NOT BUYING IT Published March 2, 2012 By Master Sgt. Richard J. Hoefling Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla. Via e-mail -- I read the article about the scuba student almost blacking out ("Waiting to Inhale," July/August 2011 Torch, cover story), and I cannot believe this story took place as presented. First off, as a professional scuba instructor I have never left any student behind no matter what the situation (so if the instructor actually did this, he needs to be under review). And the lieutenant didn't seem to know the proper names for his scuba equipment. So I have to ask if these two young officers were ever in an actual scuba class! The author also claims that if his partner had worn gloves, the sea urchin would not have punctured her hand. Well, I was stationed in Okinawa years ago, and we had to wear combat boots with steel liners there at low tide to walk the reefs because we had occasions where sea urchins had punctured normal boots; so I don't see how the gloves he described would have done any good here. On the medical side, if the victim had blacked out at 30 feet, then drowning would have been the last problem for her to worry about. At that depth she could have sustained an air embolism by not exhaling the compressed air in her lungs as she was brought to the surface. There are other "holes" in this story as well -- from where they supposedly dove to how the lieutenant performed mouth-to-mouth on the surface of the water. If ever I read a scuba story that just doesn't sound right, then this is the one!