Aussie divers stranded after boat drifts away

[DandyDon]

I searched for mandurah and this doesn't seem to have been posted elsewhere. I started to put it in Near Misses, but then someone would probly put it here anyway.

I dived off of a private boat once with two local divers experienced with the sites, leaving no one on the boat. I wasn't especially happy but they were nice about discussing self-rescue plans in case something happened to the boat or we got pushed away from it. Both sites were but 50 yards for inhabited beaches.

From: Mandurah divers rescued : thewest.com.au

Two divers have been rescued near Mandurah after their boat drifted away.

The two 27-year-old men got into trouble after diving off James Service Reef, about 10kms north of Mandurah, yesterday afternoon.

Relatives raised the alarm about 6pm after the pair failed to return home. They had been due back at 2pm.

Mandurah and Rockingham sea rescue patrols located the pair’s vessel at 6.45pm about 10kms from where the divers had gone into the water.

Rescuers then found one of the divers at Singleton Beach after he managed to swim about 10km to shore.

At 7.45pm the second diver was seen clinging to a navigation marker and was rescued. He had spent four hours clinging to the marker.

A WA police spokesman said that it appeared that while the pair were diving their boat drifted away.

And: Divers found drifting - Local - General - Mandurah Mail

SCUBA divers have been encouraged to log their details with the Mandurah Water Rescue Group after two divers were stranded in the water without their boat last Wedenesday.

Rescue volunteers were called after the men failed to return to shore at their designated time.

When they were found one man was close to where he was supposed to be while the other was 10km away.

They were unable to board their boat because its anchor didn’t hold and it drifted away.

Officials said divers should also log off after they have returned safely to shore.

 

[almitywife]

a vid i found a while back about some aussie (and very nice guys from all reports) divers....and before you start, the guy without fins and waving his arms around is paraplegic

50mtr/165ft dive and their boat drifts off while they still diving. gets fun about 6 mins in...

 

[djanni]

Beautiful English Cocker Spaniel

 

[Crab_bait]

165' with an al80? With a 16 min bottom time & 20 min deco obligation does that add up? zero redundancy except for a buddy? I'm not so sure I'm buying this.....

 

[DandyDon]

That has got to be a bad feeling...
[c]

[/c]
Two divers, one paraplegic with no fins, 165 wreck dive with single tanks, 20 min deco, no one on the boat - and I think my diving is a little maverick at times. :silly:

 

[almitywife]

165' with an al80? With a 16 min bottom time & 20 min deco obligation does that add up? zero redundancy except for a buddy? I'm not so sure I'm buying this.....

you would be amazed by the number of guys ive met that dive the Kelloe on a single tank

not for me!

 

[Craig Baumann]

Wife - nice to "see" you again. I'm still hanging in there, can you believe it?

 

[Crab_bait]

If thats true, wow! And 16 deg. Cel with no gloves not for me either.

 

[ronski101]

I just have to wonder what would have happened if they did not get picked up.

 

[DeltaWardog]

He said they would have only had to swim 1.5 km. Doesn't sound so bad.