Scuba Diving Fatality - Galapagos - February 12, 2010 - E.G.
Written February 14, 2010 by John Bisnar
The first real dive of a scuba diving adventure for 14 divers aboard the Galapagos Aggressor II ended in the death of E.G., a 23-year-old kindergarten teacher from Galveston, Texas and New York.
Due to the numerous requests for more information about what happened and how E.G. died, the following account is provided. First, my deepest condolences to E.G.'s family and friends. I have no words that will alleviate your pain or give you back what you have lost. E.G. will, however, live in our hearts and memories. But for a twist of fate, both my wife, Kimberly and I could have been with E.G. today.
Second, E.G. was a teacher. Let's let her last act, that of succumbing to a sport that she loved, be a lesson for all of us, especially scuba divers. I ask, in E.G.'s name, as a tribute to her and in the hopes that we can learn from her tragedy, in the spirit of the lessons we learned from our own kindergarten teachers and dive instructors, to please, at the end of this article, in the comments section, add any insights you may have into what may have happened and how such tragedies may be prevented in the future.
On Thursday, February 11, 2010, in the baggage pick-up area of the San Cristóbal Island airport, Kimberly and I meet E.G., Denise Friou, dive masters Jamie, Patricio and the other ten divers on our adventure. E.G. and Denise immediately gravitated together, being the two unaccompanied women on the trip. They quickly discovered that they were both from Texas.
We were bused to the Galapagos Aggressor II and boarded immediately. After a short briefing, room assignments and luggage stowage, all of the passenger divers went into the water for a short "check-out" dive to test and familiarize ourselves with our equipment. The dive was less than 20 feet for about 20 minutes. E.G., as many of us did, struggled with finding the right amount of weight to carry for neutral buoyancy. We were in heavy wetsuits and high salt content water. All appeared fine.
Shortly after 6:30 am the next morning, February 12th, we had breakfast followed by a dive briefing by Jaime. Jaime explained the dive site and plan from a map drawn on a white board. The map indicated we were at the eastern most point of North Seymour Island. Among other instructions, Jamie instructed us that visibility was about 60 feet, not to go below 90 feet, there were currents going in different directions and we were not to stay down longer than an hour. He gave us some tips on surfacing safely around the pongas and how to get back into the pongas from the water. Kimberly and I were surprised at the brevity of the briefing, especially being our first actual dive of the trip.
We geared up and headed into the pongas in two groups of seven. E.G., Kimberly, four other divers and I were in the second ponga, along with the ponga driver and dive master, Patricio. I was surprised that there was no equipment or "air on" check by the dive masters before we headed into the pongas, which has been our experience on our two other Aggressor trips. At that point I wrongfully assumed we would do a dive plan briefing, safety check and "air on" check in the ponga, with Patricio before going in the water.
We traveled about 100 yards from the Aggressor to the dive spot. Patricio instructed us to push off backward into the water at the same time on his instruction, otherwise the ponga would be unstable and those still in the ponga would get tossed around. At that point Kimberly and I both recheck our regulators to be sure our air was on. On Patricio's command, we went off backwards into the water.
As soon as I was in, I located Kimberly and we gave each other the "OK" sign. I cleared my mask and rearranged my hood which was causing water to leak into my mask. Patricio and others were +/- 20 feet below and moving away. I am usually slower than most to equalize on early dives, so Kimberly and I were behind most of the group from the start but were descending much quicker than my usual in order to stay with the group being lead by Patricio. I do not know where E.G. was at that time. I was focused on descending safely and keeping close to my buddy, Kimberly.
My dive computer indicates the following dive time in minutes and depth in feet at that time: After one minute - 22 feet deep, 2 - 43, 3 - 52, 4 - 88, 5 - 98, 6 - 104, 7 - 103, 8 - 96, 9 - 89, 10 - 86, 11 - 85, 12 - 84, 13 - 79, 14 - 62, 15 - 54, 16 - 52, 17 - 48, 18 - 51, 19 - 49, 20 - 42, 21 - 35, 22 - 35, 23 - 33, 24 - 34, 25 - 44, 26 - 44, 27 - 29, 28 - 18, 29 - 16 and 30 - 14.
On the descent, Patricio was always lower and further out from the island than Kimberly and me. I was surprised when Patricio led us past 90 feet due to Jamie's previous instruction. At some point I remember struggling greatly against the current. My best estimate is that it was around the 3-5 minute mark based my computer's information. I was near hyper-ventilating and had to consciously slow myself down. I could see from Kimberly's body language that she was struggling as well. At about the nine minute mark, Patricio was closer to the island and was signaling to us to grab hold of the sloping bottom and hand over hand move up against the current. Kimberly and I were struggling against the current and neither of us had gotten comfortable in the water yet.
Kimberly said that during the time she was struggling, at the 3-7 minute mark, was the last time she saw E.G. who had been just behind her, toward deeper water. Neither of us remember seeing E.G. or Denise grabbing onto the sloping bottom. It is Kimberly's recollection that Denise was in front of her and me, while E.G. was behind Kimberly.
When Kimberly and I got control by hanging onto the rocks and moderating our breathing (about 10-15 minute mark based upon my dive computer), I started looking around to see where everyone else was. I didn't see E.G. Kimberly and I were well under 2000 psi of air at this point, which is a lot of air to have used so quickly.
