背景:
John Bisnar lives in Irvine, CA, and is senior partner of the law firm Bisnar Chase. At the time of this dive, he had logged a little more than 150 dives, all from boats in relatively calm, warm waters and high visibility. This dive trip was his third with the Aggressor Fleet.
The first real dive of a scuba trip for 14 divers aboard the Galapagos Aggressor II ended in the death of E.G., a 23-year-old kindergarten teacher from Galveston, Texas. But for a twist of fate, my wife and I could have unfortunately been with E.G. today. Here is my account of this fateful trip.
14个潜水员跟Aggressor II船在Galapagos第一次正式潜水以一位23岁的德州幼儿园教师,E.G.的死亡结束。我和太太的运气还不错,不然,我们的下场也会跟E.G.一样的。以下就是我对这次旅行的简报。
On February 11, my wife, Kimberly, and I met E.G., Denise Friou, divemasters Jamie and Patricio, and the other 10 divers at the San Cristóbal Island airport. Being the two unaccompanied women on the trip, E.G. and Denise immediately gravitated toward one another. We were bused to the Galapagos Aggressor II, boarded and given a short briefing and room assignments. At the dock, we made a 20-minute, 20-foot checkout dive. As many of us did, E.G. struggled to find the proper weight for neutral buoyancy.
The next morning, Jamie briefed us on the dive site, at the easternmost point of North Seymour Island, and the dive plan, using a map drawn on a whiteboard. Visibility was 60 feet and currents were running in different directions. He told us to stay above 90 feet and to surface within an hour. He also told us how to surface safely around the pangas and how to get back into them. I was surprised at the brevity of the briefing, especially as it was our first actual dive of the trip.
After gearing up, E.G., Denise, Kimberly, three other divers and I climbed into one of the two pangas, along with the driver and Patricio, our divemaster. Before we got into the pangas, however, there was no equipment or “air on” check by the divemasters, which had been my experience on two other Aggressor trips. I presumed at the site we would get more of a briefing and safety checks but after traveling only 100 yards to the dive spot, Patricio told us all to backroll into the water on his command, otherwise the panga would be unstable.
Once underwater, Kimberly and I gave each other the OK sign. Patricio and others were 20 feet below us and moving away. I am slow to equalize on early dives, so we fell behind most of the group. We descended faster than usual to stay with the group, though Patricio was always lower and further out from the island than Kimberly and I. Following Patricio, my dive computer indicated we were at 98 feet at five minutes. At six minutes, we were at 104 feet. I thought about Jamie’s briefing: Stay above 90 feet.
下水以后,我太太和我互相做了个OK的手势,Patricio和其他人已经在我们下面20呎的地方,并且已经开始越走越远了。 我潜水初始时候平衡耳压需要比较长的时候,所以,我们就落在大队伍的后面了。我们以快于平常的速度下潜,以求跟上大队,但是Patricio却总是在我和太太的前面和下面,还越走越远。跟着Patricio,我的潜水电脑在第5分钟时显示是98呎的深度。到了第六分钟,我们到了104呎的深度了。我想起了Jamie的简报,不要深过90呎。
Kimberly and I struggled against the current. I was near hyperventilating and had to consciously slow myself down. At the nine-minute mark, Patricio signaled us to grab hold of the sloping bottom and move up against the current, hand over hand. Kimberly and I continued struggling against the current but we finally got control by hanging onto the rocks and moderating our breathing (around the 10- to15-minute mark). I looked around to see where everyone else was. Kimberly and I were well under 2000 psi of air, a lot of air to have used so quickly. I saw what looked to be Patricio communicating to Denise to stay put and hang onto the rocks with the rest of us while he would go look for someone, and it appeared he did. I looked for E.G., but didn’t see her. This was around the 13- to 17-minute mark.
