Divers died as party went on above (Healy divers)

[uppityperson]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003523206_coastguard13m.html

It was a frigid, clear Arctic evening last August, 500 miles north of Barrow, Alaska, when Coast Guard divers Steven Duque and Jessica Hill slipped through the thick ice and into the 29-degree water. Hill, lead diver for the Seattle-based Coast Guard icebreaker Healy, hoped for a routine training dive. But Arctic diving is hazardous in the best of conditions, and these were not good conditions.

According to the Coast Guard's investigation, released Friday, the dive's untrained support team — some of whom had been drinking beer moments before — misinterpreted Hill and Duque's distress calls. Dive equipment, which had not been inspected for years, failed. Hill and Duque made a critical error in carrying 60 pounds of lead weight, twice as much as normal. And all this happened as an afternoon party with alcohol, an ice football game and "polar bear" swims went on above them.

Instead of a brief dive at 20 feet, Hill and Duque dropped like stones, to 200 feet or more. By the time the crew realized something was amiss, Hill and Duque had run out of air.

An investigation into the deaths — the first deaths of Coast Guard divers since 1974 — has prompted a wholesale review of the Coast Guard's dive program, and cost the Healy's captain, Douglas Russell, command of his ship. "No single person caused this accident," Vice Adm. Charles Wurster, head of the Coast Guard's Pacific fleet, said at a news conference in Seattle on Friday. "Rather it was a chain of events and decisions, which, had any link been broken, this tragic accident would not have occurred."...(more@link)

Having a friend who has served on the Healy, I've been following this story. It is amazing, all the things that happened wrong and they sure need to have changes in a whole bunch of places. RIP Hill and Duque.

[Uncle Joe]

1. Why couldn't the divers release the lead weights? eom

[uppityperson]

2. why did they put too much on, why not release, why did top people not notice

they were descending wayyyyyy past 20 ft, etc? Here is a link to the another Seattle paper article (my papers and Healy is based locally)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/299628_healy13.html

link to the Healy http://www.uscg.mil/pacarea/healy/

Note from Captain 2 days after accident. Edited to add, this is amazing.
http://www.uscg.mil/pacarea/healy/deployments/AWS06/XO/AUG%2021/21%20AUG%2006%20Update.htm

I know you're well aware of the tragic dive accident that occurred two days ago. I wanted to take a moment to share some details of what happened, how the crew is faring, and what our revised plans are. You are vital members of the HEALY family and many turn to you for support in their times of need.

We stopped for a short break in operations on Wednesday about 500 miles NW of Barrow following our successful completion of the westernmost leg of the current science mission. In taking advantage of our first real stop in ice in a month plus of operations, we capitalized on the opportunity to conduct a dive operation with our Dive Team. Unlike some of the press reports, the dive took place at the bow of the ship in a small area of open water. The dive operation was going pretty much as planned when something happened under the water while LT Hill and BM2 Duque were underwater together. When a problem was detected by the personnel supporting the dive operation, the divers were retrieved from the water. Immediate medical attention was provided and they were evacuated to the ship quickly where revival efforts continued for over an hour through the superlative efforts of many. Unfortunately, the efforts were unsuccessful and LT Hill and Petty Officer Duque were declared deceased just after 8:00 pm local time.

We have been enroute Barrow since then pressing hard but safely through various ice conditions for several things that will take place today. Our fallen shipmates will be transferred off today via helo, with an appropriate Coast Guard escort, and transported back to the states. We will embark the Chaplain, Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) team, and a team who will conduct an investigation of the accident.

After these events, we will transit to Nome to disembark the Science Party and to embark additional Coast Guard support personnel. This will take place on Tuesday. Afterwards we will transit to Kodiak for a four day port call providing a good opportunity to take advantage of support from the CG family and to afford the crew the best opportunity to take advantage of a variety of outlets for a break from the shipboard routine in their quest to return to normality in their lives.

We will follow this up with a short transit to Dutch Harbor, our previously planned port call, for a 3 day stop. Our focus will be to execute a complex science equipment transfer - moving over 60 tons of gear on and off the ship plus completing many other logistics efforts. We'll depart on 4 Sep enroute Barrow ready to receive our 3rd Phase science party led by Dr. Larry Mayer.

LT Hill and BM2 Duque were outstanding shipmates. They fully embodied our service's core values of Honor, Respect and Devotion to Duty.

