| Author | Message | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1933 Registered: 11-2008 |
Martin took just one breath. Soon after, he was dead. What happened? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 2437 Registered: 5-2003 |
Is Martin H/A/M? Are location or time period relevant? Is the breath directly or indirectly related to his death? Did he breath something in, or could he not breathe at all? | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1936 Registered: 11-2008 |
Is Martin H/A/M? Yes Are location or time period relevant? Yesish for both - just in general terms Is the breath directly or indirectly related to his death? Indirectly Did he breath something in Yes, or could he not breathe at all? No | ||
| Oisin (Oisin)
New member Username: Oisin Post Number: 284 Registered: 12-2008 |
Did he breathe in again after the "just one breath"? or was that his last breath? Did he breathe in a toxic gas? some other toxic material? Was his death at his own hands? suicide? murder? accidental? natural and expected? natural but unexpected? Was he accompanied at the time? could anyone have done anything to prevent his death? | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1938 Registered: 11-2008 |
Did he breathe in again after the "just one breath"? Yes or was that his last breath? No Did he breathe in a toxic gas? No some other toxic material? No Was his death at his own hands? No suicide? No murder? No accidental? This natural and expected? No natural but unexpected? No Was he accompanied at the time? Yes could anyone have done anything to prevent his death? Possibly | ||
| Oisin (Oisin)
New member Username: Oisin Post Number: 285 Registered: 12-2008 |
The cause of his death: falling from a height? drowning? electrocution? burning? loss of blood? shooting? poisoning? asphyxiation? heart attack? traffic accident? Was his reaction to the breath relevant? did he react to an odour? | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1943 Registered: 11-2008 |
The cause of his death: falling from a height? Yesish drowning? No electrocution? No burning? No loss of blood? No shooting? No poisoning? No asphyxiation? No heart attack? Possibly traffic accident? No Was his reaction to the breath relevant? Yes did he react to an odour? No | ||
| Gourami (Gourami)
Moderator Username: Gourami Post Number: 1062 Registered: 10-2008 |
Was he surprised into falling? Did he back off a high precipice? Or otherwise walk off the edge of something? Was he already falling when he breathed? Soon after= seconds? minutes? an hour or more? Did the breath set off a chain reaction? | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1945 Registered: 11-2008 |
Was he surprised into falling? No Did he back off a high precipice? No Or otherwise walk off the edge of something? No Was he already falling when he breathed? No Soon after= seconds? minutes? an hour or more? Minutes Did the breath set off a chain reaction? I am not sure whether "chain reaction" is a suitable term. And a BLOOPER - in my previous post, I answered "falling from a height" - yesish, while it should have been Yes, and "heart attack" - I answered Possibly, while it should have been No. Sorry for that. | ||
| Kalira (Kalira)
New member Username: Kalira Post Number: 343 Registered: 2-2009 |
Is it relevant from what height he fell? Height difference between curb and street level? Under 10 feet? Under 100 feet? Under 1000 feet? From approximate height of an airplane in flight? From the distance separating outer space and the ground? Did he fall on purpose? Is he at any point holding his breath? Is his occupation at all relevant to the situation in which he finds himself? | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1949 Registered: 11-2008 |
Is it relevant from what height he fell? Yep Height difference between curb and street level? Under 10 feet? Under 100 feet? Under 1000 feet? None of the above From approximate height of an airplane in flight? Yesish From the distance separating outer space and the ground? No idea where this begins? Did he fall on purpose? Yes Is he at any point holding his breath? Assume no Is his occupation at all relevant to the situation in which he finds himself? Yes | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 1549 Registered: 9-2009 |
Is he a skydiver? Did he fall from a plane? Other aircraft? Did he do it on purpose? Did he intend to die? did he take the one breath to calm himself? To pick up courage? To say something? To scream? | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1952 Registered: 11-2008 |
Is he a skydiver? Yes :-)) Did he fall from a plane? Yes, with a possible FA lurking Other aircraft? No Did he do it on purpose? Yes Did he intend to die? No did he take the one breath to calm himself? To pick up courage? To say something? To scream? No to rest | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 1552 Registered: 9-2009 |
Cool, another skydiving puzzle=) Did he jump? Did the jump start as a normal skydive? Or was there something wrong with the plane? Was there something wrong with his parachute? Or with him? Did he forget to open it? Or forget it altogether? | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1956 Registered: 11-2008 |
Cool, another skydiving puzzle=) In fact, it was you who inspired it in a quite lateral way - when I spoyle, I'll tell you how. Hope it won't deceive you Did he jump? Yes Did the jump start as a normal skydive? Yesish to yope, with svv of "normal skydive"; Or was there something wrong with the plane? No Was there something wrong with his parachute? No in the sense it was not malfunctioning Or with him? Yes Did he forget to open it? Yesish Or forget it altogether? No | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 1564 Registered: 9-2009 |
Did he jump out where he intended to? At the altitude he intended to? Was it a higher altitude than usual? Was he incapacitated somehow? Was it that one breath that sealed his fate? Did he breathe in something relevant? Did he breathe on something relevant? Did he dislocate a shoulder (very dangerous in skydiving)? Or become unconscious? | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1957 Registered: 11-2008 |
