Another Man Down

    My buddy sent this to me so I thought I would pass it on


    Friends,


    As you may already know, the freediving community lost another freediver while depth training at the Homestead Crater in Utah without supervision on March 17th, 2010. Patrick Vandam was training for the United States National Freediving competition taking place in Hawaii next week. Patrick recently graduated from the United States Air Force Academy and was planning on attending medical school in the near future.


    Every time I learn of a freediving injury, fatality, or close call I forward the information along to Julie Richardson, founder of www.DiveWise.org. Julie tracks this data along with the Divers Alert Network (DAN) and uses it for freediving safety educational and awareness purposes. Julie has a compelling story of her own that led her to do this. A couple of years ago she nearly lost both of her sons at the same time (same freedive) in Florida where she lives. She has a video on her website that tells the story.


    The attached article regarding Patrick's death apparently contains a number on inaccuracies. There is still an open investigation. Apparently, Patrick did not have a training partner and was depth training alone. His breath-hold was around six minutes. An interesting note, the water temperature in the 60' wide x 65' deep crater is 96 degrees.


    After I shared the information regarding Patrick's death with Julie she contacted the family for more information. Shortly after doing so, she sent me an email that moved me. I believe most freedivers, in some way feel connected to another freediver and share in the sense of loss. I asked Julie if I could share the paragraph below from her email...


    "It is for this reason I was compelled to do what I'm doing, to work to save the lives of those like her son. It is frustrating to see the face of this scene over and over. If I could bottle the anguish of this woman and make others in this sport drink it, I think some might finally get it and change their dive practices. As long as divers think they are in control and that it won't happen to them, I will continue to face the anguish of bereaved parents and post the death of those taken far too soon."


    All of us are committed to the safe advancement of the sport of freediving. Please take the opportunity to promote the 'freediving safety message' when possible.


    Thank you.


    Craig A. Gentry

    Since this thread is in the safety section it's encouraging a discussion not just offering condolences. My question is does the knowledge of someone losing their life to a blackout really help any of us? And what further lowers this incident's relevance to me is that I've never gone to a warm water hole to go up and down for no particular reason, nor do I know anyone who has or would want to. Why did he do it? Sorry to be blunt but to me it's like hearing of someone racing cars and dying in a car crash while they were doing it.

    Good point Dan.

    In response, I can only offer my experiences in diving warm water compared to diving cool water, and the physiological effects that may have had some bearing on this incident. After moving to the south, and diving in waters that are 20 degrees above what I had been conditioned to diving in Southern California, the most noticeable effect I had was head-aches.


    I am am wondering if the warm water and relatively cool ambient air temperatures had a phyisological impact on what may have been "normal" dive practices. Not saying that the the practice of diving alone was normal. How did the body react? Were the blood vessles somehow restricted, decreased blood flow vs. "normal" bottom time? I think these are questions that need to be examined if there is to be a "lesson learned" from this tragedy. My thoughts and prayers to the family of the victim.

    I believe that the abnormal water temp may had something to do with it. When I went to the Caribbean I noticed that my bottom time increased significantly compared to when I dive NE. I really don't have a scientific explanation for that.


    I know warm water will generally expand blood vessels, as the body attempts to remove excess heat. What I am wondering is if the body uses up more oxygen then normal when it is so warm..

    Also it is a known fact that drowning in warm water shortens the time for rescuers to bring you back to life. The colder the water the better chance and more time rescuers giving cpr have to try and save the victim (some recorded cases over 20 min. dead in very cold water without brain damage. Usually no more than 4min. in warm water without serious brain damage).

    My condolences to the Van Dam family. I have a post from his dad from the Air Force site I'll copy in the AM about his last dive.
    Don


    #
    Gerald Vandam said


    April 6, 2010 @ 10:26 pm


    I’m Patrick’s dad, he passed away freediving at a place called the Crater located in Midway UT. He was practicing for the US National freediving championships in Kona HI to be held at the end of April. He had done a few dives on the 17th of March, the last free dive was for 6 minutes and 30 seconds and stated he was going to be down a little longer on the next and his last dive. We suspect he passed on the way up on his last dive.
    #


    Patrick is in the center.

    Thinking of the father dealing with the death of his son is very sad.


    6.5 minutes seems like an incredibly long time. I can't imagine how much breathing up is necessary to be able to do that. I really don't see the point as no activity can be sustained in those conditions.

    I don't want to overstate this, but to date I have lost 22 inner circle friends to spearfishing in my life time.
    I try to let them be little angles that sit on my shoulder and whisper in my ear......'' Are you REALLY sure you want to do this?'


    That's why I posted his image when he was a metal winning competitive swimmer. Take a second, look
    at him.Try to imagine the pain of his family and friends, and let it empower you to a have fun, but do not become complacent with your diving.


    Sorry....off the soap box.
    Don

    "Great mother ocean brought forth all life, it is my eternal home'' Don Berry from Blue Water Hunters.


    Spearfishing Store the freediving and spearfishing equipment specialists.

    Quote from LunkerBuster

    very good advice Don, thank you for letting us learn from your painful memories and loss


    Thanks. I'm not saying not to live a good life, but listen to what your inner self is telling you. When the hair on the back of neck goes up swim to the boat and take a brake.;)
    Don

    "Great mother ocean brought forth all life, it is my eternal home'' Don Berry from Blue Water Hunters.


    Spearfishing Store the freediving and spearfishing equipment specialists.

    RIP


    I'd be very curious to understand the effects of diving in very warm water like this would have on the dive reflex, in all aspects, it almost seems like diving in a hot tub. to me, it would seem that diving in anything over mid 80s degrees for performance would probably counter productive, but i am just speculating.


    for 6.5 min dives in 65 feet, he had to have been doing 5min plus holds on the bottom, a 5min static is a task on by itself!


    when i went to the caymans last year and did a lot of diving by myself, in warm 86 degree waters with no wetsuit, i remembered the reflex would take a little longer than usual to kick in. i would 1:30-2:30 dives in the 60-90 range, taking between 5 (minimum regardless of depth) and 8 minutes intervals. makes me wonder if that is even safe enough, I mean, can i be guaranteed i wont SWB if I think I'm being safe enough?

    China V.I.P

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