我和太太奋力跟洋流搏斗,我已经有点过度呼吸了,我尽量小心地让自己呼吸慢下来。在第9分钟的时候,Patricio做手势,让我们抓住海底斜坡固定自己抵抗洋流,然后一步一步前进。我和太太在洋流里挣扎,最终我们抓住岩石固定自己并且调整好自己的呼吸,这时,是第10-15分钟的时候。我周围看了一样,看看其他同伴的位置。这时,我和太太的存气是2000 PSI(1BAR=14.5PSI),我们在短时间内消耗了很多的压缩空气。我看到Patricio像是在对着Denise做手势让她抓着岩石原地跟我们呆在一起他去找人,然后他就游开去找人了。我转身找E.G.,但是看不到她。这个时间段大概是第13到第17分钟左右。
We moved up to watch sharks circling in 50 feet of water. At the 24-minute mark, I signaled to Jamie that I was at 700 psi, and he signaled for me to go up. I took Kimberly’s hand to ascend, concerned about being separated in the current. Later, she said I was holding her tightly, as if I was afraid she would drift away. I was.
我们向上前进,去看50呎深度鲨群在打转。到了第24分钟的时候,我对Jamie做手势我的存气量只有700PSI了,他回我一个手势让我上升。我牵着太太的手上升,害怕被洋流吹得我们分开。后来,她说我紧紧抓住她,好像怕她被冲走似的。当时,我的确就是担心这个。
We did a three-minute safety stop, then surfaced at the 30-minute mark. I didn’t see E.G. though I expected her to be on the surface, because there was no way for Patricio and her to fight the current to get back with the group. I thought I heard a diver’s whistle, and told the other panga driver, who took off in that direction. I assumed it was E.G but I suppose it was Patricio, because the next time I saw that panga, he was in it -- and he looked worried.
我们昨晚3分钟的安全停留,在第30分钟的时候浮出海面。我没有看到E.G.,我本来以为她已经上到水面了,因为她和Patricio不可能顶着那么大的流再跟大部队汇合的。我好像听到一位潜水员在吹哨子,我告诉另外一艘小艇的船长,他就往那边去接人了。我以为那会是E.G.,不过,那是Patricio,因为我看到那艘小艇的时候,他在艇上了,看上去好像很担心的样子。
As divers surfaced, I kept looking for E.G. She was young, slightly built and didn’t look strong enough to fight the current. With her training (I’m told she had taken a divemaster course and a rescue course), I figured she would simply go with the current and slowly ascend to the pangas, standard protocol when separated from your dive buddy. She had a diver’s flag designed to activate on the surface. We searched the surface for that flag for hours, both from the Aggressor and the pangas. At some point, I believe Patricio and Jamie dove from a panga to search for E.G. During that time, there was also an aerial search, along with many other boats and the Ecuadorian Coast Guard. I believe Jamie mentioned he was bent from his dive looking for E.G. He was clearly shaken.
当所有潜水员都上水了,我一直在找E.G.。她很年轻,偏瘦,看上去不够强壮,对抗那种强劲的洋流未必能行。但是她的潜水训练水平(我听说她在接受DM和救援训练课程)应该没有问题。我想,她能顺着流漂开,慢慢上浮找小艇去了,这是水下与同伴分散后的标准处理方案来的,她应该懂。她有象拔,可以在水面标清自己位置的。我们在水面搜索她的象拔找了几个小时,在小艇上找,在大船上也找。期间,我看到Patricio和Jamie从小艇上再次下潜去搜索E.G.了。那段时间,还出动了空中搜索,其他当时在海面的船只和厄瓜多尔的海岸警卫队也参与了搜索。我听到Jamie说无论如何都要去找到E.G.,他很明显是被吓坏了。
At some point, he mentioned that it was nearly time for our planned afternoon land excursion. He seemed to be looking for direction about what to do. But how could we go about our vacation not knowing where a missing diver is, not knowing if she is bobbing in the water waiting to be picked up? We told him no.
After four-plus hours of searching, we returned to the original dive location. Denise and Patricio went back into the water where E.G. was last seen, taking an extra Nitrox tank, then rode the current to wherever it took them. Denise saw E.G. lying on the bottom at 168 feet, in somewhat of a fetal position, eyes closed, looking restful and calm, without a mask and the regulator out of her mouth. Denise said that after getting E.G. to the surface, the tank registered 2,000 psi of air; she showed signs of drowning, although she didn’t seem to have water in her lungs. Denise was uncertain if E.G. had both her fins on when she was found, but knew at least one came off during the ascent. Ecuadorian officials came on board, questioned us and eventually took E.G. away.
