Comment posted Diving, the SS Breda and Ardmucknish Bay by Dr Douglas McKenzie.
I’m sure Martin said more than that!
Divers breathe using SCUBA which is basically the same as firemen use when entering burning buildings filled with smoke. Their air supply is completely independent of the surrounding environment. Thus, even if there was a high level of CO2 in the water it would not affect the diver’s breathing at all. The other effect that CO2 could have is to reduce the pH of the water but again this would have no effect on a diver.
I’ve seen footage of divers working in very low pH environments where there is no oxygen at all.
Whatever the reason for the sad loss of this diver, I would very much doubt it had anything to do with the ongoing experiment and a lot more to do with the fact that the Breda is an unstable wreck that has already claimed the lives of a number of divers over the years.
Recent comments by Dr Douglas McKenzie
- Rustle with Russell
More utter rubbish from Lynda Henderson. Have you actually spoken to Bob Allen? Whoever told you the story sold you a pup and in your arrogance you cannot admit to be wrong so you make up this story that he was persuaded not to resign.Your position is completely untenable.
- Russell back in the bathtub, now trying to sink Keith Brown’s boat
I’m afraid you condemn yourself by your own words. I don’t think that anyone reading what you have written here and the language you have used would conclude anything other than that you have a deep dislike for Mr Russell and that dislike is leading you to basically lose all sense of either proportion or impartiality. It doesn’t matter how well (or otherwise) you know Mr Russell you are clearly exercised by your interpretation of his actions and it is leading you well beyond the pale in what I would consider fair comment.This vendetta against Mr Russell and the SNP is destroying FA’s credibility and I have to confess that I’m seriously considering whether or not to continue reading FA (which will cheer Malcolm up if nothing else). I for one am becoming increasingly disenchanted by the constant negativity and sheer nastiness that has crept into this blog. I say that with a lot more sorrow than anger because I think that FA could have been great and indeed still could but there has to be a degree of balance, civility and indeed humour. All we are getting here is bile and it is causing me heartburn.
- Russell back in the bathtub, now trying to sink Keith Brown’s boat
To be honest, this post clearly shows that you are speaking from your personal dislike of Mr Russell rather than an unbiased analysis of the man. Phrases such as “publicity hungry coward” are well beyond what is reasonable comment. - Russell back in the bathtub, now trying to sink Keith Brown’s boat
You don’t seem to understand the separation of a MSP’s duty to his or her constituency and their responsibilities as a Government Minister.Yet again, this is another instance where a member of the Government can do no right: speak up and be condemned as “desperate” or stay silent and be accused of not serving your constituents’ interests.
It is just as well that Mr Russell has broad shoulders!
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I’m sure Martin said more than that!
Divers breathe using SCUBA which is basically the same as firemen use when entering burning buildings filled with smoke. Their air supply is completely independent of the surrounding environment. Thus, even if there was a high level of CO2 in the water it would not affect the diver’s breathing at all. The other effect that CO2 could have is to reduce the pH of the water but again this would have no effect on a diver.
I’ve seen footage of divers working in very low pH environments where there is no oxygen at all.
Whatever the reason for the sad loss of this diver, I would very much doubt it had anything to do with the ongoing experiment and a lot more to do with the fact that the Breda is an unstable wreck that has already claimed the lives of a number of divers over the years.
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It is very sad. The Breda is justifiably a very popular dive site. It has been many years since a diver was lost there. The tide was incredibly high, and there are many other factors that could contribute to this tragic loss.
Some bubbles of CO2 across the other side of the bay against the tide.. not even plausible.
What may need review is the stability of this wreck now – with the number of divers visting her every year, and the length of time she has been down there, her extremely delicate state means it may be time to look at making it impossible to access any internal areas now.
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Diving as with so many other adventure sports has inherent hazards and risks…some times experience and mitigation are simply not enough..very sad. I am sure the man knew the risks…he would not have been there if he did not.
Review of the stability is worth what…? more restraints on adventure sports…leave the wreck be, we already have so many HSE regulations taking over our personal freedoms we do not need any more. Licencing for sailors next, then turnstiles at the bottom of rock faces and the hills…let the divers decide.
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tragically the divers body has been recovered.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5h6Tglz_OUyT5YZIcH84v8wSMVkhA?docId=N0042821336722780581A
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Very very sad loss. This unstable wreck needs to be closed off to divers for the foreseable future. Shifting tides, silt, unstable wreck, unstable machinery , tyres, this is an underwater confined space. Not suitable for entry. Consideration must be given to specialist underwater demolition, before any further lives are lost.At one time the wreck contained phials of mercury, and leather. these are no longer there. Close this dive site down.
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The details surrounding this unfortunate accident have not yet been made public and so it would be wrong to jump to conclusions about the state of this wreck. There are many reasons for diving accidents but entrapment is relatively rare. I would suggest that the Breda is, in fact, a very safe wreck and a nice dive. There is little reason to go inside the holds and I doubt very much if many of the people who dive it do little more than swim round/over it. Accidents like this attract a lot of media attention but are uncommon. I have done a number of studies on the risks and safety records of many types of diving. The risk to your health is over ten times higher driving to the dive site than the actual dive itself. I’d rather my sons were diving the Breda than riding a motorbike!
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