We lost one of our own today

[Maverick]

Rest in PEACE, When Muk is reopened I will dive it for You Jake, I know how important it was to you to save the site.

BJ

[Sockmonkey]

The words are difficult. A rare condition for me.

His enthusiasm was infectious. Jake was the type of guy who was soooo nice that he could make you feel a little bad about yourself.

I'm glad to have had a few hours with him on a couple occasions as he hung out at my house while I packed. I knew him a brief time but I'm going to miss him terribly.

-Eric

[Sounder]

Reading Jake's post about the trials and tribulations of his dives made me laugh with the knowledge that I had some of my own errors early on. As entertaining as his posts were, I also looked forward to posts from him that said, "I got it!" And I knew that day would come. His enthusiasm for diving would keep him going even through tough dives where it seemed like nothing worked the way it was intended.

It saddens me that his infectious spirit is now gone. At the same time, I feel lucky to have been influenced by him in the short time I "knew" him on the board here.

RIP Jake.

And my thoughts are with all of your friends and family, and those of you with Jake at the end.

(completely sobbing while I write this)

Yeah, I was waiting for those posts too... more than anyone!

Today he "got it." Everything worked; everything came together. They made their plan, they did their checks, they descended without incident, they navigated, they hit their targets, they saw everything they'd hoped for. Unfortunately I get to write the dive report, though I wasn't on the dive.

Today, "it clicked" for Jake. Today was the best dive he'd ever had. Today would have brought one amazing dive report had he been around to write it, though I doubt it would have been as funny - there wasn't much to laugh at today. No beaver-tail ass-snatching hood incidents, no reg issues, no communication "how do you tell your buddy you're hungry and cold" questions... today it worked.

God damn it, today it worked; today, he "got it."

[airsix]

His enthusiasm was infectious. Jake was the type of guy who was soooo nice that he could make you feel a little bad about yourself.

He was that nice. Eric, Jake was very appreciative of your friendship. I know because he told me.

-Ben

[Bric Martin]

Very sad. My condolences to his friends, family, and the others at the scene.

[Zen Diver]

I'm crying as I write this. I never met Jake face to face, but through this board I sure felt like I knew him. Isn't it something how "family" develops even tho you might not know what someone looks like?

Thank you to Doug, Lynne and Jake's buddy. You're all in my thoughts tonight.

-Valerie

[Joshua Smith]

I'm really torn up over this- I realized tonight that I was standing right next to Jake for over an hour at the Mukilteo City Council meeting on Monday, and I never figured out who he was- I got there just as it started, and didn't get the chance to meet the people I didn't know. I'm pretty sure he was working the counter at his place of employment on at least a few occasions I went in there. There was a big, funny guy working the counter, at any rate, and I think it was him, based on our PMs. I'm not good at recognizing people "out of context", but I'm pretty damn sure he made me laugh before he ever discovered SCUBA diving.

I went back and read all of his posts on this site again, I went to the blog he wrote with his buddy, and read everything there...what a loss. Many of us join these sites with lots of enthusiasm for our new-found love of the underwater world, but Jake was a real gem- I don't think anyone has ever been as thrilled as he was to be underwater. I truly hope he had his best dive, ever, today. It's really impressive to see how touched so many of us are by his tragic death, after knowing him for too short a time.

[Nwbrewer]

Wow. I'm pretty much at a loss. Big Jake's enthusiasm was infectious, and we had some great conversations the few times we met. He will be greatly missed. My thoughts and Prayers go out to his family and friends, and those who did what they could for him.

Jake

[Sounder]

Today we lost a good one.

It is with deep sadness and tremendous grief that I write this. Several hours ago, I lost a friend. Jake Rotman Koenen was know on the forums as “BigFameOne” and “BigFame.”

The dive:

I arrived at Cove 2 in West Seattle with my son about 1pm when Jake and his good friend Sean were starting to gear up. I was not diving today. I was there to say hi to them and have lunch with my friends Lynne and Nils. Sean and Jake were gearing up and going over and over on their dive plan, their gas plan, their turn and rock bottom pressures, the navigation, communication – everything. They had a solid plan which was to drop in at the beach and swim down the boundary line to about 40 fsw, then turn to head across the cove to the jackstraw pilings to look for critters and then onto the Honey Bear wreck. At the stairs, they geared up, checked themselves, checked each other, and then I lead them through a full “head-to-toe” final safety check. In the water they completed a full safety check again.

They descended without incident, and followed the plan. Knowing the site well and watching their bubbles, I was able to tell that they had nailed their plan perfectly. They were navigating well, they were together, and they were finding all the things they had set out to find. They were nearing what I would estimate was their turn pressure and then started heading for shore. A minute later they surfaced and then beached at the rocks by the Honey Bear.