Did he jump out where he intended to? Yes At the altitude he intended to? Yes Was it a higher altitude than usual? Yes Was he incapacitated somehow? Yes Was it that one breath that sealed his fate? Yes Did he breathe in something relevant? Yes Did he breathe on something relevant? Not sure how you mean this Did he dislocate a shoulder (very dangerous in skydiving)? No Or become unconscious? Very likely | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 1565 Registered: 9-2009 |
Did he breathe: cabin air? Outside air? Breathing gas, from a cylinder or similar? Gas unfit for breathing? Was the air too thin for breathing? Did he have a breathing apparatus? Did it malfunction? By "breathe on something relevant" I meant if he exhaled onto (or into) something relevant, perhaps creating dew or frost that led to his problems. | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1958 Registered: 11-2008 |
Did he breathe: cabin air? Assume this Outside air? Breathing gas, from a cylinder or similar? And also this Gas unfit for breathing? No Was the air too thin for breathing? No Did he have a breathing apparatus? Yes Did it malfunction? Possibly By "breathe on something relevant" I meant if he exhaled onto (or into) something relevant, perhaps creating dew or frost that led to his problems. Ah, I see, In this case, the answer is No | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 1567 Registered: 9-2009 |
Did that breath hurt him somehow? Damage something? Did he jump together with someone else? Was anyone else jumping before or after him? Was it a record attempt? Was it a particularly deep breath? Relevant? | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1959 Registered: 11-2008 |
Did that breath hurt him somehow? Yes Damage something? No Did he jump together with someone else? Likely but irr Was anyone else jumping before or after him? Possibly for both, irr Was it a record attempt? No Was it a particularly deep breath? No Relevant? No | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 1569 Registered: 9-2009 |
Was he hurt by: inhaling something dangerous? If so: gas? Liquid? Solid? Did he immediately know he was hurt? Did he know how serious it was? Did he suffer from a pre-existing medical condition? Was the injury to his: mouth? Nose? Throat? Lungs? Heart? Circulatory system? Brain? Was he doing something relevant when taking the fateful breath? Would he have survived, had he just held his breath for a few seconds instead? | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1960 Registered: 11-2008 |
Was he hurt by: inhaling something dangerous? Yesish If so: gas? This Liquid? Solid? Did he immediately know he was hurt? Probably not Did he know how serious it was? If he knew he took this fatal breath, he would have known; for the purpose of this puzzle, let us assume he didn't realize he took it Did he suffer from a pre-existing medical condition? Likely but no need to find out which one; it is only relevant because it aggravated his situation Was the injury to his: mouth? Nose? Throat? Lungs? Heart? Circulatory system? Brain? In this case, this; however, it could have been any of the above Was he doing something relevant when taking the fateful breath? Assume yes Would he have survived, had he just held his breath for a few seconds instead? Possibly | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 1577 Registered: 9-2009 |
Had he been diving in the recent past? Did he get altitude sickness? did he inhale something different in this particular breath, than in the preceeding and following ones? Could someone else have inhaled it with no ill effects? Did it cause problems because of the altitude? Is he using breathing equipment not intended for this purpose? Would he have survived, had he not jumped? Would he have required treatment? | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1963 Registered: 11-2008 |
Had he been diving in the recent past? Possibly Did he get altitude sickness? No but getting very, very warm! did he inhale something different in this particular breath, than in the preceeding and following ones? Yes indeed Could someone else have inhaled it with no ill effects In the same situation, not likely? Did it cause problems because of the altitude? Yes Is he using breathing equipment not intended for this purpose? Not likely but possible Would he have survived, had he not jumped? Very likely Would he have required treatment? Yes | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 1585 Registered: 9-2009 |
Did he inhale medicine? Helium? Did he inhale the gas: for fun? For health? For intoxication? Would he have been fine, had he done the same thing at sea level? Was the gas pressurized? Did he inhale it improperly (without a pressure regulator, for instance), pressurizing his lungs? Did he get gas bubbles in his blood? In his brain? Or a blood clot? Or ruptured blood vessel? | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1965 Registered: 11-2008 |
Did he inhale medicine? No Helium? No Did he inhale the gas: for fun? For health? This-ish For intoxication? Would he have been fine, had he done the same thing at sea level? Absolutely Was the gas pressurized? I think yes Did he inhale it improperly (without a pressure regulator, for instance), pressurizing his lungs? No Did he get gas bubbles in his blood? Very likely In his brain? Yes Or a blood clot? No Or ruptured blood vessel? Not likely | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 1587 Registered: 9-2009 |
Was it pure oxygen? Or breathing gas rich in oxygen? Or is another gas relevant? If so, is it an elemental gas? Or a compound? Did he inhale it to stave off hypoxia? Was the cabin pressurized at the moment? Is depressurization of the cabin relevant? | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1967 Registered: 11-2008 |