What caused me to start looking for E.G. specifically, was that I saw what looked to me to be Denise and Patricio communicating about someone missing. It looked to me that Patricio communicated to Denise to stay put, hang on to the rocks with the rest of us and Patricio would go after E.G., which it appeared he did. This was about the 13-17 minute mark.
We moved up to watch a group of sharks circling in 35-50 feet of water. Kimberly eventually indicated she was low on air, as was I, at about the 23-24 minute mark. I signaled to Jamie that I was at 700 psi and he signaled for me to go up.
I moved down to Kimberly and took her hand to ascend, I was concerned about getting separated in the current as we left the rocks for open water. Kimberly said I was holding her very tightly like I was afraid she would drift away (I was). She said it was the first time in any of our dives that she was glad I was hanging onto her so tightly. Kimberly was also concerned that she would drift away in the current.
We did a three-minute safety stop and then surfaced at the 30 minute mark. I expected E.G. to already be surfaced, because I thought there was no way for Patricio and her to fight the current to get back with the group. While waiting for the others to come up we searched the surface for E.G. Both my wife and I thought we heard a diver's whistle and said so to the other ponga driver who took off in that direction. At that moment I assumed it was E.G., although we couldn't see anyone. Now I believe the whistle may have been Patricio because the next time I saw that ponga, Patricio was in it (although I am not certain he wasn't in the ponga before it went off in the direction of the whistle). I could see that he was worried.
As divers came up we kept looking for E.G. I have done only 150 dives but I had a bad feeling about E.G. when she didn't make it to the rocks. She was young and very slightly built. She did not look strong enough to fight the current the way we did. With her training (I am told she had done a dive master's course and a rescue course) I would have thought that she would have simply gone with the current and slowly ascended to the pongas after getting separated from us, which is standard protocol when getting separated from your dive buddy.
E.G. had a diver's flag designed to activate on the surface to make it easy to spot. We searched the surface for that flag for hours both from the Aggressor and from the pongas. At some point, separate from the Aggressor searching the surface, I believe that Patricio and Jamie dove from one of the pongas back down in the water to search for E.G., without success. During that time, there was also an aerial search. Many other boats and the Ecuadorian Coast Guard also joined the search. Later in the search I believe Jamie mentioned that he was "bent" from his dive looking for E.G. Jamie was clearly shaken.
At some point during the search, Jamie mentioned to a few of us that it was getting close to time to do our land excursion that was planned for the afternoon. I sensed that he was looking for feedback or some direction as to what to do. I told him, in no uncertain terms, we can't go on until E.G. is found. After all, how could someone go on about their vacation diving trip, not knowing where a missing diver is, not knowing if they are bobbing in the water, waiting to get picked up?
Eventually, after four plus hours of searching the surface, we returned to the original dive location. Denise Friou and Patricio went back into the water at the place E.G. was last seen with an extra tank (Nitrox) of air.
Denise told us they descended to the place E.G. was last seen and then rode the current to where it took them. At 150 feet Denise saw E.G. laying on the bottom at 168 feet. She said she was in somewhat of a fetal position, eyes closed, looking restful and calm, without a mask and the regulator out of her mouth. Denise said upon inspection after getting E.G. to the surface, there was 2000 psi of air in E.G.'s tank and she showed signs of downing although she didn't seem to have water in her lungs. She said she saw no signs of equipment failure or loss. Denise was not certain if E.G. had both her fins on when she was found but does know at least one of them came off during the ascent.
At this point the crew and other divers were in various states of shock. Most of us were feeling sick, for our stomachs had been in knots for hours. Ecuadorian officials came on board and questioned some but not all of us. They eventually took E.G. away.
At this point I don't know that there was anything more that could have been done to save E.G. after the 6-9 minute mark of the dive. It is my belief that she died in that time frame. My belief is based upon the time Kimberly last saw her and the amount of unused air in her tank. Everything after that time was in vain. I am so thankful that Denise found E.G.'s body. Otherwise we would still be haunted by the thought of E.G. waiting to be rescued and us not finding her. I am sure the family is better off having E.G.'s body recovered, so there are no doubts.
Jamie informed us that the owner of the Galapagos Aggressor I and II, Peter Orschel, would make accommodations for anyone who did not want to continue on the trip, including giving a credit to return at another time. Seven of us were interested, and I talked to Peter via the ship's cell phone. For various reasons, only three of us, Denise Friou, Kimberly, and I actually left the ship and headed home. Peter was very accommodating and seemed prepared to do anything he could for us. He appeared shaken and seemed to have been crying.
It didn't feel right to continue. We didn't feel like partying and having a good time vacationing. We didn't feel safe with the dive masters. We didn't feel that they prepared us for what were going to do and what we would encounter. This just may be our own inexperience, however.
Peter met us at the airport on Baltra Island. It seemed to us that he did everything he could for E.G.'s family and for the divers. Although we were bearing all the extra expenses to get back home, Peter's staff was a great help in making arrangements to get us back to Guayaquil.
At this point we have spent considerable time with Denise Friou. She is devastated and questioning herself for not doing more, and she is questioning her decision to follow Patricio's instruction to stay with the group while he searched for E.G. She has shared with us every detail of the fateful dive, the rescue dive and all its details, many times.