LT Hill performed in an outstanding manner as our Marine Science Officer coordinating many highly complex activities that enabled our successful scientific operations. Her infectious positive attitude and high energy served her well as the Morale Officer. Her constant smile and sense of humor were always uplifting to others.

BM2 Duque was one of the most impressive Boatswain's Mates I've ever had the pleasure of serving with. He was the epitome of professionalism providing the perfect role model for the newest members of the crew. His pride in being a Coast Guardsman was evident in everything he did - Coxswain, Weapons Petty Officer, Diver, leader of the deck force, trainer and shipmate. He inspired all others, regardless of rank, to take pride and to seek perfection in all that they do.

The Officer's, Chief Petty Officers and Crew have done a magnficent job taking care of each other during this difficult time. The Coast Guard family has mobilized on many fronts to ensure the crew and our fallen shipmates are well taken care of. The outpouring of support has been beyond description and is well appreciated by all of our crew. Your direct support to your loved ones and friends in the HEALY crew is important as we grieve and work through the aftermath of this tragedy. We couldn't do it with out - thanks for being there.

Very respectively, Doug Russell
CAPT D. G. Russell
Commanding Officer
USCGC HEALY (WAGB-20)
[e-mail]
Underway Phone: [phone]-Iridium
011-872-763-709-857 - Inmarsat
http://www.uscg.mil/pacarea/healy/deployments/AWS06/XO/AUG%2021/21%20AUG%2006%20Update.htm

[donco6]

29. On really shallow dives, you need more weight.

Otherwise, you just keep bobbing to the surface. And dropping the weights altogether is doable, but not once you get down too far - you'll shoot to the surface and almost certainly get the bends, or blow out your lungs.

But I do think they should have noticed at 40 ft they were dropping too fast and leveled off with air in their BC. Something's odd here . . .

[EFerrari]

3. Is this about alcohol? My God, what a tragedy.

:(

[uppityperson]

6. only partly. Having known an (almost captain rank, don't know term)

on the Healy before this incident, said they had parties, but not while diving or working. It sounds like some alcohol was involved, but a whole hell of a lot more. I'll be seeing this person tomorrow, will see what has to say.

[EFerrari]

16. I'm so sorry, up.

:(

[uppityperson]

17. He was on Healy first couple yrs, now retired

has been rather devastated by this, I printed article below to give to him tomorrow. I got a Healy t-shirt from him, and a tiny little styrofoam cup (they drew pictures, then dropped them in something really deep and brought them back up in miniature.

[medeak]

4. husband and sons just returned from amazing dive trip to Chuuk

dived for 20 years.. this is the most ridiculous thing have ever heard of. These guys are supposed to be the best... can always dump weights...belt comes off easily. Belt would be worn on outside of "dry suit"

Can't fathom this...no pun intended

[medeak]

5. bc's incorrectly worn it says

most likely couldn't fill with air..

and how drunk do you have to be to not notice that much extra weight on belt?

good grief...what a horrible tragedy.

[MuseRider]

7. I agree with you.

I have been diving since 1978 and had few problems and when they do happen it is difficult to think correctly but still, the first things you learn are how to drop your weights and how to use a BC.

30 pounds? I have never been in a dry suit so I don't know. Do they need more weight? I dive with 6-8 pounds in warm water, I can't imagine what 30 pounds would do. So sad.

[medeak]

9. muse!

so good to "see" you and so long... ;-)

edited to say... yep..that's a lot of weight. Husband has worn as much as 18 lbs to go deep..

but would think the dry suits would have so much more air they would require more weight?

[MuseRider]

10. Hey there!

I was not even looking at names because I am trying to hurry and catch up before I leave again! So how are you? Hope all is well. It has been a long time. :hug:

[medeak]

11. you leaving too?

good for you!

back a week to pay bills and then on to warmer clime again...

they had 60 lbs of lead?

[MuseRider]

20. Had to bring in horses

and I will be leaving soon to play a concert. Be back tonight. Send me a PM sometime so we can catch up a bit. :hi:

[uppityperson]

14. read article in post #13

And they had packed on the pounds. In 2005, Hill had experienced an uncontrolled ascent — a danger that can cause trauma to the lungs or hurl a diver into the ice. It had scared her. To ensure it didn’t reoccur, she loaded herself down, adding more than 60 pounds to her 130-pound frame, including air tank, suit and lead. Duque also loaded with the same amount, 60 pounds, after complaining he was “floating too much.”

