Ice diving fatalities in Iowa

[LKunze]

From the Star Tribune. No details released though.

[jasondbaker]

My condolences to the family and friends. I hope they release more details about the accident so we can at least learn something from this tragedy.

[DanL]

Very bad news.
Just completed ice diving cert. A few things from the story are telling.
"...found when they didn't show up for a ride..." indicates they had no surface support/line tender/safety diver.
"...found thirty feet apart..." indicates they weren't tethered to each other.
"...found under the ice..." and apart from each other probably indicates they had no safety line back to the hole.
I was amazed in my first ice dives that the hole is almost totally invisible, even when you are within a few feet of it. Without a safety line to get you back you are screwed!
Also, an experienced diver/instructor started shivering while waiting in the water to start a dive. He said he was OK and headed down with another diver. A few minutes later the safety line went slack, we got three pulls - SOS, and yanked them in FAST. He got a severe leg cramp from the cold and couldn't swim at all. No surface suport and he would have been screwed.
Bottom line - Do not ice dive without training, proper equipment and qualified surface support!

[freedivernd]

That ice diving is very risky business as I'm sure you found out Dan while getting certified. It's easy to speculate but when I read about the guy getting so chilled and a bad leg cramp makes me wonder if his heart/circulation is working right.

Fred

[tcjtn0]

That is awful about those two divers that died. Why would *ANYONE* go down without surface tenders etc...
Say Dan, did you finish this weekend??? The reason I asked I was supposed to go on Sunday, but with that wind chill....
NO WAY!!!! I don't think I could stand out in that wind being a tender.
Congrats on completing the class. I am waiting to get cert. with SD&T.

Thanks...Jean

[DanL]

Jean - we went out Sat and Sun. Did 5 dives. It was -2F when I got there Sunday, high of 4F. Fair wind. In the water was great. On the surface, miserable, everything was frozen solid. Dipped frozen gear in the 33F water to thaw it!
Great fun.