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Old 25-09-2014, 06:09   #16
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Re: Noah Cullen lost overboard from s/v Jubilee off Key Largo

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A real tragedy. If I'm not mistaken, there are few if any known lightning fatalities in insurance stats on sailboats. (I believe I read in BOAT US magazine somewhere)
I recall them saying that the risk in powerboats was much greater.

Since he was inside, are we speculating that a direct lightning hit electrocuted him and also blew a hole in boat, or blew out a throughhull? Yikes if so on having both of the worst luck scenarios for lightning strikes.
I believe his boat had encapsulated ballast. If it had no primary down conductor, mast to keel, or mast to external grounding plate, there is a possibility that a side flash in the cabin is what got him. It could have also side flashed through the hull. Impossible to say and they are not planning on recovering the vessel so we will never truly know.......
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Old 25-09-2014, 08:32   #17
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Re: Noah Cullen lost overboard from s/v Jubilee off Key Largo

I wonder if the divers who made the dive were able to do any checking of the hull for evidence which might indicate a direct lightning hit. Hopefully, if so, they will share it.
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Old 25-09-2014, 09:14   #18
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Re: Noah Cullen lost overboard from s/v Jubilee off Key Largo

Looks like they had good cameras and good visibility. I would hope they did a general once-over of the hull.

Props to them for going down 300 feet to recover a body. That's not a fun task.
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Old 25-09-2014, 10:30   #19
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Re: Noah Cullen lost overboard from s/v Jubilee off Key Largo

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Props to them for going down 300 feet to recover a body. That's not a fun task.
+1. Serious depth.


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Old 25-09-2014, 16:53   #20
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Re: Noah Cullen lost overboard from s/v Jubilee off Key Largo

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I wonder if the divers who made the dive were able to do any checking of the hull for evidence which might indicate a direct lightning hit. Hopefully, if so, they will share it.

You rack up deco time pretty quick at 300 ft, bottom time is limited, looked like they were on rebreathers which helps, but still no time to sight see
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Old 25-09-2014, 17:04   #21
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Re: Noah Cullen lost overboard from s/v Jubilee off Key Largo

In a time where you read, see, and hear about how selfish humanity is on a whole.... Volunteers like these tech divers pop up out of the grey cloud...

Amazingly cool... Bravo!
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Old 25-09-2014, 19:17   #22
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Re: Noah Cullen lost overboard from s/v Jubilee off Key Largo

There is a more detailed story in the Miami Herald.
Remains found in sunken boat in Keys by tech divers believed to be Noah Cullen | The Miami Herald

The divers did not recover the body, just "tissue samples" for DNA identification.
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Old 25-09-2014, 20:07   #23
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Re: Noah Cullen lost overboard from s/v Jubilee off Key Largo

What is the evidence for the killed by lightning statements? Did I miss something in the reports? Not arguing - just curious.

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Old 26-09-2014, 06:15   #24
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Re: Noah Cullen lost overboard from s/v Jubilee off Key Largo

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What is the evidence for the killed by lightning statements? Did I miss something in the reports? Not arguing - just curious.

Mark
Probably because there were severe lighting storms, his body was reportedly found in the cabin and DNA samples will confirm or deny (perhaps killed by the strike) and the boat slowly sunk (perhaps pin holes).

I suspect the assumptions are because lighting fits the bill better than most other scenarios.

*If he died of natural causes the boat would be afloat.

*If he was not dead he likely would have escaped the cabin, especially on a slowly sinking boat.

We will never know the actual cause of events unless the boat is recovered but lightning seems the likely explanation and I suspect that is why it is being bandied about..
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Old 26-09-2014, 06:54   #25
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Re: Noah Cullen lost overboard from s/v Jubilee off Key Largo

Not sure if it had been said, but if his boat was hit by lightning, coudlnt he have been unconscious but still alive, while his boat slowly sank with him in it. Its a shame the person who saw his boat wallowing, didnt go for a closer look,,,

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Old 26-09-2014, 07:04   #26
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Re: Noah Cullen lost overboard from s/v Jubilee off Key Largo

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...if the guy was so "survival conscious" he knew to stay inside the cone of protection so doubtful lightning got him and the boat.
The cone of protection is a myth according to the National Lightning Safety Institute.
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Old 26-09-2014, 08:30   #27
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Re: Noah Cullen lost overboard from s/v Jubilee off Key Largo

I'm surprised the didn't do a recovery, I would have thought that was the point?
I wouldn't even think it would be that hard to bring the boat up enough to do a body recovery with normal Scuba, anybody think they couldn't get a hook into the rigging?
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Old 26-09-2014, 09:22   #28
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Re: Noah Cullen lost overboard from s/v Jubilee off Key Largo

Recovering a boat at 300' is no easy task and this sounded like a volunteer effort. A 300' foot tech dive is very difficult. Trying to handle a body that is decomposing and get it in a body bag and then bring it up is even more dangerous. The family got their answer about their son. While it would be good to know the exact cause of death, some things remain a mystery. Why make it a multiple fatality to ease some inquiring minds?
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Old 26-09-2014, 09:26   #29
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Re: Noah Cullen lost overboard from s/v Jubilee off Key Largo

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Not sure if it had been said, but if his boat was hit by lightning, coudlnt he have been unconscious but still alive, while his boat slowly sank with him in it. Its a shame the person who saw his boat wallowing, didnt go for a closer look,,,

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No doubt I would have taken the tender over for a looksie.... All dependent on weather of course, but the half submerged pic showed pretty benign conditions...

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I'm surprised the didn't do a recovery, I would have thought that was the point?
I wouldn't even think it would be that hard to bring the boat up enough to do a body recovery with normal Scuba, anybody think they couldn't get a hook into the rigging?
Yea... I'm no recovery diver... er certified diver... er... non certified rec diver.... You get the point.... Not sure why a couple of bladders couldn't have been attached... tiny load for them...
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Old 26-09-2014, 12:19   #30
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Re: Noah Cullen lost overboard from s/v Jubilee off Key Largo

"Not sure why a couple of bladders couldn't have been attached... "

OK, try this exercise. Pick any 28' sailboat sitting on the hard. Now take a couple of 30-foot tow straps, and try to run them securely around and under the hull, and fasten on four duffel bags (to emulate lift bags) above the gunnels. Remember, everything must be absolutely secure and in balance, because if it slips out, it is gone for good.

Now clock yourself, see how long that exercise took, and compare it to the bottom time, decompression time, from the dive tables. Add five or ten minutes or more, to compensate for the extra time you would have first spent trying to penetrate the boat & evaluate the situation inside.

And remember...there's probably some sail and rigging flapping around trying to entrap you as you move around the boat, and you need some safety margin for untangling in case that happens.

"Wet" divers at 300 feet? I don't think there's such a thing as "just another few minutes" for them.
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