Basic HTML Version
54
|
SUMMER 2012
RESEARCH, EDUCATION & MEDICINE
//
I N C I D E N T I N S I G H T
The diver
My daughter, who in this article will be referred to as Claire,
was a 25-year-old planning dives on the West Coast. The
dives would be her first since she completed her open-water
certification two months earlier. She contacted the shop that
certified her; they told her about an upcoming charter and
assured her the dives would be within her ability. When she
asked about a dive buddy, she was told she would be paired
up on the boat. She mentioned that all her training dives had
been from shore and that this would be her first boat dive.
She was told a dive professional would be onboard to assist
her, and she decided to join the trip.
The dive
On the way to the dive site, Claire was introduced to her
buddy, who will be called Jake. He had done 18 dives in
his lifetime and had not been diving in more than a year.
Almost all his previous dives were in the Caribbean.
As the boat approached the dive site, both divers expressed
reservations when they learned the dive instructor onboard
would be training a student rather than diving with them. They
were told not to worry and that everything would be fine.
Jake had difficulty setting up his equipment and told the
instructor his rental BCD was too tight, which made it hard
for him to breathe. Once in the water, Claire was unable to
You’ll Be OK
B y t h E M o t h E R o f a d E c E a S E d d i v E R
S T E P H E N F R I N K