From the parking lot, where I was standing with Lynne and Nils, I gave them the hand-on-head “ok” signal and did not get a response. We then heard Sean say “hey!” to a bystander and the three of us immediately headed that direction. Upon reaching the scene, Sean said “Jake was just talking to me and said he wasn’t feeling good, I think he just lost consciousness.” I directed the bystander to call 911 (which he already had), I gave my baby to Nils and asked him to stay top-side to help direct the EMS, and Lynne (an ER doctor) and I (a medic) hurried down the rocks to Jake and Sean.

Upon reaching Jake, I checked for a pulse and was unable to get one. Immediately I told Sean (a firefighter/EMT) to give rescue breaths and I started compressions. During the next breaths I cut Jake out of his harness, then in the next sequence I cut down his wetsuit. We continued CPR. EMTs arrived with O2 and a bag-valve mask, then we placed him on a backboard as medics and fire arrived. I called the haul up the hill, moving him about 2 feet at a time and then repositioning. The rocks are large and slippery so we had to continuously reposition. Jake is also a big guy so it took more people than a small person would have required. We continued CPR all the way up the rocks as best we could. At the grass the paramedics and firefighters took over with Lynne watching everything like a hawk… Lynne watched over Jake ensuring he got every chance possible. Eventually they loaded Jake into the ambulance and headed for Harborview, still continuing CPR.

At 4:18pm I received a call from the Fire Department letting me know they had ceased resuscitation efforts. The fire department brought their “A-game” but it wasn’t enough. Jake was on his way to heaven.

Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor, but I know a little about this stuff. I will save you the details about the CPR process, but from the signs we had to work with, it appears Jake had pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs which is not the saltwater he was diving in). This could have been combined with an MI (heart attack) or an MI could have been the cause itself. At this time the medical condition which caused Jake’s death is unknown. We will obtain more information once the medical examiner has an opportunity to examine Jake and determine what caused his death. We are, however, confident that this was not an injury due to poor planning, poor emergency management, or poor skills. This was a medical condition which may, or may not, have been exacerbated by diving, which presumably started at depth but became problematic at the surface after Jake had thumbed the dive (just has he should have) upon feeling "off" and completed an ascent. This was not a "dive accident." He was calm and talking at the surface before losing consciousness and was able to describe his symptoms to his dive buddy Sean.

The dive report as reported from his dive buddy:

The dive was going well and they were finding all the things they wanted to see. It was a good dive, a safe dive. At the Honey Bear, Jake “thumbed it” signaling that he wanted to ascend immediately. At the surface they got to the rocks where Jake complained of “not feeling good at all.” Jake went on to say he felt “like he couldn’t catch his breath.” Sean called to a bystander to call 911 (which he did). Then Lynne, Nils, and I walked up and Sean told us that he just “lost consciousness.” We ran down the rocks, checked for a pulse, and started CPR.

Examining his gear and bottom timer, max depth was 46 feet, and bottom time was 28 minutes. Jake was on 32.1% nitrox in a HP130, beginning with 3500psi and ending with 1700psi left upon surfacing. All gear was intact, regulators functioned fine, wing was fully inflated (inflated at the surface), nothing out of the ordinary or remarkable with the gear, tank valve was on and turned back about 1/3 turn. I examined the gear with Seattle Patrol Harbor Patrol before they took the gear further examination. This information is my direct observations.

About Jake:

Jake was about the most enthusiastic new-diver I’d ever met. He asked every question he could have and he thirsted for more knowledge. The tragedy of not being able to say "he should have known better" is compounded by the fact that I haven't seen someone THIS excited about diving in a very long time. I saw a lot of me, in him.

Jake wanted to know everything about diving. He loved hearing stories, he loved reading maps and site descriptions. Jake loved diving – quickly it became his passion.

Just this morning I was talking to him about his up-coming REEF critter ID class. He was making FLASH CARDS to study in preparation for Janna's critter ID class!! Nobody does that!! I emailed her to tell her about him, and his flash cards (and his devotion to it), this morning. He took and passed his nitrox class from Scott Christopher with flying colors because he missed the opportunity to do it with the dive shop he certified with. He did the class when he couldn't dive (due to a foot injury) because he wanted to do SOMETHING related to diving and had a thirst for knowledge. He did countless rock-bottom and gas planning questions/problems that Eric (sockmonkey) and I gave to him. He could calculate ENDs and put together full-blown deco plans for any dive and with any gasses you gave him. Just for fun, Jake put together a dive plan, with full gas plan and deco, with contingency plans, for an OC penetration of the Britannic... and it was correct.

Jake knew his stuff better than many technical divers, and he was only 3 dives post-OW certification. He just had a thirst for knowledge and a passion for diving like I've never seen in anyone else... yet he was VERY conservative and took the angle of "I can learn anything and everything now, but I’ll get to experience it 'in time' when I'm ready and when those I look-up to think I'm ready."

