Deadly Coast Guard Dive: What Went Wrong

Ally · 09-20-2007, 12:42 PM

Quote:

On a brisk, sunny afternoon last August, the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Healy came to a crunching halt in 4-ft.-thick pack ice, 490 miles north of Barrow, Alaska. The polar icebreaker had just completed the western leg of its summer mission to study the Earth's crust for the National Science Foundation. Since the ship had been at sea for more than 40 days, the commanding officer, Capt. Douglas Russell, offered the crew a little rest and relaxation: He let most of the 84 sailors and 35 scientists on board disembark for several hours of ice liberty. A few crew members armed with rifles kept watch for polar bears; others played football, drank beer or just milled around.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/scie...s/4220161.html

MgicTwnger · 09-20-2007, 01:42 PM

That is a real tragedy. As a former ship's captain, I have nothing but the highest respect for the men and women of the Coast Guard, they have saved my bacon more than once. It looks like even these folks can dive without proper training and support.

One thing that comes to mind: I have a friend who did a season at Little America, the US base in Antarctica. He said that the divers there were always shocked the first time down by the absolute clarity of the water, they felt like they were flying high above the ground. This has to be disorienting.