Yesterday, we featured a short video discussing Yuri Lipski, a diver who died in Egypt's Blue Hole in 2000. Naturally, YouTube has some other clips concerning Lipski's death. In the first video, there is additional commentary (not in English) and additional footage, including some of Lipski's body on the sea floor, his BC unstrapped but not removed -- as if he had been trying to wriggle out of it. The second video, much shorter, is a close-up. It *appears* to me that the second clip is also of Lipski, but I may be wrong.
Warning: these videos are graphic, particularly the second. You've been warned.
Fatal Accident Caught on Tape, Update
Fatal Diving Accident Caught on Tape
In 2000, Yuri Lipski died while scuba diving in Egypt's famous "Blue Hole." During his dive, Lipski had a video camera strapped to his head. This 5-minute clip shows portions of Lipski's final moments, as well as some analysis of the tragic end provided by specialists. Don't expect to be amazed by the level of analysis -- in my opinion, they seem far too emotional and engaged in the clip to be objective -- though they do help clarify what's going on on screen.
Of course, it's a bit morbid to watch a person's final moments. Hopefully, though, divers can use the footage to help protect themselves against similar accidents.
Cures From Coral
Anybody who knows anything about the ocean knows there are countless predators down there. While they may not be predator-ing on humans, they're certainly going after other marine organisms, many of which are sedentary. These sedentary animals, like anemones for instance, rely on powerful toxins for defense. In recent years, research has shown that in addition to defeating hungry sea creatures, potent chemicals extracted from undersea organisms may be used to help humans defeat disease. Over the years, one such researcher, William Fenical, has been very successful at bioprospecting, or looking for chemicals underwater. For example, he's found:- Pseudopterosin, an anti-inflammatory chemical found in the sea-whip Pseudopterogoria elisabethae. Interestingly, when these sea-whips are "pruned" and harvested, the whip actually grows back stronger and healthier than before, meaning this endeavor is not only good for the organisms, it provides sustainable employment for low-income coastal residents.
- A small, yellow coral in Australia that yields eleutherobin, which prevents cancer cell division.
- Two other compounds that may work against cancer, and one compound that may help patients fight Herpes simplex.
Related:
Cosmetic Surgery and Diving - LA Rejoices!
DAN's latest medical FAQs cover what some might call a very important topic for anyone living in Los Angeles: the implications of cosmetic surgery and diving. Whatever your latest enhancement there's good news: in a few months you'll be back in the water.The FAQs cover:
It seems the biggest concern with breast implants and diving isn't the adoring the new looks from your dive buddies, but getting your buoyancy back: "Breast implants filled with saline are neutrally buoyant. Silicone implants are heavier than water, however, and they may alter buoyancy and attitude (trim) in the water, particularly if the implants are large. Appropriate training and appropriate adjustment of weights help overcome these difficulties."
That would be an interesting PADI course to teach.
Unqualified, Inexperienced Diver Dies In "Ill-Fated" Operation
In May 2002, Martin Blackley, a 26-year-old marine, was home in the UK on sick leave. His friend, James Bell, asked him to help clear out his father's 50-foot-deep fish pond. Unqualified to undertake the dive, Blackley became entangled in a sock rope within a salmon cage and drowned. According to Desmond Leslie who presided over the case, "This project was ill-fated from its inception. The safe systems of work designed to prevent an occurrence of this nature were disregarded at every level of the operation. The approach taken was casual in the extreme." Over-reaction? Hardly. Leslie's words appear to be an understatement, as the dive operation had:
- an inadequate number of dive members for the activity;
- unexperienced people overseeing the dive;
- inadequate equipment;
- failed to undertake a risk assessment;
- no two-way communication system between staff;
- no emergency oxygen;
- and, in fact, no real dive plan whatsoever.
