"A Tough Current
Once underwater, Kimberly and I gave each other the OK sign. Patricio and others were 20 feet below us and moving away. I am slow to equalize on early dives, so we fell behind most of the group. We descended faster than usual to stay with the group, though Patricio was always lower and further out from the island than Kimberly and I. Following Patricio, my dive computer indicated we were at 98 feet at five minutes. At six minutes, we were at 104 feet. I thought about Jamie’s briefing: Stay above 90 feet.
Kimberly and I struggled against the current. I was near hyperventilating and had to consciously slow myself down. At the nine-minute mark, Patricio signaled us to grab hold of the sloping bottom and move up against the current, hand over hand. Kimberly and I continued struggling against the current but we finally got control by hanging onto the rocks and moderating our breathing (around the 10- to15-minute mark). I looked around to see where everyone else was. Kimberly and I were well under 2000 psi of air, a lot of air to have used so quickly. I saw what looked to be Patricio communicating to Denise to stay put and hang onto the rocks with the rest of us while he would go look for someone, and it appeared he did. I looked for E.G., but didn’t see her. This was around the 13- to 17-minute mark.
We moved up to watch sharks circling in 50 feet of water. At the 24-minute mark, I signaled to Jamie that I was at 700 psi, and he signaled for me to go up. I took Kimberly’s hand to ascend, concerned about being separated in the current. Later, she said I was holding her tightly, as if I was afraid she would drift away. I was.
We did a three-minute safety stop, then surfaced at the 30-minute mark. I didn’t see E.G. though I expected her to be on the surface, because there was no way for Patricio and her to fight the current to get back with the group. I thought I heard a diver’s whistle, and told the other panga driver, who took off in that direction. I assumed it was E.G but I suppose it was Patricio, because the next time I saw that panga, he was in it -- and he looked worried.
As divers surfaced, I kept looking for E.G. She was young, slightly built and didn’t look strong enough to fight the current. With her training (I’m told she had taken a divemaster course and a rescue course), I figured she would simply go with the current and slowly ascend to the pangas, standard protocol when separated from your dive buddy. She had a diver’s flag designed to activate on the surface. We searched the surface for that flag for hours, both from the Aggressor and the pangas. At some point, I believe Patricio and Jamie dove from a panga to search for E.G. During that time, there was also an aerial search, along with many other boats and the Ecuadorian Coast Guard. I believe Jamie mentioned he was bent from his dive looking for E.G. He was clearly shaken.
At some point, he mentioned that it was nearly time for our planned afternoon land excursion. He seemed to be looking for direction about what to do. But how could we go about our vacation not knowing where a missing diver is, not knowing if she is bobbing in the water waiting to be picked up? We told him no.
So what could have prevented this tragedy? Keep in mind I am not a very experienced diver (150 dives over 10
years; 100 of them in the last six), but the following are my suggestions:
1. The dive briefing and the dive plan could have been much more detailed.
2. The divemaster should do what he can to keep the group from getting as spread out as we did.
3. We should not have gone beyond the 90-foot limit given in the topside briefing; we may have avoided the heavy current, as the other group of divers apparently did.
4. The Aggressor fleet - - in fact, any liveaboard based there - - should make it abundantly clear that Galapagos dives are for advanced divers only.
5. A diver should be physically fit and free from any medication influence that may affect diving in such challenging waters.
6. Buddies must stay together, in physical and visual proximity, in order to keep good communication.
7. The liveaboard should find an easier spot for the first full dive, allowing divers to get more comfortable with the environment, their buddy and their equipment.
8. The boat should provide satellite-locating devices on all dives.
9. Divers should carry an easily activated noise maker that’s clearly heard underwater.
years; 100 of them in the last six), but the following are my suggestions:
1. The dive briefing and the dive plan could have been much more detailed.
2. The divemaster should do what he can to keep the group from getting as spread out as we did.
3. We should not have gone beyond the 90-foot limit given in the topside briefing; we may have avoided the heavy current, as the other group of divers apparently did.