Near the surface, the extra weight may have felt appropriate. But at depth, the added weight poses a danger: When divers descend, air in their tanks and dry suits compresses, its volume decreases by 50 percent at 33 feet of depth. Such changes require divers to compensate for added weight with buoyancy devices or by adding weight to their suits, a tricky maneuver for the inexperienced.

“That’s a lot of weight they were carrying. I can tell you, I’ve gone down hundreds of times, and I never carry more than 30 pounds, maybe 50 total with gear,” Stewart said.

Hill and Duque hadn’t anticipated dealing with buoyancy issues, so they zipped in weights and didn’t hook up their buoyancy compensator devices. They would use the fill mechanism on their dry suits if they needed to add air for buoyancy.

[MuseRider]

19. OMG

that is awful!

I learned Zen diving and learned to dive without weight but could not maintain that with a year in between my diving experiences. It is always difficult to get down if you are weighted properly and you will always experience the floating as you ascend. You have to control that with your breathing. What are they teaching them?

It seems that in cold water with a dry suit they must need more weight because I have never heard of anyone with 30 pounds. My inexperience with cold water diving I guess but still. Not hooking up your BC is just plain stupid, I can't imagine anyone doing that.

This just makes me feel awful.

[Steven_S]

22. I use 30 pounds with a drysuit...

I can't imagine what would possess a trained diver to put that amount of lead on for a 20' dive. Unless they were maxed out with an integrated BC (weights are a part of the unit) and then loaded up with a full belt as well.

Like we say:

Things go wrong in a hurry.

[MuseRider]

23. Thanks for letting me know.

I have no experience with one. Yes, they do go wrong in a hurry. Happened to me once and I actually did the right thing but stupidly forgot that I was only in 20 feet of water and could have just gone to the surface. All that panic for nothing. :shrug:

[Thor_MN]

28. Cold water means more weight.

Since you need more insulation, you have more bouyancy no matter if you are diving wet or dry suits. I need 30 lbs to get my wet suit under in Lake Superior. Subtract the wet suit in warmer water and I can almost get by with no weights. I've never used a dry suit, but I assume that the garments you wear inside the suit for warmth add to your bouyancy.

[uppityperson]

8. Reading articles, looks like Hill had problem prior with an uncontrolled descent.

I don't know. Will ask friend who was on Healy when it first went out as see what has to say about it all, seeing tomorrow. I don't understand how the people up top could not notice that that much rope went out that fast and perhaps something was wrong, though maybe they weren't informed of the plan?

[n2doc]

12. Here is a link to a more complete story

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/01/ndeadlydiveweb070112/

Just tragic all around

edit- i don't know what is wrong with the link. When I cut and paste it it works fine, when I click it I get the error. Here is a link to the full 33 page pdf file
http://www.militarycity.com/pdfs/0112healy.pdf
or go to the navytimes page, it is in the top middle
http://www.navytimes.com/news/news/


And here is a bunch of the text

Uncontrolled descent
Much has been learned in the aftermath about what happened to Hill and Duque. Their depth gauges indicated that they had entered into an uncontrolled descent, with Hill going to 187 feet and Duque pegging his gauge to at least 220 feet.

When they were pulled from the water, Duque was out of air, and Hill’s tank was essentially empty. The air was tested, and found to be good. But the two had suffocated and experienced lung injuries on the trip back to the surface. The coroner said it was likely the two lost consciousness before or during their ascent.

Caltenback, the former master Navy diver, said he’s not surprised they died by asphyxiation.

“The report says they were using fancy fins that weren’t designed to give a lot of thrust, so I can see them struggling and still sinking — unable to dump weights and eventually passing out when their air was gone because the deeper you go, the faster you use air anyway. Add them struggling to swim up the air goes even quicker,” he said.

Perhaps, if Healy had a decompression chamber onboard, the two may have survived, dive experts contend. Sometimes, divers who are clinically dead can be revived with minimal injury, especially with proper equipment.

“I’ve seen it happen before,” Caltenback said.

Healy had only a special stretcher that limits recompression depth to 60 feet. It is designed for transportation, not treatment. Most Navy salvage ships carry both stretchers and recompression chambers, Caltenback said.

