Posted by Eric Sedletzky on April 03, 2001 at 22:27:46:
I went diving Sunday at Ft. Ross. Man what a zoo! I would say there was easily 100 divers out there just in the time I was there. Some were leaving and more were coming in. The parking lot was jambed with people circling to find a spot. I would make an estimate that at least 1000 Abs were taken out of Ft.Ross cove alone that day! It looked to me that there were more experienced divers out than newbies. But, just north about a 1/4 mile up the coast, at 10:30 AM I watched the chopper trying to hover over the cliff in 35 knot gust winds. Turns out the guy who died was only wearing a 3 mil shorty, no gloves, no hood, and no fins. This guy was not a diver, he was a rock picker that became hypothermic, lost all power to his muscles and was unable to get back in. Compounded by the fact that his friends left him out there, so when he got frozen and was helpless, no one was there for him. His so called "friends" should never have even let him go in. I think he hit his head after he was unconscious, (that is only my assumption). Obviously this man had never been in the ocean up here to know that there's no way you will survive in 44 degree water with no equipment... unless your Crazy Abalone Al, but I'll leave that story for another day.
Anybody wanna buy a 3 mil shorty... cheap!
Dive smart