Diver Records Doom | Last Moments
What’s it like to see through the eyes of a man looking at death?
“David John Shaw (20 July 1954 – 8 January 2005) was an Australian scuba diver, technical diver, and airline pilot for Cathay Pacific, flying the Lockheed L-1011 Tristar, then the 747-400, and then the A330-300, A340-300, and A340-600. He flew for Cathay Pacific from 1989 until his death in 2005. Before flying for Cathay Pacific he flew for Missionary Aviation Fellowship in Papua New Guinea and Tanzania. He also flew agricultural aircraft in South Australia and New South Wales.
Shaw died on 8 January 2005 while endeavoring to recover the body of Deon Dreyer.
Shaw recorded his dive with an underwater camera, which allowed researchers to determine that he suffered from respiratory issues due to the high pressure. Shaw ran into difficulties when the body unexpectedly began to float. Shaw had been advised by various experts that the body would remain negatively buoyant because the visible parts were reduced to the skeleton. However, within his wetsuit, Dreyer’s corpse had turned into a soap-like substance called adipocere, which floats. Shaw had been working with both hands, and so had been resting his can light on the cave floor. The powerful underwater lights that cave divers use are connected by wires to heavy battery canisters, normally worn on the cave diver’s waist, or sometimes attached to their tanks. Normally he would have wrapped the wire behind his neck, but he was unable to do so; the lines from the body bag appear to have become entangled with the light head, and the physical effort of trying to free himself led to his death. Three days later, both of the bodies floated up to near the surface as the dive team was retrieving their equipment.
The dive on which Shaw died was the 333rd of his career. At the time of his world record setting dive, he had been diving for a little over five years.”
More on Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Shaw_(diver)
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@Qxir
February 8, 2026 at 11:19 pm
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@James-j7s1m
February 8, 2026 at 11:19 pm
That was utterly stupid! At the first sign of trouble had he aborted he could say, I gave it my best try and let it go at least learn from their mistakes and accomplished it sans a death.
@melissagreen_
February 8, 2026 at 11:19 pm
It was basically a reenactment.
@iStillHaveAVCR
February 8, 2026 at 11:19 pm
those goggles 😱
@tacosalad117
February 8, 2026 at 11:19 pm
What a senseless death. "Recovery dive"? Just leave that shit where it rests. It's not bothering anybody down there lol
@JustAguyX3
February 8, 2026 at 11:19 pm
R.I.P Dave Shaw
@psilowtv
February 8, 2026 at 11:19 pm
Thats not narcosis
@mathaijacob1345
February 8, 2026 at 11:19 pm
Is the raw footage Dave recorded anywhere?
@JBobinson
February 8, 2026 at 11:19 pm
3:02 yowzers she mustve been cold
@Edensyr
February 8, 2026 at 11:19 pm
Rest in peace David Shaw, you great soul.
@jambomaltido
February 8, 2026 at 11:19 pm
I think what Dave Shaw did was a sentimental mistake. Dryer's parents already knew exactly where his body was and Dave Shaw had his own family to worry about. A foolish (and somewhat arrogant) waste of life.
@jesstruth7
February 8, 2026 at 11:19 pm
This is so bothersome to me! A man dies retrieving a DEAD” body so that the body can be laid to rest???? Wow
@viszke2412
February 8, 2026 at 11:19 pm
The best thing about diving is that I don't have to do it and can stay on land
@PixelatedFishesALT
February 8, 2026 at 11:19 pm
He brought him back at the cost of his life though, kept his promise.
@cat22_a1
February 8, 2026 at 11:19 pm
Why were they not using mixed gases? A mixture of Helium sand Oxygen would have prevented Nitrogen Narcosis. The bottom line is that if you plan to dive to such deep depths you need some specialized training and equipment.
@FizzleFX
February 8, 2026 at 11:19 pm
He asked his dive computer he wanted to ascend.
The computer responded:
"I'm sorry Dave, i can't let you do that…"
@Grifters_Be_Gay
February 8, 2026 at 11:19 pm
Shaw wanted a reason to do this dive. He used their sons body as his reason, which they all knew. Most of the general public doesn't know that, though.
@Therealdumbassname
February 8, 2026 at 11:19 pm
2:39 the submarine video on the U.S.S Thresher said the test depth was 300 meters and he was actively diving at 270?
@IamNo1Now
February 8, 2026 at 11:19 pm
If you’ve ever watched the documentary “Dave Not Coming Back”, the entire video of his rescue dive is there. Dave is nothing short of a badass hero. Period. He deserves so much more than he ever got to see.
