Experienced Cavers and Tech Divers Who've Died

[Jay]

It wasn't being solo that got Steve and Ron - it was being solo without the extra contingencies that solo requires.

I understand. I am a proponent of solo diving also!

[kensuf]

Bill McFadden
Sherwood Schille
Bobby McGuirre
Steve Berman

[LiteHedded]

Jim Miller

[Bobby]

From my experience there is no cookie cutter statement to get an individual to understand they may be putting themselves at higher risk. I have also found that the 80/20 rule is fairly spot on when it comes to people being receptive. 80% will not listen and 20% will. Taking an individual approach and asking more questions has seemed to work best from my experience. Ask the person about their diving and take the time to get into details of their plan while explaining the gaps or incorrect approach with complete respect.

This sometimes means that I have had to alter or cancel my own dive plans to make the time needed to get the message across. Many years ago I was getting ready for a rather long dive at Eagles Nest. Two divers showed up and started preparing for a dive a short time after I had arrived. After saying hello I went about my business of preparing for my dive while listening to the other two discussing their plans and paying attention to their configurations. It soon became apparent that they were not trained or experienced for the dive that they were preparing for. I started chatting with them about diving and asking questions. It took over an hour to get them to admit that they were not cave or mix certified and another hour, as well as an offer to buy lunch, to convince them to scrub their dive. We packed our gear up and headed to Hooters for lunch which was a long long lunch. Hopefully the conversation convinced them that they needed to seek training and take the time to build experience before taking on a dive such as the Nest.

My only point is that blanket or canned statements don't seem to make an impact. To get a complex point across requires time and effort.

[Squirrel Girl]

With Roberta, it was mostly poor decision making. If she had turned the dive when the drysuit started leaking, she would have made it out OK. She was too goal oriented, and tried to complete her survey, in spite of the flooded suit, in 50 degree water.

*MIGHT* have made it out OK. Those are all speculations based on the fact she had a rip in her drysuit. The rip *might* have been made when her body was recovered as she was in a tight slot. The accident analysis inferred that the drysuit rip might have been a major contributing factor, and perhaps it was. There's no way to know for sure.

[WEPIV]

Bobby,

That was a wonderful story and a great thing you did. I hope others would do the same.

[LarryAnta]

...It took over an hour to get them to admit that they were not cave or mix certified and another hour, as well as an offer to buy lunch, to convince them to scrub their dive...

Hope they paid for lunch! You may have saved their lives Bobby.

[Dsix36]

Hope they paid for lunch! You may have saved their lives Bobby.

If I were inclined to make a wager, I would bet that Bobby bought lunch.

[Garth]

What would Bobby do if he caught some Bikini Cave Divers...

http://youtu.be/0OgUjupHvUE

... this lunch is for your safety

[coldwaterjake]

What would Bobby do if he caught some Bikini Cave Divers...

http://youtu.be/0OgUjupHvUE

... this lunch is for your safety

When you're serious about your craft... It's obvious. Can't touch this ....