“When the Navy goes on arduous or high-risk dives, especially under the ice, they bring recompression chambers because they don’t take chances,” he said. “How the hell are you going to get out of there and to a treatment facility in time? You can’t. You have to bring it with you.”

In addition to lacking a recompression chamber, the Healy’s dive locker room was described in after-action reports as being in severe disarray. No dive safety survey had been conducted on the ship since its commissioning in 1999. No preventive maintenance system records were found since 2002. Most of the nonserviceable gear was mixed in with the working equipment.

“The investigation Â… revealed failures in oversight at every level aboard Healy as well as numerous departures from standard Coast Guard policy,” commandant Adm. Thad Allen confirmed in a statement Jan. 12. “When it comes to dangerous operations such as diving, “good enough” is never good enough.”

On Aug. 25, Coast Guard chief of staff Vice Adm. Robert Papp suspended all Coast Guard ice diving operations, saying they wouldn’t be resumed until the investigation was complete and follow-on recommendations are implemented.

Based on the report, the Coast Guard’s diving program faces a long recovery process, if it isn’t outsourced to another military service or civilian dive outfit. The report makes a number of administrative recommendations and changes to procedures, policies and oversight.

Allen has held the three officers, Russell, Jackson and Dalitsch, accountable, first by firing Russell and sending all three before an admiral for non-judicial punishment.

Yet despite the investigations, reports, summaries and actions, no one really knows what exactly happened that day under the ice. Did Duque enter into an uncontrolled dive, and Hill pursue to help? Were both in an uncontrollable tailspin, unable to take emergency action? Could they have been saved, even once they’d reached the surface without vital signs?

“From reading this, it sounds like they were free falling, sinking and because they were wearing so much weight, they couldn’t counter that with buoyancy,” Caltenback surmised. “Their only chance was to be stopped by the tenders.”

In the days after the tragedy, Hill and Duque were returned to the sea. Both were buried in the tropical, aqua-blue waters off their home state, Florida. For many military and civilian divers, the deaths of Duque and Hill will forever remain an enigma, even as they benefit from the lessons learned of the accident.

“I’m still puzzled,” Stewart said. “How the same thing could happen to both divers is a mystery.”

[uppityperson]

13. thank you except it says page is AWOL, copy pasted

Odd, it happened for me too.Thanks for the article, have printed out for friend (former Healy person)

Forty minutes later, Hill and third diver, referred to as Diver 3 in reports, arrived at the operational area. Hill had previously recruited four crew members as dive tenders, and she launched into a briefing for the four would-be handlers. According to the investigation report, none of the handlers wasqualified for the task.

Duque’s tender, for example, had worked several surface-supplied dives the previous summer, but had no scuba tending experience. None of the other three had ever assisted with a dive, and all three had only recently reported aboard the ship.

To make matters worse, Hill’s tender had consumed a beer, the report said. The fourth tender, who wasn’t responsible for a person but stood as backup, had consumed three (Coast Guard regulations state that personnel can have no more than two beers during ice liberty). Yet preparations for the dive proceeded.

[uppityperson]

15. Oh my goodness. They messed up in many many ways.

Tragic. Thanks for the link, am printing out (other link) article for previous (almost captain) friend.

[uppityperson]

25. gave it to ex-Healy person, was appalled

had some words about the Captain and about how the whole system is failing on the Healy, gone downhill the last couple yrs. Scathing from a former almost captain now retired person.

[n2doc]

26. Not Surprised

I know some scientists who had worked on the ship, including one on her first voyage to the North Pole, and they liked the old Captain. But from reading this it sounds like he really screwed up badly. I remember when they took away his command so quickly it seemed odd. But not now. The Captain cannot let anything happen on his ship without following the regs unless there is a damn good reason for it. And in this case there was not.

[Phrogman]

18. Drysuits have ankle weights also

and they are difficult as hell to work in.

My best friend in the Navy was killed on one of our cold water drysuit dives in Washington state.
The same operation almost got me planted too.

[MuseRider]

21. They look cumbersome

but I once had a woman who was diving with us who wore one in the warm water because she got so cold. I thought it was kinda odd, I got cold too but could not imagine having to deal with a dry suit.

Glad you came out OK, sorry about your friend.

[medeak]

24. thanks for that info

can't imagine how difficult that must be. And would prompt even more acute surveillance?

[oasis]

27. WTF!

:wow: