Posted by seahunt on February 08, 2002 at 10:36:48:
In Reply to: Quiz time posted by Chris K on February 07, 2002 at 23:08:18:
Hard to believe. Didn't we have the same situation at Farnsworth
recently? Didn't some people fail to try to stop or at least warn
him, that should have known better?
At the same time, this is perhaps worse. It wasn't diving the Doria
that killed him. It wasn't that he was a newbie on one of the most
challenging dives there is. It wasn't that they taught trimix diving
to a newbie. It was his health. It sounds like the same thing could
have happened at Catalina with a bit of current.
He had clear warnings that he was having health problems. I can say
that, because I'm about that age, more experinced, in better health
and I have placed far more limitations on my diving than
that.
It sounds like Joe Jackson blew it big time, repeatedly. Did he at
least say something like "well, you can dive it, but I'd advise against
it". Just the visible health problems should have scared him
silly.
While this case sounds to me like it should have been preventable, I
can see that some are not. I had a buddy who was a super enthusiastic
diver. He worked at a shop. Had all the latest gear. Dove constantly.
Officer in his dive club. Highly respected diver. What never changed
was that he was an accident waiting to happen. He almost speared me a
couple of times and there were a lot of other things that showed he
was just stupid, but he looked like a good diver. They eventually found
him on the bottom and after three days in a chamber, told him not to
dive anymore. I don't think that there is any law that is going to
save a person from themself. Looking at Mr. Murley's history of dive
certifications, he looks like one of these super enthusiastic divers.
That's a problem. He may have looked like a far better diver than he
was. So, even though he was quite inexperienced, his health problems
may have been the only visible red flag. Actually, I think they should
have been enough.
One time I had a problem under water. I was going down the anchor
line in a very heavy current. I came to some other divers descending
slowly, so I went under the anchor line upside down. I ganked my ear
some, so I skipped the next dive just to insure that I was completely
OK and composed. This guy had huge problems and it didn't seem to
phase him
I was on the Peace for a 2 day on New Years. Dee and I split a small
bottle of CC. Next day,I skipped the first dive (very unusual for me)
on GP, though I felt well enough. MIke Roach requested that Dee not
make the first dive, though she seemed well enough. I doubt very much
that she ever held that against anyone.
It sounds like no one spoke up and someone should have. Did anyone
ask the basic question? Should you make this dive.
I'm afraid they bombed that quiz.
Take care, seahunt
.
I have to wonder what my BMI would be? But then I'm always off the size
charts anyway. Charts are not made for people with size 15 feet.