Posted by MHK on August 08, 2000 at 14:39:56:
There has been a lot of discussion on this board lately about it being a diver's right to kill themselves, etc. etc.. I have argued that there are other's involved, and the effects to these people are also of consequence.
For purposes of this post let's agree to disagree on the points respecting the Yukon. I have snipped several quotes from the Ottawa Sun Times that relate to a death there over the weekend. Hopefully this will highlight my point:Ed Iversen, of the U.S. Coast Guard, was with the rescue team when the body of a 37-year-old Canadian man was recovered by the divers.
"I was here on the dock when they arrived," said another diver, who wouldn't reveal his name. "The Coast Guard were pounding on his chest and seemed to keep him going for about 10 minutes. But he was really purple and you knew that time was against him at that point."
My suggestions respecting the Yukon are with these thoughts in mind. I'm surprised that there is such resistance to these recomendations and hope that it doesn't take a loss of life to jump start some of these recomendations. Pro active involvement from the dive community is what should prevail, not overbearing govt. intervention as a result of loss of lives.
Later, you know where I stand.
"There were a lot of women and children around," Iversen said. "I'd say 50, at least. A terrible thing to witness, it really was."
"He was foaming at the mouth and we didn't have any vitals at that time," Iversen said. "The other divers were very distraught that it was happening, so we were just trying to comfort them and work on the others."