Mary at Table Rock Dam, the first break...
Just after we went down here, I saw 2 divers coming up from deep as they had full wetsuits on. 10 feet deep. The one on the right had his face planted in the rock wall. I signalled the other, looking at me, "are you ok?" He signalled "I am OK" I signalled "what's wrong with him?" He advised "I don't know"
The diver with his face to the wall came up fast and stopped and looked at me, took his 2nd stage out of his face and signalled "I am out of air, help!!" I reached for my Octopus as did his buddy, then, knowing we were only 10 or less feet from the surface, motioned to the top, "Go Up Fast!" We did. Surfaced. His face was red and he was gasping for air, but ok. He said he came up the wall way too fast and was afraid he was in trouble. He calmed down and (I hope) realized he did not come up too fast.
Mary said the young diver (buddy) with him was his Divemaster. Uh huh. I think the 2 should take basic over again.
During training several years ago in swift water recovery of bodies, vehicles and planes, and crime scene evidence with Dr. Lee Somers (one of the founders of PADI) in St. Louis, we studied 34 diver deaths where there should not have been any accident. In 90% of the deaths, we learned that it was
panic that killed the divers. Might have been Nitrogen Narcosis.
Don't panic, just come up 60 feet a minute, or, better yet, don't go that deep in the first place.
My scuba Babe
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