Abalone Diver Survives Shark Bite, Update
Yesterday, we told you about Eric Nerhus, the abalone diver who survived a great white shark bite. Wasting no time to grab at his 15 minutes, Nerhus has reportedly inked a deal with celebrity consultant Harry M. Miller to "handle" his story. Evidently, Miller is working fast to get Nerhus' story out there, too, because both an Australian television network and Woman's Day have already secured the exclusive rights to his story.
Raising speculation (and fueling a much-hoped for bidding war, no doubt), Miller has announced that no international deals have been made...yet: "We haven't heard from [Oprah Winfrey's production company], but that's about the only one we haven't heard from." Right. Miller has not indicated how much money is being offered for the story.
Since Nerhus escped with all his limbs and *only* deep lacerations, I'm guessing the fees won't be that high. However, if Nerhus can cry on cue, then I can hear dollar signs ringing.
[Via Swim At Your Own Risk]
Man Goes Missing, Searchers Report Shark "Feeding Frenzy" Offshore
Remember when we told about the South African lifeguard who disappeared and nobody knew what happened to him...until a mangled fin washed ashore? This story seems to be a variation on the same theme, except it wasn't a fin that searchers recovered -- it was internal organs.
Twenty-year-old Australian Thomas Houghton was swimming with some friends last Friday, when a rip caught him. His two friends tried to pull him back but were unable. Search efforts lasted through the weekend, but were called off when lifeguards found human organs. Only 2 hours earlier, a rescue helicopter team had reported seeing a pack of five sharks in a feeding frenzy 1500 feet out to sea.
Police have refused to comment on whether or not the organs belonged to Houghton until tests have been completed at a forensic lab. However, according to North Coast lifeguard supervisor Peter Baird, "If you put two and two together you have to make an assumption."
[Via Swim At Your Own Risk]
Dive Video of the Day: Matthew Johnston
For today's Dive Video of the Day, I thought we'd do something inspirational and educational. Here's a 4-minute clip showing 29-year old Matthew Johnston -- who suffers from muscular dystrophy and is capable only of moving his thumbs -- preparing for a pool dive. Matthew recently became the first ventilator-dependent person to dive in open water, and I thought the process he has to follow to prepare for a dive was worth looking into more deeply.
If you're interested in learning more about Matthew, be certain to check out this clip from the Today Show, in which Ann Curry interviews him and discusses his recent open water triumph. Whether or not you're an Ann-fan is irrelevant; the piece is truly excellent.
[Thanks, Matthew!]
Disinfecting Your Dive Gear
Responding to someone's question about how to sanitize dive gear, DAN crafted a detailed response. Don't use household cleaners, go to your dive shop and buy one specially formulated for scuba diving equipment. Follow the directions and don't forget to rinse your gear with fresh water.Really people...disinfect your gear? DAN claims there is no documented proof of viral, bacterial, or fungal infections brought on by diving.
How do I clean my gear? I hang it up outside and douse repeatedly with fresh water. Drip dry, return to storage. When I lived in an apartment I let it soak in the tub for awhile before the drip dry.
Considering my entire body is immersed in the ocean and has touched my lips and been ingested in small amounts, disinfecting my gear is probably the least of my worries.
Abalone Diver Survives Great White Bite
Earlier today, Abalone diver Eric Nerhus was diving in murky water off Australia's southern coast when a 10-foot-long white pointer shark (a.k.a., a great white!) seized him by the head. Claiming his lead-lined weight vest protected him from the brunt of the nuzzling, Nerhus told friends that he escaped from the shark's jaws by stabbing and clubbing at the creature's head and eyes with an abalone knife.
Nerhus immediately surfaced and clambered onto his boat with the aid of his son. He was soon transferred to the local hospital, where he is reportedly in stable condition.
South African Lifeguard Missing, Fin Washes Ashore
Is this the most forboding, ominous title I've ever written? Probably.
Evidently, Port St. Johns lifeguard Sibulele Masiza disappeared recently. Shortly after he went missing, one of his fins -- complete with distinctive serrations -- washed ashore. According to Geremy Cliff, spokesperson for the Natal Sharks Board, "Judging by the circumstances of his disappearance and the flipper that was torn, it can only have been a tiger shark attack."