4. The Aggressor fleet - - in fact, any liveaboard based there - - should make it abundantly clear that Galapagos dives are for advanced divers only.
5. A diver should be physically fit and free from any medication influence that may affect diving in such challenging waters.
6. Buddies must stay together, in physical and visual proximity, in order to keep good communication.
7. The liveaboard should find an easier spot for the first full dive, allowing divers to get more comfortable with the environment, their buddy and their equipment.
8. The boat should provide satellite-locating devices on all dives.
9. Divers should carry an easily activated noise maker that’s clearly heard underwater.
John Bisnar lives in Irvine, CA, and is senior partner of the law firm Bisnar Chase. At the time of this dive, he had logged a little more than 150 dives, all from boats in relatively calm, warm waters and high visibility. This dive trip was his third with the Aggressor Fleet."
Original:
Death in the Galapagos
a fatal first dive that wasn’t fit for not-so-advanced divers"
from the May, 2010 issue of Undercurrent
a fatal first dive that wasn’t fit for not-so-advanced divers"
from the May, 2010 issue of Undercurrent
Poderiamos acrescentar mais uns pontos:
Os Mares e Ocenos por vezes pregam-nos "pequenas partidas". Por vezes correntes fortes podem surgir em locais menos habituais. Não é apenas nos destinos com esse cariz.
Locais com corrente, podem sofrer variações que só localmente se poderá avaliar pré-imersão.
Os mergulhadores que optam por este tipo de mergulho, deveriam todos ter a certificação de "Drift Diver" como pré-requisito para fazerem estes mergulhos.
Estar preparado para qualquer eventualidade é um curto mas importante lema que todos os Mergulhadores deveriam ter em mente.
Estar ciente das limitações pessoais, bem como do seu próprio estado físico e psicológico na altura de fazer mergulhos mais exigentes deverá ser o factor decisivo na Sua opção.
Pagou a saída, mas tem dúvidas se estará nesse dia à altura do desafio? As condições são um pouco mais "agrestes" do que estava à espera?
Mais vale, ter essa consciência, e decidir não mergulhar nesse dia, para que mais tarde possa fazer mais e mais mergulhos.
Pagou o mergulho e não o vai fazer? Da mesma forma que vai ao cinema e compra o bilhete, caso opte por não assitir à sessão por completo, só em casos excepcionais (se é que ainda existem) estarão dispostos a reembolsa-lo. Certamente será melhor perder alguns euros, do que a sua própria vida.
Nem sempre é possível prever com antecedência as condições exactas do local em concreto, nomeadamente por parte dos operadores locais, independentemente do grau de experiência que tenham; a Natureza mantém ainda os seus segredos. No entanto um bom profissional deverá obrigatóriamente de ter um "plano B", caso as condições reunidas não sejam as mínimas ideais, analisar o grupo que vai fazer o mergulho baseado sempre nos menos experientes que estão presentes independentemente de estarem na companhia do(s) seus instrutores ou não. Ser capaz também de aconselhar o cancelamento da saída caso as condições não sejam as apropriadas ou mesmo cancelar as actividades baseado no seu conhecimento local.
Faça os seus mergulhos preferêncialmente acompanhado(a) de um guia local com experência confirmada.
O seu instrutor é sem dúvida um bom conselheiro, mas em alguns locais, Você é que deverá ser capaz de analisar a competência e experiência de um bom Guia, já que, será ele(a) que conhecem a fundo o local.
Essa avaliação por vezes não é dificil de fazer; basta apenas fazer as perguntas certas no centro de mergulho para onde vai, as pessoas certas, recorrendo sempre a mais do que uma opinião.
O auto-didactismo, tem as suas limitações inerentes e lógicas.
Quando se pretende Avançar de facto, a formação deverá ser feita com um profissional com provas dadas e experiência confirmada no tipo especialidade que está a ministrar.
Tenha isso em mente, quando optar pela sua próxima formação.