As I write this on February 14th, we have made it back to Guayaquil, Ecuador. We are standing by for a flight home. It happens to be high season for travel from Ecuador to the US, and it is difficult getting a seat and they are very expensive at the last minute, which is what deterred others from terminating their trip. I had been planning this trip for 30 years, and it was over in about 24 hours after arriving in Galapagos. We just could not continue on our vacation and enjoy ourselves after what had happened, knowing how E.G.'s family and friends must feel and thinking about a young girl, the age of our children, who had tragically lost her life.
We are experiencing nightly nightmares. That is one of the reasons I wanted to put this account in writing so that the bad dreams do not distort my recollection of what happened.
So what could have prevented this tragedy? The following are my suggestions. Keep in mind I am not a very experienced diver (150 dives over 10 years; 100 of them in the last six years). Please add whatever tips or observations you may have … it may save one of us.
1. The dive briefing could have been much more detailed as to what we would encounter and what the dive plan was.
2. Patricio could have descended slower to keep the group from getting as spread out as we did.
3. We could have not gone as deep and possibly avoided the heavy current as the first group of divers apparently did.
4. The Aggressor fleet should make it abundantly clear that the Galapagos dives are for advanced divers only.
5. Be physically fit and free from any medication influence that may affect diving in such challenging waters.
6. Stay with your buddy.
7. Find a considerably easier spot to do the first full dive allowing the divers to get more comfortable with the environment and their diving buddy.
8. Use satellite locating devices on all dives.
9. Carry an easily activated noise maker easily heard under water.
The following was emailed to me by a diver who had been on the Galapagos Aggressor II the week before our trip:
John,
Thank you very much for the details. I'd like to share my thoughts based on my week on the Aggressor, and I do not intend to judge anyone. There are always several reasons which lead to a disaster. I am a PADI Rescue diver and had 170 dives before entering the boat. My wife is PADI OWSI and has 200+ dives.
When we planned the vacation, we both of us were unsure if we had sufficient experience for the dive spots in Galapagos. However, we have been to many different places before in all kinds of equipment up to dry-suit diving in very cold water and with zero visibility.
The next step to mitigate risks was to stay in Puerto Baquerizo three days before embarking. So we already did a day of diving with Wreck Bay Divers to warm up after 6 months of inactivity and checked thoroughly how we got along with the new equipment pieces we bought for the trip.
Of course we were challenged by the strong current, too. Even my wife as an instructor aborted one dive because it was too much for her. But I had not expected from the guides to prepare us for that. The big fishes are where the currents are strong. So we expected really tough dives from the very beginning. And Patricio did a very good job to find the best ways to get through; Jaime's group often had more problems with the current than his.
What I want to say is: I would not recommend the trip to anyone with significantly less than 200 dives and some of it in stronger currents. The problem is: No one tells this to the people for business reasons. We had professionals among the guests with 4000+ dives, and they confirmed that the usual maximum requirement in ads is "50+" for difficult dives anywhere. This is definitely not sufficient.
And PADI & Co make it even worse when they certify people as dive masters or even instructors with 60 or 120 dives, as you said, most of them in lakes or swimming pools. My wife's instructor certification was worth nothing in the current at Darwin's Arch, where the current was so strong that it twisted our reef hooks. The only thing that counts is experience. And this cannot be provided by the dive guides. However, only few instructors I have seen so far tell their students bluntly about their current stage of capabilities and prevent them from overestimation. For the same reason -- the truth is bad for business.
It is a very sad story, and I understand your reaction to quit, as all vacation feeling was gone. But my feelings are not only with the girl and her buddy, but also with Patricio, who has now the hardest time ever. And I do not believe he is to blame.
Regards,
(Name withheld)
Comments
Thank you so much for the details of this tragedy. It is through detailed feedback of such incidents that we learn to prevent recurrences. I have only one additional suggestion, and that is to have two DMs, or a DM and an experienced guide, supervise each group under such conditions. One as leader and one following up the group. The follower is in a position to monitor stragglers and assist in emergencies. Conditions such as that described in the incident would almost make such a configuration mandatory. Don't forget, however, each diver has the primary responsibility for their own safety, so if you think two DMs should be required for a dive, don't hesitate to ask for it.
Posted by: Wayne Phillips | February 17, 2010 12:32 PM
Great suggestion Wayne. A following DM may have made all the difference in the world. Most operations may not have the extra DM. An alternative when a 2nd DM is not available may be to specifically and explicitly assigning the most experienced willing diver to be the following DM. I like this idea and will incorporate it on my future similiar dives.
Posted by: John Bisnar | February 17, 2010 12:47 PM
I am so sorry for the ones that E.G.'s tragedy has touched...both her family and loved ones, and those that knew her. As mentioned earlier, it's irony but hopefully a consolation that our community might learn and gain something from a teacher even posthumously.
I would like to make just TWO (2) points as a PADI Staff Instructor with almost 3,900 dives over 25 years as a certified diver. There are many potential points and some very good and pertinent ones were already identified earlier. These points distilled are: (1) Don’t run out/low on air, (2) Keep the regulator in your mouth (even in the event you run out of air.)