Unbelievably, the last reported shark attack in Port St. Johns was in 2004 -- on Masiza!
[Via Swim At Your Own Risk]
Rookie Diver Dies. Is It A Diving Accident?
Kendra Motter, a 40-year-old college instructor from Canton, Ohio, was scuba diving on January 13 with her husband Michael, a certified diver. (Interestingly, some reports indicate this was her first dive ever, while others state that she "had been scuba diving a few times before.") Two of about a dozen divers on the boat that day, the Motters gave the OK sign...and then waved for help. The dive master dove in and swam to Kendra to administer rescue breaths and bring her back to the boat. An emergency room doctor on the boat took over the attempt to resuscitate the unconscious Motter, who died five days later.
The cause of death has not yet been announced, though from this report, it doesn't *sound* like a diving accident. Rather, it sounds like an accident that occurred while diving. It's a subtle distinction to be sure. Think of it this way: if Motter had died while cashing check inside a bank, do you think they would have labeled this a banking accident?
DAN's 2006 Diving Report on Decompression Illness, Diving Fatalities and Project Dive Exploration
Although talking about diving accidents is often not a lot of fun, it can be useful. Learning from others' mistakes can help you prevent a similar accident in the future. To that end, DAN has recently made available its 2006 Diving Report on Decompression Illness, Diving Fatalities and Project Dive Exploration. I looked over it this weekend, and while it's not a knee-slapping good read, it is somewhat illuminating. For example, I learned that:- Of the 160 reported dive fatalities in 2006, 88 were US/Canada residents.
- 42% of the fatalities in the US occurred in the Southeast Region (North Carolina to Florida, Tennessee and Alabama).
- Most fatalities occurred to people aged 50-59.
- Most fatalities occurred to people who were obese.
- 64% of fatalities were designated as drowning deaths.
Nuclear Divers, A Definite Breed
According to David Harner, "Not everyone would want to jump in a nuclear reactor. It's a definite breed." Harner should know whereof he understates, because Harner is a nuclear diver, one of those "definite breed" who dives inside the cooling reactors of nuclear power plants while wearing a specialized, 100-pound "cool suit." Claiming he enjoys diving in reactors because the vis is so good, I've got two words for him: Cayman Brac.
Most nuclear power plants don't retain full-time divers. Rather, most work as subcontractors and travel as teams. If you want to learn more about nuclear diving, start with Kathryn Kranhold's profile of several nuclear divers, and after that, try these:
- Underwater Construction Corporation is the largest nuclear diving company in the world. With over 200 employees (about 5 of which are women), they travel the world offering nuclear plants the services they need. Guess what? They've got job openings right now.
- Both MescoDivers and The Ocean Corporation offer nuclear diver training programs.
- Diving Heritage has an excellent history and overview of nuclear divers, including some tiny but illuminating images of nuclear divers at work (like the thumbnail in this post).
- Valhalla, Texas is home to a missile silo that used to house a nuclear-tipped missile. While it may not be as, um, glamorous as diving in a real nuclear reactor, it's probably a lot safer and requires a lot less training.
[Thanks, CharlieK!]
Do Children's Airways Narrow When They Scuba Dive?
According to French researchers, children 9 to 13 years old who scuba dive show a narrowing of their airways after making only a single descent. Before you get all wound up about your kid, though, note that the researchers concluded that the restriction is neither permanent ("I think it's more transient"), nor a real cause for concern, because regulations often limit the number of dives children can make and the depth to which they descend.
According to Dr. Frederic Lemaitre of the Universite de Rouen, adolescents might have more to worry about. Lax regulations, which allow adolescents to dive below 100 feet, could put them at increased risk of lung problems. To that end, Lemaitre recommends kids under 18 stay above 100 feet when diving.