I’m a veteran combat medic, and nothing I’ve ever been through personally has ever given me anxiety like sitting through that video. It is absolutely terrifying, for lack of a better word. I’m not afraid of much, but David Shaw was on another level. He even made it clear that he didn’t want anyone coming for him if something happened, and chose to go the last, deepest leg alone to keep Don from being in further danger… and with this video only giving a shorter version of his story, it does leave out that they only really found Dave and Deion by pure coincidence. They were pulling lines and equipment up, and Dave had managed to hook himself(or tangled?) back into the line after getting tangled with Deion… so because they had to pull the extra tanks and lines, ended up pulling the two of them with it. Watching their reactions in real time, as they realize Dave is attached, THEN realize he has Deion with him is an incredibly emotional moment.
As far as the rescue…
Just hearing his breathing change, against the backdrop of the most deafening silence you’ll ever hear, watching the very obvious decline in his cognitive abilities, his decision making… He falls more than once, as well as drops his scissors multiple times, drops the flashlight/torch… it sounds exaggerated, cuz you’re just watching what is in front of him, you’re not magically inside his head, or hearing his thoughts, but you can absolutely watch and recognize his decline in 100% real time. You know what he’s thinking through the whole thing. You understand what he’s doing, needs to do, and why it alters. You’re just as confused as he is when you see the line, see him holding the scissors, and know he needs to cut it. It’s right there, but like a bad dream, it just won’t happen. But it does nothing to assuage that sinking, sickening, almost debilitating dread that sets in as you watch on helplessly from the other side of forever.
Totally off the wall statement, but, I was so pissed off that it was called “Dave Not Coming Back”. It just made me so irrationally angry that it was called that. Then, about 3/4 through the doc, the grease board is brought out of the water, and just an amazing piece of film, but seeing everyone react, and seeing the words written on the board, Jesus man… but it hits so hard.
Sorry for the rant, but I felt the need to share my experience with this documentary. If you like anything whatsoever slightly relevant to anything diving, rescuing, adrenaline, hero’s, crazy deaths… please go check it out. Just one of the most raw but impactful things I’ve ever seen. 🤘🖕
@FlawlessRhythmGG
February 8, 2026 at 11:19 pm
May we always remember Dave's overwhelming bravery and selflessness. What a wonderful man and it's a devastating loss. I got very sad watching this and I'm usually unmoved by stories like this. I'm just glad that his effort was not in vain and the family was able to lay their sons body to rest after 10 grueling years.
@Kenny-mg1bn
February 8, 2026 at 11:19 pm
Rip ❤️🙏🙏🙏🙏
@jacobwagner8984
February 8, 2026 at 11:19 pm
I wish that once Dave realized that the body was in a different position than anticipated and the body bag not working, he would have went up right then and there and reassessed the plan
@JMUDoc
February 8, 2026 at 11:19 pm
Dave died because he would routinely loop his accessory cables around the back of his neck, but for this dive, there was a camera on top of his helmet, so he had to put his light off to one side, on the ground. The cable got tangled in the line he had put down to lead him to the body, and everything snowballed from there.
He was basically trying to play cat's cradle at a depth of 260m+, while drunk and hyperventilating.
@findlaycoates3442
February 8, 2026 at 11:19 pm
So he'd had the equivalent of 16 Martinis
@steverice7546
February 8, 2026 at 11:19 pm
Nice middle school wall clock.
@steverice7546
February 8, 2026 at 11:19 pm
Making that promise to the dudes parents that he would recovery the dead guys body was what killed him..
@jkm1611
February 8, 2026 at 11:19 pm
I spent an hour wahtching that dreadful doc. Watse of an hour. You explained this far better.
@Arthurzeiro
February 8, 2026 at 11:19 pm
I don't get the attachment people have to a loved one's dead body. Once life leaves its carrying vessel it's over, why risk life and limb for something so useless? I'll make sure to leave in writing that no such a thing should ever be done for me
@certifiedspacebisexual
February 8, 2026 at 11:19 pm
the fact that—in his last moments—Dave decided to keep his promise and hooked Deon’s body to his own is incredibly noble.
@statelyelms
February 8, 2026 at 11:19 pm
Heh. Bushman's hole
@JATgear
February 8, 2026 at 11:19 pm
I don’t understand why he needed a body bag. Wasn’t the dive suit doing that job?
@lovelylipbonesouwwwwwwwolv2198
February 8, 2026 at 11:19 pm
This is so horrifying
@RickyIcecubes
February 8, 2026 at 11:19 pm
Mission Accomlished! Well done, sir. Requiescat In Pace
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