Let’s back up a little bit. It may seem morbid, but as a sports enthusiast that enjoys what many might consider “extreme” activities, I often review and study fatalities that occur in those activities. In the case of SCUBA diving, I review the DAN Annual Fatalities report. What helps me personally to feel more comfortable about diving is that the vast percentage of dive fatalities might be preventable. This also helps me teach as it allows me to focus on key areas that I know might prevent real-life accidents and tragedies among my students. One pattern I find and share with my students is that a very large number of fatalities are found with some “significant” amount of air remaining in their cylinders (whether it be 500psi or 2,000psi), mask removed, and regulator not in their mouths. These are fairly clear signs of panic and most likely the drowning that was the most direct cause of death, might have been prevented or at least delayed until a solution could be found. As a student many years ago, my mentor once told me to “Stop, Think, and Act.” The most critical life-saving measure is to be able to keep breathing while one sorts out their dilemma, so keep the regulator in your mouth and breath while you (pick the best answer: untangle yourself, establish positive buoyancy, alert your buddy, locate an alternative source of air, etc…)
Many of the other suggestions may prevent the proximate causes leading up to a serious event, but I believe the above 2 points might really help divers that find themselves unavoidably in these situations become more experienced divers and not victims.
I hope this was helpful and constructive.
Posted by: (Name Withheld) | February 17, 2010 1:03 PM
Thank you for posting this tragedy. My condolences go out to E.G.'s family and friends as well as to all those who were there and have to deal relive this experience. I am an experienced diver and it is common knowledge in the dive community that the Galapagos offers the opportunity for truly unforgetable encounters with large marine animals. It is also common knowledge that the diving is very challenging in terms of current and colder water temperatures. What saddens me further regarding this tragedy is that E.G. died alone. Our PADI training teaches us the importance of having a dive buddy. Buddies don't leave each other until there are both safely back on the boat--even if it means ending a dive with a full tank of air and missing a spectacular underwater experience. E.G. took a great risk in undertaking this dive locale in particular without the benefit of a dedicated and trustworthy buddy. Such a buddy may have saved her life. We know nothing about E.G.--her true experience and fitness level, whether she had underlying medical conditions or was taking medication. If she had been diving with a buddy, even if that buddy could not have saved her life, we would know more about what happened to her on that dive.
Posted by: kristen briggs | February 17, 2010 1:36 PM
A real tragedy. I would suggest doing some online research about typical dive conditions and experiences of other travelers before taking a dive holiday. And ask plenty of pointed questions of the DM PRIOR to getting in the water.
Posted by: Peter Smith | February 17, 2010 1:56 PM
Certainly this is a tragedy and many of us will benefit from reading these details. I have long criticized the current state of instruction, but will refrain from bashing any particular agency since most have comparable requirements for OW and AOW certification.
Confusing an "advanced" diver with an "experienced" diver may be a real problem. Most current instruction to the advanced level offers a very minimal experience and may often be conducted under the same conditions. In fact even a DM or instructor certification level may not provide a diver with suitable experience in terms of exposure to a wide range of diving conditions. In such cases the entire set of dives may occur in warm, clear tropical waters that offer little preparation for a dive location like the Galapagos.
I have dived for nearly 50 years now with thousands of dives under my weight belt in tropical to cold temperate waters. I'm not even sure I could handle the Galapagos due to a lack of recent conditioning and age.
I'd like to offer my condolences to the young victim's family and friends. Take some solace in knowing she died doing something she apparently loved.
Posted by: Dr. Bill Bushing | February 17, 2010 4:42 PM
This is absolutely a horrible thing to take place and my deepest sympathy go out to the family of E.G. and to those who endured the experience of her search and recovery. There is little that anyone can say to the family except that our hearts go out to them.
I have been on a number of dives throughout the world and in many cases the DM’s try to take groups on tours they routinely plot out. Conditions change, diver skill varies, and equipment differs making the same dive very different for each diver. If there is anything we can all take from this tragedy, it’s that no one knows better then we do what we’re comfortable with and what our skill level is.
I have been on dives where surge or current was heavy, but well within my skill level or the DM’s. Yet, the same conditions weren’t within the level of those in our group. On 1 occasion after 5 min in, I picked up position at the back of the pack and slowed the DM down with signals and pointed out the divers having problems. When we got to the boat they thanked me for slowing down the pace. I suggested they tell the DM that those types of conditions were more difficult than they expected so the DM could avoid similar conditions the next dive. The suggestion was followed through and everyone on the boat had better experiences. We should never “push” ourselves because other divers are showing no signs of difficulty. Every diver differs in experience and skill and in many cases, a title means very little as compared to the conditions they are familiar with. 1000’s of dives, instructors, DM’s, rescue divers, master divers, or any number of other titles or accolades mean very little if you lack experience in the conditions you are attempting to dive in. Be smart about your own skills and stay within your limits.
Again, my heart goes out to all those affected by this tragedy. Be safe.
Posted by: Erik | February 18, 2010 2:05 AM
Kimberly and John,
I am really sorry to hear about this tragedy and my heart goes out to this lady and to her family. It is a very sad story.
I sincerely hope that both of you will be able to cope with this and continue practicing such a wonderful sport.
After having read your report, what comes out is that this could have been very easily avoided (as are most accidents) . It is clear that the # 1 rule of buddy diving was put aside. In all conditions and especially in difficult ones, you must be very close to each other. The poor girl was behind you guys and her buddy in front of you! When her problem happened she was all alone behind everybody and no one saw it. As you say a Dive Alert ( that loud underwater horn) might have helped, but still. Kimberly was hanging on for dear life to you and I know that Elaine would have been doing the same with me. I always get on Elaine's case when she stays back or out of close range even on easy calm dives like in Belize. You can drown in 10 ft of water. You guys stayed close and you relied on each other as buddies should. Those two ladies should have been close together for all the reasons I do not need to enumerate.