经过超过4个钟头的搜索以后,我们回到我们下水的地方。Denise和Patricio潜下去回到E.G.最后被大家看到的地方,带上了额外一个高氧气瓶,然后顺着洋流飘走。Denise看到E.G.躺在168呎深的海底,一个致命的深度,双目紧闭,看上去很平静很安宁。面罩没有了,Reg不在嘴里。Denise说,把E.G.捞上来以后,她看到气压表显示,还有2000PSI的余量(约为138 Bar)。E.G.看上去有溺水的症状,虽然她看上去肺里没有水。Denise不确定在发现E.G.的时候,她的脚蹼是否都在,不过,她确定在捞她起来的过程中,最少掉了一个。厄瓜多尔的官员上了我们船,逐一询问我们了解情况,最后把E.G.搬走了。
Kimberly later said that around the five-minute mark was the last time she saw E.G., who had been just behind her, toward deeper water. Neither of us remembers seeing her or Denise grabbing onto the bottom. It is Kimberly’s recollection that Denise was in front of her, while E.G. was behind her. I don’t know if anything more could have been done to save E.G. Based on the time Kimberly last saw her and the amount of unused air in her tank, it’s my belief that she died in the six- to nine-minute timeframe.
我太太,KIMBERLY后来说,在第5分钟的时候,是她最后一次看到E.G.,就在她身后,向着深处游去。我们两个都记不起来Denise在抓地的时候还有看到她。Kimberly还记得,Denise在她身前,E.G.在她身后的。我不知道我们还能做多些什么,能挽回E.G.的生命。根据KIMBERLY最后看到E.G.的时间,加上她气瓶的存气量推算,我想,她死于第6至第9分钟这个时间段。
Jamie informed us that Peter Orschel, owner of the Galapagos Aggressor I and II, would make accommodations and provide future credit for anyone who didn’t want to continue the trip. I talked to Peter via the ship’s cell phone. He was very accommodating but sounded shaken and seemed to have been crying. Only three of us - - Denise, Kimberly, and me -- left the ship and headed home. It didn’t feel right to continue. We didn’t feel like partying and having a good time. We didn’t feel safe with the divemasters. We didn’t feel they prepared us for what we were going to do and would encounter. This just may be our own inexperience, however.
Jamie告诉我,Galapagos Aggressor I II两艘船的东主Peter Orschel会对不愿继续旅程的人作出灵活处理并且给予下次旅行的优惠。我用船长的电话跟Peter通了电话,他很随和,但是听起来他很震惊,而且,好像还哭过。只有我们三个人,Denise,我和我太太,离船,回家。感觉上,继续行程,不对。我们无法在感受到度假的那种美好心情了。我们跟着这两位DM没有安全感。我感觉到DM们对我们要去的地方,要面对的情况没有做好充分的准备。或许,是因为我们个人经验不足吧。
Peter met us at the airport on Baltra Island. He seemed to do everything he could for E.G.’s family. Although we were bearing the extra expenses to get back home, Peter’s staff helped arrange our getting back to the mainland. Denise was devastated. She was questioning herself for not doing more and questioning her decision to follow Patricio’s instruction to stay with the group while he searched for E.G..
I wrote this account two days after E.G.’s death, in Guayaquil, Ecuador, while on standby for a flight home. We just could not continue on our vacation and enjoy ourselves after what had happened, knowing how E.G.’s family must feel and thinking about a young girl, the age of our children, who had tragically lost her life.
我在E.G.去世后的第三天写的这个文章,在厄瓜多尔的Guayaquil,机场候机回家的时候。发生了这样的惨剧后,我们无法再享受我们的假期了。想想,E.G.的家人会多么伤心,想想这个跟我们孩子一样年纪的年轻女孩,就这样,走了。
After I wrote this and posted it online, a diver who had been on the Galapagos Aggressor II the week before our trip emailed me this note:
我在网上发布这篇文章之后,一位在我们前一周跟Galapagos Aggressor II船宿的潜水员发了一封email给我,以下就是内容:
“I’d like to share my thoughts based on my week on the Aggressor, and I don’t intend to judge anyone. I am a PADI Rescue diver and had 170 dives before entering the boat. My wife has 200+ dives. We both were unsure if we had sufficient experience for the Galapagos. However, we have been to many different places, using all kinds of equipment, in very cold water and with zero visibility. [But] we were challenged by the strong current, too. My wife, an instructor, even aborted one dive because it was too much for her. The big fishes are where the currents are strong, so we expected tough dives from the very beginning. Moreover, Patricio did a good job to find the best ways to get through.
