(28 MAY 05) No Safe Harbor

[Teresa Mars]

I preordered the book and got my copy from Amazon a couple of days ago. I just finished it this morning and I’m going to go back and read a couple of parts again a little latter.

The book is well written and detailed with a good set of illustrations. And it’s an important book for scuba divers.

I’ve done a lot of live-aboards and if I had been given the information that the passengers of the Wave Dancer were given I mostly like would have done just exactly what they did and stayed on the boat. Of course now we all know better.

And from now on I’ll also make sure that I can always put my hands on a dive light. Had one of the three surviving passengers not had a light handy then none of them would have been able to get out of the boat.

If I can offer any solace to Mrs. Mars and the rest of the victims’ families, it is that those of us in the diving community will learn from the tragedy and we will not forget those that lost their lives in this accident.
Luke

To Scuba Luke and Bill51, and anyone else who takes their own time to read this book, and therefore figure out what really went on, I can only say thank you so much for your understanding and concern. I have previously met with so much negativity, so much blaming the victims, from so many who want to seem as though they are much smarter than these divers who had been completely mislead about the truth and the severity of the storm. The book actually tells it all, much more so than the IMMARBE report, which I know personally has many errors, in Peter Hughes favor, of course. One that immediately comes to mind is their statement that Peter Hughes and company personally contacted every victims' families to notify them of the tragedy and the fate of their loved one. I was contacted by Jenny Chappel of the Richmond Dive Club, and remained home all day, leaving the phone line open praying for information. In the over 14 hours from when I was first notified of the capsizing, until I was given the actual fact about Ray's death, I did not hear one word from the Hughes organization. And, it was 22 hours from the time the Wave Dancer capsized. I even had to get my news by calling the U.S. Consulate myself, and being put on hold for several minutes, before a very inept, bumbling person got on the line to tell me how sorry he was for my loss. Keep in mind that I had not been given that information yet. It was a complete list of one error after another, that whole day, and the rest of the week, not knowing when we could get them back, not knowing anything. I had myself called Hughes emergency line the night before, which was told to the divers would be available at all times, 24 hours a day, for any family members needing their loved ones in any kind of emergency. I begged for someone to call me back, but no one ever did. Nor did they the whole next day, when I sat by the phone all those long hours, waiting. There are so many things that finally are being told factually, not the spin machine from Hughes and IMMARBE. Of course, it does not change anything, they are really gone, but finally someone has had the courage to say the real truth. Joe Burnworth does not take sides, just tells it like it was, leaving the reader to make his or her own decision about fault. It is an extremely easy thing to figure out. Yet Hughes continues to sail on, untouched, having a great life. Something is so very wrong with this whole picture. I so thank you again for reading this book, and being interested enough to seek out the facts, in the hope that there will never again be such a tragedy.

 

[Doc]

To Scuba Luke and Bill51, and anyone else who takes their own time to read this book, and therefore figure out what really went on, I can only say thank you so much for your understanding and concern.

Teresa- I have read the book, and would I recommend buying it? No, but I would sure like everyone to have access to the 1/7th of the book that details the few hours that transpired between finally tying up to the theoretical safe harborage and the capsizing.

The first 5/7 of the book is a detailed accounting of what these divers (as a group, as a whole), in their experience base, were expecting from a live-aboard, what they might expect, what they were pleasantly surprised by. There are several obvious and basic scuba technical errors in the writer's final published edit, and suffice to say that not everybody that makes it to the liveaboard level of diving is not open mouthed and drooling for Sharks and the Blue Hole.

The liveaboard experience and what to expect is well detailed. As for the diving around Belize, what the writer portrayed is maybe what unaware divers might expect and anticipate, but Belize holds treasures far more delicate, desirable and ephemeral than big fish and 140' dives of questionable value. Much more.

As I read this first portion, I was increasinlg prepared for a final condemnation of the Captain (and I am offering no defense, here) with the careful use of peculiar words describing opinions, feelings and guesses profered by the passengers and subordinate crew. I was not surprised, nor would be most readers, as it did happen. The last chapter pretty well sliced the Company wide open.

The 1/7 of the book that dealt with the preparations while tied up, with the general state of the ship in terms of nonsecured shiftable weight, with the lack of watertight doors, the lack of use, and most importantly, the moorings used to secure the vessel. This, to me, was the prelude to disaster, not the previous several introductory chapters. Such events are seen in feet, pounds cross referenced with time elapsed. Give me facts, give me details. There were some serious gaps- not only in the Captain's preparations per the book, but gaps in the book's representation of what transpired during the preparation phase at harborage.

Hindsight is 20/20. During Mitch of Oct 98, should the Captain of the similarly ill fated Fantome chosen to heave her up in the shallows to ride out the ravages of the oddly Southbound Hurricane? Would a worthier Belizian Captain have made the same choice as that of the wave Dancer, tying her up to a few feet of available dock, leaving her bow to catch the wind... or would he have run her up hard aground in the Mangroves?

Hard to guess, but suffice to say that this Captain is said to have announced that the ship would return to diving schedule the next day. Anyone would know that wasn't ever going to happen.