Was it pure oxygen? Yes, he was breathing pure oxygen, but not in the fatal breath Or breathing gas rich in oxygen? DOYD of "rich" Or is another gas relevant? Yes If so, is it an elemental gas? Yes Or a compound? And also this, but I do not want to make it confusing. We should perhaps make clear which of the "breaths" are we talking about Did he inhale it to stave off hypoxia? Partly Was the cabin pressurized at the moment? Yes Is depressurization of the cabin relevant? No | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1968 Registered: 11-2008 |
Was it pure oxygen? Yes, he was breathing pure oxygen, but not in the fatal breath Or breathing gas rich in oxygen? DOYD of "rich" Or is another gas relevant? Yes If so, is it an elemental gas? Yes Or a compound? And also this, but I do not want to make it confusing. We should perhaps make clear which of the "breaths" are we talking about Did he inhale it to stave off hypoxia? Partly Was the cabin pressurized at the moment? Yes Is depressurization of the cabin relevant? No | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 1595 Registered: 9-2009 |
So he was breathing one gas for most of his breaths, and a different gas for the one fateful breath, correct? And both gases were different from normal air? Was he hurt by the interaction between the different gases? Did a chemical reaction occur? Was one of the gases unsafe to breathe at that altitude? Or was the combination of gases unsafe at that altitude? | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1972 Registered: 11-2008 |
So he was breathing one gas for most of his breaths, and a different gas for the one fateful breath, correct? Correct And both gases were different from normal air? No Was he hurt by the interaction between the different gases? No Did a chemical reaction occur? A reaction did occur, I am not sure whether we can call it chemical Was one of the gases unsafe to breathe at that altitude? Yesish to Yope Or was the combination of gases unsafe at that altitude? No | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 1597 Registered: 9-2009 |
So did he breathe pure oxygen for the most part, but took one breath of normal air? Did this breath introduce enough nitrogen into his circulatory system that bubbles formed when he exited the plane into the lower atmospheric pressure? Was there something wrong with his lungs? | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1973 Registered: 11-2008 |
So did he breathe pure oxygen for the most part, but took one breath of normal air? Exactly so Did this breath introduce enough nitrogen into his circulatory system that bubbles formed when he exited the plane into the lower atmospheric pressure? Spot on Was there something wrong with his lungs? Possibly but not so relevant | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 1602 Registered: 9-2009 |
Do we need to find out: how he got the breath of air? Was it by accident? Why he was jumping from that altitude? Anything else? | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1976 Registered: 11-2008 |
Do we need to find out: how he got the breath of air? Not really Was it by accident? Assume yes Why he was jumping from that altitude? This would help but you can figure out the rest without knowing it Anything else? Yes. How and why he died. | ||
| Treecleaver (Treecleaver)
New member Username: Treecleaver Post Number: 16 Registered: 3-2010 |
Did he get the bends when he left the cabin and entered lower pressure air, preventing him from opening his chute, causing him to prang? | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1983 Registered: 11-2008 |
Did he get the bends when he left the cabin and entered lower pressure air, preventing him from opening his chute, causing him to prang? Exactly so, and here goes the. **************SPOILER************* Martin is about to perform a HALO (High Altitude Low Opening) jump. This technique, known also as Military Free Fall, consists in jumping from the aircraft at a high altitude (somewhere between 25,000 and 90,000 feet (7,600-27,000 m), falling free for some time, and opening your parachute at a low altitude. It is used mainly to trick enemy radars. But it has its own dangers. At altitudes superior to 22,000 ft, the pressure of oxygen is low and can lead to hypoxia and even to decompression sickness. To prevent the latter, the jumpers pre-breathe 100% oxygen prior to the jump (30-45 minutes) to flush nitrogen from their blood. They have a device for this in the aircraft and before the jump, they change over to the oxygen bottle. However, just one breath of normal air brings the nitrogen level close to normal, thus exposing the jumper to decompression sickness (or the bends, or caisson disease similar as in divers). During decompression sickness, bubbles of gases form in various parts of the body, which can result in muscle pain, itching, swelling, headache, blurred vision, but also confusion, memory loss, behaviour changes and even unconsciousness. After taking his fatal breath, Martin loses consciousness, fails to open his parachute and plummets down to the earth. Thank you all for playing, mainly Galfisk for the groundwork and Treecleaver for the final dive. I had this idea when looking at my GPS device which has HALO and HAHO functions. I only knew they had something to do with skydiving, but had no idea what they exactly meant. I googled them up and immediately thought of Galfisk :-)) and of this forum and I just had to make this one. I only hope that there was not much nonsense, given the fact my general knowledge of skydiving is close to zero -)) | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 1629 Registered: 9-2009 |
Good puzzle, I didn't know the nitrogen level rose that quickly. Now I've learned something new too (: | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 2013 Registered: 11-2008 |
Thank you, Galfisk, I am glad you liked it. I was surprised too that a single breath of air is sufficient to bring all the nitrogen back to your blood. My dad's hobby was diving so I knew from quite a tender age what decompression sickness was but had no idea you can get it also from excessive height. |