“我只想分享一下我在Aggressor船宿一周的经历,我不想对任何人进行评判。我是个PADI的Rescue Diver,我有170个船潜的经验。我太太有超过200次的潜水经验。我们两人都不确定我们有足够的经验去应付Galapagos的复杂海况。然后,我们去过很多不同的地方,用过各种装备,潜过很冷的海水,潜过零能见度的地方。但是,我们在Galapagos同样面对了强流的挑战。我太太,是Instructor,连她都因为无法应付那么复杂的环境放弃了其中一潜。要知道,大鱼都在有强流的地方,我们对海底强流有心理准备了。而且,Patricio那时干得不错,他找到一个正确的方法让我们穿过洋流了。”
“I would not recommend the trip to anyone with significantly fewer than 200 dives, and some of those [should be] in stronger currents. The problem is no one tells this to the divers for business reasons. We had professionals among the guests with 4,000-plus dives, and they confirmed that the usual minimum requirement in ads is “50- plus” for difficult dives anywhere. This is definitely not sufficient.
“我不建议少于200潜经验的人去参加这个旅程,尤其其中一些潜点的洋流会更强劲。问题是,出于商业上的原因,没有人告诉那些潜水员这些困难。与我同行的游客中,有超过4000次潜水经验的职业潜水员,他们说,任何复杂的潜水点的广告上通常要求游客有最低有50次的潜水经验,这个要求,真的是不足够的。”
“And PADI et al. make it worse when they certify people as divemasters or even instructors with 60 or 120 dives, most of them in lakes or swimming pools. My wife’s instructor certification was worth nothing at Darwin’s Arch, where the current was so strong it twisted our reef hooks. The only thing that counts is experience, and this cannot be provided by the dive guides. However, only a few instructors I’ve seen tell their students bluntly about their capabilities and prevent them from overestimation. For the same reason - - the truth is bad for business.”
So what could have prevented this tragedy? Keep in mind I am not a very experienced diver (150 dives over 10years; 100 of them in the last six), but the following are my suggestions:
那,我们该怎么做,才能防止这种悲剧的发生?请紧记,我不是一个经验丰富的潜水员(至少在过去10年里有150次的潜水经验,其中过去六年中有100次)。以下,是我的建议:
1. The dive briefing and the dive plan could have been much more detailed.
潜水简报和潜水计划,本来应该尽量详细些。
2. The divemaster should do what he can to keep the group from getting as spread out as we did.
DM本应该把队伍拢在一起而不是象现实一样那么分散。
3. We should not have gone beyond the 90-foot limit given in the topside briefing; we may have avoided the heavy current, as the other group of divers apparently did.
我们本不该超过90呎深度的,在船上已经做过简报了。我们本该避开那些强流,正如另外一组潜水员那样。
4. The Aggressor fleet - - in fact, any liveaboard based there - - should make it abundantly clear that Galapagos dives are for advanced divers only.
Aggressor公司,作为一个船宿基地,应该非常清晰明了告诉大家,只有资深潜水员才能去Galapagos潜水。
5. A diver should be physically fit and free from any medication influence that may affect diving in such challenging waters.
为了应付如此复杂的水下情况,潜水员应该有强壮的身体,而且,没有任何影响潜水的疾病。
6. Buddies must stay together, in physical and visual proximity, in order to keep good communication.
潜伴,必须待在一起,确保身体之间的距离,目视之间的距离,确保能够互相沟通。
7. The liveaboard should find an easier spot for the first full dive, allowing divers to get more comfortable with the environment, their buddy and their equipment.
船宿主持方,应该找一个容易点的地方来完成第一个正式潜水,令潜水员能更适应当地的环境,他们的潜伴和他们的装备。
8. The boat should provide satellite-locating devices on all dives.
每一潜,船上都应该能提供卫星定位地点。
9. Divers should carry an easily activated noise maker that’s clearly heard underwater.
潜水员应该都随身携带一个能在水下发出清晰可听见的大声音的东西。