Another unusual fact is that, from what you say, they only had one guide in the water. I find this odd especially on a first dive were people can be "rusted" and totally unfamiliar with the conditions. When we dove the atoll passes in French Polynesia they had 4 guides in the water with the group! 2 leading and 2 behind. The first pass dive was a total mess as people (even though thoroughly briefed) had no idea of what was coming. The subsequent dives all went well as people now knew what to expect. There is no substitute for experience but, at the end of the day, basic training and safety principles should always be observed.
It is the same for every activity. My other passion, as you know, is flying. It is very similar in many ways to scuba diving as you operate in a different dimension. Safety is of primary importance and it starts by not making any compromises on any of the basic principles.
I thank you for sharing this traumatic experience with us and believe we can all learn form this very sad and unfortunate tragedy.
I sincerely hope we can dive again together some day.
Posted by: Patrick Vinet | February 18, 2010 9:02 AM
E.G. - You will always be in our hearts and minds. We love you and miss you.
Posted by: Anonymous | February 18, 2010 10:01 AM
Condolences to the family and friends. A terrible, preventable tragedy.
Several things to note regarding your write-ups:
1. No one is responsible for your safety as a diver except YOU. That's a conerstone of safe diving.
2. No one is responsible for a "safety check" (aka a pre-dive BUDDY check) and ensuring your air is on... except YOU.
3. If, after 150+ dives under your belt, you're still "struggling" with proper weighting issues (or don't know how to do it for a new area/gear), I suggest re-taking your beginner course or at the very least taking a refresher course. For safety's sake.
As per your request for suggestions:
Visialization and practice of skills during regular dives. Two methods that can save lives.
Visualization: I close my eyes as I stand at my de-gearing spot (after I've completed a dive) with my gear still on. I pretend, in my minds eye, that I'm still underwater and in a spot of trouble. So much trouble, in fact, that I need to ditch my weights. Then, as I'm standing there with my eyes shut, I pull both my weight pouches out and drop them (if I'm on grass) or place them gently on the deck (if I'm on a boat). This produces, if done often enough, a phenomena known as "muscle memory". Really.
Practice: Agree with a buddy, ahead of the dive, that you'll both practice some open water skills with each other during the dive. Air sharing, mask clear, CESA, etc.
Most of the skills taught in open water class and beyond are for when things go wrong. When things DO go wrong for you, do you really want the last time you practiced those skills to have been years ago in your o/w class?
Stay safe, stay with your buddy, manage your gas well, and take personal responsibility for everything you do as a diver.
Bill Powers
Posted by: Bill Powers | February 18, 2010 10:20 AM
I’ll add to John’s note, a few insights that may help in consideration for diving safety. First off, E.G. and I were not as far as part as these comments are beginning to allude towards and it does concern me that it is becoming portrayed that way.
During our first checkout dive the day before the accident, E.G. assembled all her equipment properly and seemed very comfortable with the gear. She had a new Suunto Gekko dive computer and asked the gentleman sitting next to her on the dive bench about the controls. He was the most experienced diver on the boat and probably the one I would have also asked for advice about setting up the computer. When we started the dive, she did have to go back to the boat for more weight but then signaled she was ok and ready for the dive. Nothing was remarkable about that first dive except I did not prefer E.G.’s dive pattern which was to swim directly behind me. When we got back to the boat, I asked her how she felt about the dive. Except for getting her weights right, she thought the dive was too easy and boring. I mentioned it was difficult for me that she followed directly behind me. I couldn’t signal to her and visa versa in that position. She stated she felt better diving right behind me. I replied that it would be more helpful for me if she felt she needed to stay behind, that she be to one side or the other, instead of directly behind me.
When we entered the water on the second dive, we were in the last group of the divers to descend from the boat roll. After she got situated, I asked if she was ok and she signaled she was. When we turned to join the dive group, they were already heading down and we joined the end of the group.
Based on the conversation from the previous day, it did not surprise me that E.G. stayed behind me but she did also stay more to the right of me as I had asked.
During the next section of the dive, it was like a drift dive with the current behind us so not much kicking was needed. E.G. had moved more right out towards the outside of the group and I slowed to keep my drift dive speed close to hers. I signaled again if she was ok and she responded she was.
When we came to the area where we had to turn left and head directly into the current, I fought to get down to the rocks. Most of the other divers were doing the same. When I turned back, I couldn’t see E.G.. I did see Kimberly behind me struggling to fight the current because she had not dropped to the bottom to grab the rocks. I released my hold on the rocks and the current carried me to the last rock that I could grab and further back towards Kimberly. I still could not see E.G.and I couldn’t tell if she was behind Kimberly, blocked from my view.
I communicated to Patricio that I was leaving the group and heading out to catch up with E.G. He instructed me not to go. I considered defying him because I knew I was a capable diver and I was closer to where she was than he. He instead went to go get her and instructed me to stay with the first group.
Everything else in John’s article is as close of an accurate account except that E.G. did not take the divemaster course.
Posted by: Denise | February 18, 2010 3:06 PM
John,
I'm happy you decided to end your Galapagos trip. It was the right decision and not just out of respect for E.G.
As Patrick said, you were safe because you and Kimberly stayed together. You are responsible for yourself and your buddy. When I saw you dive in Belize, you guys had that mastered on your own.
