Random Jottings
RIP Rob Stewart
Diving, deep diving when all said and done is a pretty crazy way to spend your spare time. The science of DCS is far from exact and you can get a bad hit for no apparent, obvious reason, as I know.
It appears that Rob Stewart was doing some deep 'tech' stuff off Florida, on a well known and well dived wreck and surfaced before disappearing, that much appears 'fact' and also that his body must have sunk pretty much back to the wreck where it was found at the end of the search.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38831134
I guess from a diving point of view the worrying part of the reports are that this was his third dive of the day to the wreck, so that's three seventy metre dives in a day, pretty extreme or as it turned out terminally.
The reports indicate that a buddy also blacked out on the surface which may indicate a systematic problem with their rebreathers or alternatively they both suffered from deep water blackout with Rob Stewart 'drifting away' as the other guy was rescued.
I will be waiting for the report with interest to see if it was what could be classed as a forseeable event or if it is deemed that his luck ran out and he was subject to a random DCS hit?
Brief Update
If the reports of repetitive, deep, deco dives are accurate it would be interesting to see what PPO2 was used as this brings it's own issues with CNS which may lead to drowsiness, disorientation, dizziness but most usually a seizure and immediate loss of conciousness.....familar if you read the news reports for the incident.......
https://www.tdisdi.com/pulminary-oxygen-toxicity-with-technical-divers/
https://www.diverite.com/articles/oxygen-toxicity-signs-and-symptoms/
Dive safe
RichW
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