DVD about decompression illness and what to do if you suspect a diver has it, and is giving it away free to dive centers and clubs.

Joel Dovenbarger, Vice President of DAN Medical Services, said the best way for all divers to learn comes from the experiences of other divers. "This new DVD from DAN will help divers recognize the signs and symptoms of a variety of dive-related issues and be better prepared to respond appropriately," Dovenbarger said.

Dive centers or dive clubs can request the free DVD from DAN. It features a 40-minute presentation by Marty McCafferty, DAN Medical Informational Specialist. Use the DVD as part of your dive training programs, at your next dive club meeting or at dive gatherings.

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DAN wants to educate divers in recognizing DCI and seeking immediate medical evaluation, which improves and shortens the treatment and reduces the chances of long-term problems. The risk of DCI increases as divers dive deeper, stay down longer, ascend faster, or shorten their surface intervals.

To order call DAN Membership Services at +1-919-684-2948 or 1-800-446-2671 (from the U.S. or Canada) and ask for:

Title: I May Be Bent… Now What? with Marty McCafferty
Run time: 40 minutes
Product code: 171-0000
Cost: FREE

Be sure to pass this on to appropriate outlets in your dive circle.