It's been my experience that a diver must take charge of their own safety and never rely on divemasters. Think of divemasters as local fishing guides who can give you information about the local conditions, and what to expect. Having just met you, they can't possibly know your skill level, or what might constitute a dangerous situation for you. Even the best divemaster cannot keep you completely safe. Unfortunately, the whole PADI/safety briefing system makes us believe that these guys are some kind of life guard force that are there to keep us safe.
My personal philosophy (after almost being swept out to sea) is to never trust or follow a divemaster unless they are going someplace where my buddy and I want to go, AND we are in no danger by following.
Without an eye witness to E.G.'s last moments, there is really no way to tell how she died or if it could have been prevented. One possibility would be that while she was swimming hard against the current to stay with or get back to the group, she was overcome with panic and drowned. I know from experience that swimming hard at ~100 feet in heavy neoprene can make breathing through a regular seem like sucking air from a straw. If her buddy had been with her to help her stay calm, or if she had just realized that she should stop swimming and do a controlled, drifting ascent, then perhaps she would have survived. Divers in my area train to overcome this exact emergency in the river and I firmly believe that you should always be learning how to save yourself.
I also agree with the 'name withheld' guy who added the letter to you blog. Aggressor should post a warning on the Galapagos page that tells prospective customers that the dives are challenging and that they need to be trained, experienced and fit. If Galapagos dives were rated like a ski run they would be double-black diamonds for sure and the diving public should know that.
Finally, I'm glad you didn't decide to give up diving. It is a fantastic sport and what happened to E.G. is very rare.
Posted by: Art Richmond | February 18, 2010 11:15 PM
Dear John and co writers
Thanx for your vivid account of what has happend and my condolances with every one affected. Firstly, please pardon my english. It is my not my first language.
I am a PADI Master Scuba diver trainer in South Africa with more that a 1000 dives, many certifications and a wide exposure to different diving conditions in fast current and rough seas in South Africa and other parts of the world
Kindly allow me to mention a few points that might just help prevent a recurrence of this kind of tradegy.
1) Acknowledge the fact that there is a difference between logic and common sence. Your DM might be blessed with logic (most people are, but common sence is a scarce commodity)
Example:
DM Logic say.... get to the reef fast as to steady the group.
DM Common sence should say.... Do not decent to fast as the biggest killer on deep dives is nitrogen narcosis and this will impact negatively on your divers.
Example:
DM Logic "My goal is the reef and I must lead the group to the reef quikly, no matter what...
DM common sence should say... The current is pulling away from the reef.... lets rather drift with the current and do a open water Deep Blue and look at the game fish. I did warn the divers before the dive about this possibility
Example:
Diver logic say: ... Follow the DM, no matter what... even if he swim against the current.... Diver common sence should say:... I am not supose to break a sweat on any dive.... I will not chase after the insane DM... I will rather abandon this dive to dive tomorrow again when conditions is better... and after I have talked to the DM about swimming agains the current.
2) John,.. from reading your good account of events... kindly allow me to summarise a possible cronologic account in E.G. world of the illfated dive. I am sure you will spot the unacceptables
a) Insufficiant boat briefing and buddy checks
b) Possible unfamilliar backward roll
c) Induced time pressure Stress
d) Fast decent (DM should have wait at 15ft or 20 ft on a boye line until every diver has joined the dive group and settled and Donned before venture deeper)
e) She battle to keep up with Group
f) Onset of hyperventilating
g) She probably decent in Bubble streems of divers below her
h) That can cause onsent of Vertigo (bubbles that goes up make you believe that you decent very fast and cause disorientation)
I) Time and enviroment Stress + Hyperventilating + Vertigo + Fast rate of Decent + Lack of fixed Boye Line (Point of referance and guide)+ effect at depth WILL cause Definate Nitrogen Narcosis
j) Her focus was on getting and staying with the group and not the condition of her own body
k) She missed the internal warning signals
l) Onset of sever Nitrogen Narcosis severly impair the brain prosessing ability. (Every thing will start to spin very fast around her)
m) Nitrogen Narcosis goes hand in Hand with Sever panic
n) Subconsience mind take control from the concience mind
o) desprate panic desire to free herself from the water enviroment
p) She is most probaly Over weigthed due to advice from Check-out dive
q) Due to dept she is totally negative boyend unable to inflate properly and regain neutral or positive Boyency
r)Any Efforts to try to gain positive boyence will naturally cause her to try to fin up, causing massive workload at depth and further hyperventilation and Narcosis and CO2 overload
s) Situation totally outside of her severly impaired mental status to deal with the situation (Golden Rule of STOP, THINK , ACT... Just do not work any more due to her impared menatal status)
t) subconsciouse panic cause her to pull of her mask and spit out her regulator in order to try to free/save herself
u) First Water inhaled, cause larn spasm which blok water and air into enter into the lungs, causing her to suffocate (Also called dry drowning)
v) She very quikly lost consciouness due to lack of oxygen on her overworked and mentally impaired narcotic brain.
QUESTION:
Where was the DM when all of this happend ( And please... do not ask me where was the Buddy,... she was to busy trying to keep up with the DM) Ultimately, it is the DM responsibility to lead the dive in such a manner that the safety of the group is not been compromised!!!
