Posted by MHK on June 27, 2001 at 11:36:39:
In Reply to: Tom Mount's report on Garrett's death posted by MHK on June 27, 2001 at 10:44:10:
Here's my problem with this analysis by Tom.. It cover's his ass about the CCR's but doesn't address the multiplicity of problems that could have prevented the fatality...
Do you see any discussion of support diver's??? You get a support diver who isn't in deco to meet the team at 100' and it's likely he/she can help and clearly can prevent him from surfacing from 60'...
Where the hell was the topside support team??? Why are they relying on * a person at the surface who came to help*???
Why are they doing 60 minutes of deco from 60' when they were only at 300' for 5 minutes...
More importantly why do a 5 minute bounce dive to 300', the whole plan from the start was a mess...
Knowing deco theory and gradients is very important in this kind of diving and as one of the top IANTD instructors you have to wonder why he would not have descended again once he got the drysuit problem worked out.. Usual tech diving protocol suggests that if you surface and blew off deco and you can get back down to your deco stops in less than 3 - 5 minutes you should complete in water deco.. I know Claudia very well and I know she knows this.. I know first hand because 3 years ago I was on a boat with her and she ran OOA and bolted to the surface after a 100' dive on the Chaudeire'.. I was at 20' and saw what was going on and got her to grab a tank and I went back with her to 20' while she completed her deco.. We discussed in great depth afterwards omitted deco protocols...
The real disappointing concern I have with the accident anaylsis from Tom is that is doesn't address the very findamental and basic pre-dive planning.. You don't do a dive to 300' in this ad hoc haphazard fashion..
Support diver's may very well have saved this guys life...
Later