Recently, Jake was at the Mukilteo City Council meeting to support the effort to get a dive site re-opened - a site he'd never dove. He told Janna that he was happy to get “thrown out” if it meant we got the pictures we needed (in the case that pictures were, for some reason, not allowed). Jake offered to run the boat for us whenever we needed it. Jake attended UTD Tech 1 lectures and Intro-to-Tech lectures to help with any heavy lifting, all just for the opportunity to listen and learn.

It's tragic, and unfortunately for me, I knew first-hand how passionate he was - I knew how happy diving made him. I talked with him on a daily basis via email answering what seemed like millions of questions (good questions too!) and in the evenings on the phone helping him adjust things, make his plans, and take him through site maps. The dude had Redondo and Cove 2 memorized, including the parts he "wouldn't see for quite a while until he's ready."

Jake was the kind of guy you could count on. If you needed help with something he was there to help, and he showed up with tools and beer. You needed a pick me up, he had a funny story for you. He’d challenge me with questions – HARD questions!! He challenged technical instructors like Brian Wiederspan and Scott Christopher with questions WAY beyond his certification level. Jake was a neat guy, and well liked.

Jake was a diver, and a damn fine diver. He was inexperienced, sure, but he was focused on gaining skill and experience. He was a damn fine 9-dive diver. He was anything but ignorant – he knew more about dive “stuff” than ANY OW certified diver I’ve ever met. I saw a lot of myself in Jake – passionate, involved, and interested.

I initially met Jake at 30fsw or so at the Honey Bear on his final certification dive for OW. I was diving with Claudette Dorsey and Scott Lundy at the time. There were two huge GPOs preparing to mate which I showed to him when his OW class showed up at the same site. Their instructor, Gerry, is also a friend of mine and it was cool to show his students something spectacular during their final certification dive. When we were done looking at the octopus, I directed him back to his OW class and his instructor Gerry who was right there with us (everyone looks the same in black drysuits and canister lights). We met later on the surface and the mentor/mentee friendship bloomed.

Jake, we’re really going to miss you. We won’t forget you. You came into our community in a big way and you made MANY friends, even if only online. You are loved, and you will be used as an example of how a new diver should approach their new passion. I will miss you, bud. I’ll miss our phone calls, our IMs, and our emails. I’m going to miss seeing your face when you see new and exciting places and critters. I’m going to miss your questions and your jokes. I will miss you, my good friend.

So here’s a toast to you, BigFame. Cheers buddy – you earned it. You’ve inspired divers young and old, and you’ve got friends here who are going to miss you. You’re a neat guy, you “brought your own fun,” and we won’t soon forget you.

I won’t forget you and I will miss you terribly… I already do as I cry writing this. I’ve cried all afternoon and evening, and I’m sure I’ll be sad for some time to come. I really miss you, big guy. I was excited to hear you tell me about your dive and was looking forward to teasing you about missing your exit. I didn’t want to say goodbye like this. Please watch over the divers of the world, and please watch over me. I’ll be thinking of you when I’m blowing bubbles and you’ll be my buddy on all the dives I do.

Rest well, good friend. I know you’ll be on my wing for every dive I do.

[Sounder]

I'm in touch with those close to him. I've put his buddy in touch with Tom Nic. I will advise on any services as the arrangements are made. For now, please keep Jake, his dad & family, Sean, and the rest of us in your prayers.

Today sucks. This one cuts deep and it hurts.

[DiverDown]

Thanks for the report Doug. I cant even comprehend how hard it was for you to write it. No one will ever doubt what you or Lynn did was nothing short of professional. It is always sad and hard to deal with, especially with some one as enthusiastic as Jake. I feel like I lost a long lost friend even though I didn't know Jake personally.

[Pinkpadigal]

Thanks Doug, Sean and Lynne for doing everything you could.

I met Jake a few months ago on Scubaboard and then over the phone. He wasn't a certified diver yet, but he drove down to my shop, hung out on the couch and just talked about diving with me. It had been a long time since I met anyone as excited to get certifed as him.

Jake, I hope you are with the angels now, and your spirit is with all of us underwater. May God bless you and your family.

[Joshua Smith]

Thanks Doug, Sean and Lynne for doing everything you could.

I met Jake a few months ago on Scubaboard and then over the phone. He wasn't a certified diver yet, but he drove down to my shop, hung out on the couch and just talked about diving with me. It had been a long time since I met anyone as excited to get certifed as him.

Jake, I hope you are with the angels now, and your spirit is with all of us underwater. May God bless you and your family.

I'm amazed. He drove down to Puyallup just to hang out with you and talk about diving? I've been meaning to do that for years, now, Amy. He did it as a new diver. I'm humbled by that. It seems like this brand new diver loved diving more than all of us.

[spatman]

doug, thanks for that post. i know it must have been hard, but i'm sure it's cathartic in some ways too. for all of us.