Points that I will like to emphasize:
1) Do propper briefing before deep and deeper dives and be aware about the dangers of Nirtogen Narcosis
2) Be warned: Fast decents on deep dives expecially in limited and Bad vis conditions WILL lead to Vertigo, Induced Stress and workload witch will enhance and accelarate the effect of Nitrogen Narcosis.
3) Always dive deep dives with a Boye Line... DM's.. Your clients life's might just be saved by it.. expecially in strong currents... it gives them the option to bail out from the dive without resulting fear of getting lost in the current. It is their mental connection with the real world above.
I have been in a severly nitrogen narcosis situation on 155 feet and do speak from personal experience. My mental capability was so impared by the nitrogen narcosis that it was difficult to process the the simple action of hand over hand on the boye line till I reached 90 feet. And I don't get stressed easely. If you add currents and stress, you can form the picture for your selves.
It was only the boye line that saved me from a possible dire situation.
If your DM do not have a boye line, make sure that you carry your own with a infatable sousage
I trust that the little insight that I have shared might help some reader/ diver in future.
Rule nr 2... never hesitate to abandon any dive.... Tomorrow is another day to dive again
Safe diving and Godbless
Posted by: Eric Venter | February 19, 2010 4:41 AM
John,
I wanted to express my thanks for posting your blog and creating a venue for the circumstances behind this tragedy to be shared. As a new diver, I found myself needing to know how and why this occured, primarily (and perhaps selfishly) out of a need to ensure I don't find myself facing the same experience. The thoughts, advice, and life experience shared by those who have posted to your blog have served to open my eyes a little wider on the sport of diving. I believe diving is a sport of managed risk, as are many activities in our daily lives. It is truly unfortunate that it also carries with it a substantially lower tolerance for error.
Sharing your experience has made me a better diver, and for this I thank you.
Posted by: Rob | February 19, 2010 9:20 AM
This is a terrible tragedy, but unfortunately not especially unique, and is related to the idea that "The dive-master can keep me safe".
Unfortunately, the truth is that nobody can "keep you safe" in Open Water if they have any other responsibilities besides “you”. Even more unfortunately, many dive operations base their business on implying that “You'll be safe because a DM is in the water with you”.
All divers need to be trained to be self-sufficient for the expected conditions and have a similarly trained buddy. This allows both buddies to be assist each other, since even a well trained, well intentioned DM is physically incapable of handling (or even detecting) problems in divers that are much farther away than “grabbing distance.”
In fact, I believe that the presence of a DM in the water encourages divers to take risks they normally wouldn't, because they believe that the presence of a DM means that the dive is safe. How many of these participants would have even entered the water, if the boat simply stopped in the middle of the ocean, and the DM said “The bottom is at xxx feet, and there are strong currents that may unexpectedly change directions. please don't exceed your no-decompression limit and return to the boat before you're out of gas. I'll be staying on the boat, have a nice dive.”? I'm thinking "Not many."
Posted by: Terry Carmen | February 20, 2010 1:19 PM
We were on another ship in the area when the accident occured. Truly tragic and our entire group was saddened knowning nothing except a diver was lost. Because of your blog, we now know the entire story and thank you. Sincere sympathy to the family, friends, and all of you who were there first hand. I can't imagine your sorrow, as we felt it on the boat Integrity, and had very little information. God bless all in thier grief.
Posted by: Bonnie Falk | February 23, 2010 6:50 AM
Thank you for writing this very painful account. We were aboard the Integrity which was anchored near Aggressor. Our snorkeling group joined the search from the ponga as Integrity circled the area.
Our group felt your grief and supported all of you with our thoughts and prayers.
Posted by: Lucy Silvester | February 23, 2010 12:13 PM
John,
What a disturbing and painful experience. I agree with your evaluation of the situations leading up to the death of your diving companion. I am not a diver but I believe the buddy system works in all situations. No one is left alone or left behind. My prayers are with you and with E.G.'s family.
Posted by: susan aguilar | February 26, 2010 12:17 PM
Condolences to EG's family and commiserations to everyone who was involved in this tragedy.
I was on the Aggressor 11 in Dec 2009. My thoughts were that 2 DMs were not enough, especially when one of them was more focused in videographing the dive (vs
keeping an eye on the group).
I understand that every diver is ultimately responsible for their own safety. But if a DM sees that one of his clients was in trouble (provided his attention was not somewhere else like videographing the marine life) then he could have intervened and averted the crisis.
Posted by: tessa | April 6, 2010 9:07 PM
I have just been made aware of this tragedy by the article in Undercurrent. Reading the postings I see and agree that most writers have emphasized the importance of each diver and buddy team being responsible for its own safety. What I wish to emphasize is that my experience has been that the Galapagos Aggressors I & II are among the finest live-aboards one can find. I am an experienced, not an advanced diver, having 500+- dives.My expertise is 40 or so dives a year, common sense and keen awareness of safety. I dove the Galapagos Aggressor 2 years ago, fought strong current, for the first time wore 6 ml wet suit, heavy weights, cold water, at times felt a bit insecure BUT HAD THE DIVE TRIP OF A LIFETIME! Why? The answer is my buddy and I were always there to help each other,we carried redundant calling devices and always made sure we knew where the dive master was. IN ESSENCE I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR MYSELF! Several writers seemed to admonish the owners for not warning divers about required credentials for diving Galapagos. Well here are my credentials-Open Water! Oh by the way when I did this trip I was 68 years old, recently had a hip replaced, am 5'5" (which made getting back into the panga a bitch) and weigh 145 pounds. So much for needing to be an Iron Man!
