Unknown Two abandoned drifters rescued by ferry, one hospitalized - Western Australia

[DandyDon]

Two scuba divers were allegedly left behind by a tour operator and rescued by a Rottnest ferry​

Crew members on board a ferry spotted two scuba divers treading water in the ocean after they were allegedly left behind by a tour operator.

Authorities are investigating after two scuba divers were allegedly left behind by a tour operator in the Indian Ocean only to be spotted by a ferry crew returning to the mainland.
Rottnest Fast Ferries was on its way back to Hillarys Boat Harbour, in Perth’s north, when a crew member saw the divers treading water a few nautical miles offshore and pulled them to safety on March 2.

The divers were allegedly in the water for several hours before they were taken to shore and one was hospitalised, ABC reported.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority is aware of the incident and are investigating to ensure the company involved complied with marine safety legislation.

An AMSA spokesman said incidents involving passengers on board domestic commercial vessels must be reported.

“AMSA takes the safety of passengers and crew very seriously and would not hesitate to take swift and strong action should a breach of safety regulations or procedures be identified,” a spokesman said.

“It is too early to discuss what penalties may apply.

“The outcome of an investigation may include the development of strategies and interventions to improve marine safety and protection of the environment or the undertaking of enforcement action.”

A Perth Diving Academy spokesman said they would not comment on the incident until AMSA had completed its investigation.

 

[saph]

'A Perth Diving Academy spokesman said they would not comment on the incident until AMSA had completed its investigation.'

Apart from they did and said everyone was safe and "nobody died" when approched by abc radio.

Source: Two scuba divers left behind in ocean during dive trip

Edit to add: im now wondering how they got missed?

 

[runsongas]

nobody died only because they got really lucky the ferry saw them. was anyone even looking for them yet when they were pulled from the water?

this absolutely should be a lawsuit a la drifting Dan, because apparently Perth Diving Academy can't be trusted with a roll call.

 

[saph]

because apparently Perth Diving Academy can't be trusted with a roll call.

Thats legit my question, why wasnt there that check? 20 years in operation this year and they dont do a full check or if they did and did discover missing divers decided a cover up was better?

 

[MB NZ]

That's about the last place on earth I would want to be left adrift. Shark food.

 

[Blackcrusader]

Edit to add: im now wondering how they got missed?

Easy. It's called doing a head count. On a dive in Maldives at end of dive I counted and signaled to a guide we were short 3 divers. I missed where another guide took them to the boat earlier as they were low on air.
Once back on the boat the DM was surprised that any of the vacation divers knew how many divers were in the water. Comes back to my BSAC training of numbers in and out.

 

[clownfishsydney]

Channel 9 News in Perth last night reported that the dive operator turned up 15 minutes after they found the divers. It was only because the ferry put out a call that they had found two divers (missing for a few hours according to the ABC Australia report). They did not even notice they were missing!! There is a recording of the VHF conversation between the ferry and the dive operator which shows this. They were at their base and had to come back out and get them, although one went to hospital. Disgraceful.

There is another Channel 9 News TV report with the details as I put above but I cannot link it in this post as it comes up with an error.

Shades of the Lonergans in Queensland in January 1988. See my article about that incident. Michael McFadyen's Scuba Diving Web Site

 

[DandyDon]

One article quoted the dive op as replying to the discovery: “I don’t mind if you want to put them back in the water and we can pick them up.”

‘Put them back in the water’: Rottnest ferry rescues divers ‘stranded’ by tour boat off WA coast

Two men were allegedly left behind during an organised diving tour, stranded for hours before help arrived.

www.watoday.com.au

 

[Searcaigh]

Disgraceful behaviour by the Wildcat crew, this is gross negligence and should be prosecuted.

 

[Pearlman]

Quoting the news article above :

He said the crew had manoeuvred the vessel, the Harbour Master, alongside the pair and one man climbed on board while the other clung to a ladder at the back of the boat, catching his breath.

“I don’t mind if you want to put them back in the water and we can pick them up,” crew on the Wildcat responded.

“One guy has gone back into the water, the other one is just holding on to the back of the boat until you get here, just for support.”

The Wildcat took 15 minutes to reach them, with one of the men later taken to hospital for treatment.

Sounds like a pathetic attempt at “saving face”?