[Sounder]

doug, thanks for that post. i know it must have been hard, but i'm sure it's cathartic in some ways too. for all of us.

It was very hard, but needed to be done. If there is speculation on any other sites, please feel free to re-post my post to clear up any questions. I can't do any more tonight. I've only posted here and on DMX.

This sucks.

[Romer Treece]

This day really sucks!!
I met Jake at the shop (NWSD) when he came in one day asking about scuba diving. He said he'd been to other shops but just felt like he got the run around from other salesmen. Upon meeting him I was immediately reminded of myself when I first started diving. He stayed in the shop for about 2 hours and we talked about diving. I told him of my first experiences and he shared with me his goals, fears, and curiosity of the underwater world. He is the type of person I thrived on talking to. Not to sell him gear, but to just share in experience. To share with someone my love of diving, and to explain to someone why I do what I do. We bonded instantly. Sadly I didn't get to see him through his OW class, but we shared emails constantly-he always had the heading "from the most annoying guy-it's Jake". He would ask me questions about equipment, training and diving in general, thinking he was annoying me but in all honesty, I loved talking to him. He is the kind of guy that reminds me why I love diving and why I love talking diving to people. We traded emails about what regs, wings, and backplates to buy, and when he finally purchased regs he emailed me, so excited, about the purchase he made. "It was exactly what you told me to get" he said, and he was floored to try them out. He would tell me of his dives and I loved every word, he had a way of telling a story! We made plans to go out soon for a beer at his favorite pub, then go out for a dive sometime after that. He was hesitant about asking me to go out diving with a "newbie" but I was looking forward to it. As I write through watery eyes, I am saddened that I will not get that chance for that beer, but he will be with me on every dive here on out!

Dan

[no excuses]

Daam what a loss, never did meet him but enjoyed reading his threads, thoughts and prayers to his family, friends, and those who did what they could for him.

stan

[Joshua Smith]

I'm in touch with those close to him. I've put his buddy in touch with Tom Nic. I will advise on any services as the arrangements are made. For now, please keep Jake, his dad & family, Sean, and the rest of us in your prayers.

Today sucks. This one cuts deep and it hurts.

Will do. I'd like to let his loved ones know how much he he meant to us.

[gcbryan]

Wow, I'm sad to hear this. I enjoyed his humorous style of writing. I think he lived just down the road from me. I'm sorry I never got to meet or dive with him.

[airsix]

Angels are never who you expect them to be, and they don't stay as long as we'd like them to.

But I hope everyone sees what I see. That in the short time Jake was with us he gave us a rebirth. He changed this club. Look at how his kindness, enthusiasm, humor, and humility has affected all of us. He set an amazing example - How we should treat each other, how we should thirst for knowledge, how we should share, and how much we should appreciate. I hope that in remembering Jake we will all strive to share more stories, be quick to help, be tolerant and kind, make friends of strangers, and revel in each moment we experience above and below the surface. If we all try to be a little more like Jake there will probably never be another locked thread or even a hurt feeling among us. It's a tough act to follow but following his example could only make this great community even better.

-Ben

[Aquanautchuck]

Thanks for the post Doug. I am very sure it was hard. I have in my 12 years diving never seen anyone like Jake make the diving that I have taken for granted so alive again. He got me and many others to start thinking back to when we were "that annoying newbie" and had a million questions. He enlivened a to be honest kind of dead board this winter and l looked forward to the continuing spell binding adventures of BigFameOne and his side kick. He told such a dame good story and he will be really missed by many, many dive friends that never had a chance to meet him. Go in Peace Jake.

[Jan K]

The book we all wanted to read :

[BASSMAN]

Wow! I just got a chance to get on the board and...Wow!
I'm all choked up, here at work, trying to hold back the tears...

BigFameOne (aka Jake) is,was and will continue to be a part of nwdiveclub. A great addition to the spirit of this crazy hobby we call scuba! I never got a chance to dive with or meet Jake in person, but his post were great to read and it is easy to see he loved diving and loved learning about diving.

My Prayers go out to his friends and family. The dive community has lost a good dive buddy. And I'm sure he meant so much more to his close friends and family.

I hope we can show our support "in numbers" as well as friends of Jake (aka BigFameOne), by showing up to his service.
Doug and Lyyne? Thank you for being there to do what you could. And to give us the first hand account of what actually happened. That helps so much!


To Jake,
I sure hope you can see our post from where you are now. You will be missed by several people.
And I'm glad to hear how every thing "worked" on this dive. I just wish you were here to post the report so we could have been there with you and had a good laugh to go with it.


Keith.

[Diver_C]

That is indeed unfortunate. RIP

[Tom Nic]

A beautiful and such a fitting tribute Jan - and one that pushed me over the edge to tears this morning. Grieve well folks. Grab the momements as you are able. Life is precious.