This young woman's death was absolutely heart breaking. But let those who are experts sort out the reasons for her demise. Sorry John, you and I just don't have the credentials to even speculate.
I agree that your piece has valid points about agencies allowing accreditation of dive master and instructor to people with minimal skill and experience but on the other hand I think you, a recreational diver a diver with minimal experience is taking unfair shots at a crew of hard working decent professionals.
I hope you will allow this posting.
Posted by: Irv Tannenbaum | May 5, 2010 6:32 PM
My condolences to all involved. I worked as a DM in strong currents in South Africa and off Tanzania, and have dealt with panicking divers on several occasions, all when diving as a guest, buddied up with someone i didn't know.
I'd like to make a couple of points.
Swimming into currents makes no sense to me, with the exception of doing so for a couple of metres to get around a corner or into a current-free gully for example.
I'd never plan to dive into a current, and if I find myself swimming into one for more than a short distance, then I turn the group around and go with it. If I'm not leading the dive but one of the group I suggest turning round to the dive leader. I always have a surface marker buoy (aka safety sausage) and a reel with me. Should the dive leader not be inclined to turn around, my buddy and I can ascend and do our safety stop whilst the boat skipper knows where we are, even if we are then moving in a direction opposite to the DM.
It makes no sense to battle into a current, using up air. If i want to get out of breath I go running and do so at least four times a week and recently ran a sub-hour marathon on a warm day three days before my 38th birthday, so it's not because I can't. it's because it makes no sense.
Swimming into a current is hard work at any depth, but below 70-odd foot increases the likelihood of nitrogen narcosis. From what I have witnessed, near-panicking divers, breathing fast and hard, get the feeling that they cannot get enough air in, and paradoxically want to take out their regulator or/and reach for the magic "up" button on their BCD to bolt to the surface.
Combined with potential nitrogen narcosis a diver is unlikely to make the correct choices in this situation. In the instances where I have seen this i was close to the near-panicking diver in need of assistance, and did what I had been taught. I established visual and physical and contact, checking and stabilising neutral buoyancy if needed, and calmed them down enough to make them understand we were going to ascend slowly together. In two of the three cases, once we had reached 18 metres, they felt comfortable again and wanted to continue the dive at this depth, slightly above the group. In the third instance we went up to five metres, did our safety stop (I wanted them to feel they had finished the dive properly and in control), and had a chat on the boat. One surface interval later, they were back in the water.
PADI does have its drawbacks, as any large association will, and in my experience does allow dive centres to produce dive leaders who are not fit to lead dives safely and divers who would not be confident enough to dive without a DM, but the training I received during my Rescue and DM courses most definitely helped the near-panicking divers I have come across.
If two divers in a buddy pair are struggling to reach a certain point, and needing to pull yourself hand over hand on rocks has got to be deemed as struggling, then they cannot look out for each other, and the diver to the rear cannot be seen by the diver in front.
Unfortunately divers following a dive guide or other divers when they feel outside their limits has nothing to do with training, whatever agency method is used. I guess it's part of human nature to not want to pull-out when others are managing.
Regarding pre-dive safety checks, I do not understand why people are so hesitant to do them themselves. As a dive leader I always go through them for the whole group, even if it is the umpteenth time that we are diving together. As a group member, I always do them with my buddy.
I don't think that the dangers involved in diving are emphasised enough to divers, because saying "people regularly die during recreational diving" is deemed not good for business. it's nearly always the result of diver error. Even in the event of equipment failure, your buddy should be able to help you.
I sincerely hope that E.G's family and friends find solace, I lost my brother to a drunk driver when I was boy and I know it takes a long time. My feelings go out to them. I also hope that the other divers involved continue diving. When training is heeded and applied, diving is an amazing experience, relaxing, and wonderous, occasionally exhilerating.
Posted by: Christopher | May 23, 2010 3:49 PM
In reading the account originally posted I see several red flags:
1. This diver was most likely overwieghted as mentioned she had difficulty with bouyancy on the check out dives. This diver was obviously an inexperienced diver
2. She was diving nitrox and was found at 168 feet with 2000psi in her tank. That is a good possibilty she suffered an oxygen toxicity hit and went uncouncious. Being overweighted she sank to the bottom.
3. Even if she was a "divemaster" that does not qualify to dive "expert" conditions such as what is encountered in the Galapagos. Current leadership courses do not teach current contigency situations. Agencies issue "feel good" certifications all too often. Certifications today are given out, not "earned".
4. One cannot should not ever depend on a divemaster for their safety. I have run into too many that are absolutely useless.
Self sufficiency is paramount. And that comes with time and experience.
Posted by: Chuck | July 6, 2010 10:47 AM
Two points:
1. There is a huge difference between diving in a 'buddy' system and 'pairing-up to even the numbers'. Single divers on a boat usually fall into the second group. I feel most couples do too.
2. Few travelling divers experience the extreme change of bouyancy found in deep, cold water diving. A diver needing 18-21 lbs. for neutrality at the surface, becomes 12-14 lbs. negative at 99 feet. (In warm water - with less wetsuit - the same diver would start with 6-9 lbs. and be only 3-6 lbs. negative at depth.)
My sympathies to all who have suffered from this accident.
Posted by: Pat Ryan | October 15, 2010 12:27 PM