Posted by msblucow on January 10, 2001 at 20:08:17:
In Reply to: Re: Mia Jean Tegner, 53; marine biologist posted by Cormerant on January 10, 2001 at 17:54:15:
I just pulled this off of rec.scuba. It's from the victim's husband. How sad:
Eric Hanauer's letter in the San Diego Union-Tribune for Wednesday, January 10, 2001 (quoted in full) --
"Mia Tegner's family and I, her husband, appreciate the sensitive, accurate way the Union-Tribune has handled the story of her career and her fatal accident. I would like to offer just one correction:"
"Although the rest of us on that day were diving recreationally, Mia was working. She was doing a survey of fish on the wrecks for a new project on artificial-reef communities. Her slate is filled with notes. It is not unusual for scientists to dive alone doing these types of surveys, because visibility is very poor and another diver tends to spook more fish. In the typically poor visibility off San Diego, research divers doing such surveys often don't see their buddies during the course of a dive."
"Mia was diving the way she had done thousands of times before. Although we may never know what really happened,I think she was so engrossed in her work that she didn't check her air and ran out, having to make a rapid ascent."
"Sometimes we get so comfortable underwater that we forget we are riding a tiger."