I find the drawings and diagrams in the book to be woefully inadequate. They are not only out of scale with no notation, but they are sorely lacking in even basic details. My first thought when I saw the rather simplistic block diagram was to pen in an anchor chain and anchor showing it laid out some 350' to the port bow.

The potentially greatest condemnation of the acts and omissions, although well detailed in writing, is easily lost on all but the most well versed in nautical extremes. A simple explanation (on the diagram) of the direction of the wind/surge would have been of great value, but even something this basic was missing from the crude diagram.

The personalization of the lost among us was worthy of reading. To put the personalities on these lost divers was well worth the read. The pictures and personal stories tied it all together.

Thank you, Teresa, for introducing me to the real person behind your loss, Ray.

 

[HeatherJohnston]

Here is a link to the "Closed" message on CDNN's website:
http://www.scubaforum.com/forums/forums.html

Note that it claims to be closed due to complaints by myself and others sympathetic to the deceased about the posting of opinions different from our own. Since they cleverly removed the forum in its entirety, it may be difficult to disagree with the official reason for closure. My last post to the the forum, which I do not believe was ever posted, included a request for the moderator to help clean up profanity and name-calling, as I believe any good moderator should have done long ago.

If you would like to read for yourself, the forum headlines through 10/04 and the posts through 7/04 are available here:
http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.scuba-forum.com/forums/phdforum/phdforum.html

Sorry only one of my posts is available for reading on the archive, but I do think it is representative of my other now expunged posts. Please compare with the other posts available there and tell me if you believe that my post violates Scuba Forum policy more than most.

Despite the departure of Freeman Washington from CDNN, their special report on the Wave Dancer is still available for reading on their site, including my Letter to the Editor of National Geographic Adventure. In any case it will always be available here at the archive.
http://web.archive.org/web/20040603192852/www.cdnn.info/industry/i030927/i030927.html

I am a former math professor, and I like facts very very much. The two most reputable sources for facts are www.wavedancermemorial.com and the IMMARBE report. After that there is No Safe Harbor, and then CDNN. Sorry, No Safe Harbor reads too much like a novel to contain all the facts. If you wanted just the facts you should have read the IMMARBE report instead, but of course there are plenty of facts not in that report that made it into No Safe Harbor.

All I ask is that you read something (other than this forum) and know some facts before responding negatively to my post.

Thank you,

Heather Johnston, Daughter of Wave Dancer Victims Byron and Shirley Johnston

 

[Doc]

All I ask is that you read something (other than this forum) and know some facts before responding

Do you imagine for a moment that your truth will be heard?

The internet isn't going to provide that venue, but I encourage you to continue the effort. Sometimes even echoing voices in the canyons are heard above the noise and waste... sometimes.

As is life, the internet is transitory and confusing. Retelling of stories (giving hot link citations) bewilders many, and gets the remainder lost in the journey. (Good letter you wrote to NGS by the way, for all the good that will do)

CDNN is an interesting read, but it does have display advertising. Y'all do the math.

There is also another well respected board/publication/yearly trip report book that has actively solicited advertisers... but somehow deny it with a straight face. Aint no virgins left out there. (That is polite way of saying, "they're all prostitutes")

Even on the most free wheeling, lightly moderated boards (one of which I am a Mod), there is an element of responsibility to excise legally actionable statements. The internet may appear to many as "Speaker's Corner" in London, where anyone can mount a soapbox and say what they will, but this is simply not the case.

Somebody is paying the bills for that bandwidth, and even if they altruistically wish free speech for all, the board hosts are absolutely and ultimately responsible for what is posted. That is why certain posts simply can not be allowed to stand. Not saying that was the case here, but it does explain some of the processes involved in internet messaging management. It just isn't free speech.

I am not here defending CDNN or any internet source, I'm just trying to show that there is quite often more pressures and reasons than meet the eye.

As to the book, you say, "No Safe Harbor reads too much like a novel to contain all the facts. If you wanted just the facts you should have read the IMMARBE report instead, but of course there are plenty of facts not in that report that made it into No Safe Harbor." True enough, I agree that the book was indeed a novel that brought us closer to the lives of the lost divers. That alone was reason enough to ignore the lack of technical information and inconsequential dive related muddled descriptions and mis-statemets. The IMMARBE report is at http://www.cdnn.info/news/article/a050226.html To all: read and learn, as Heather (and I) call, The Facts. .

Caveat emptor! Let the buyer beware! There are indeed US flagged, USCG inspected live aboards that ply the waters of the Mar Caribe. You may take that as a stamp of approval, but it is still up to you to understand the workings of the ship, the process involved in evacuation and more (not the least of which is the management of the ship at sea). Ask questions, be informed.

It's just like the pre flight safety announcements aboard the aircraft. How many of us count the touch of the seat backs on the way to the closest exit row? Do we wear real shoes and non-synthetic long sleeved clothing? Do you go as far to have a small flashlight (read No Safe Harbor) and carry one of those evacuation smoke-hoods that you see in the seatback shopping catalogs? These are all well known systems to enhance your survival in an airplane crash. But do you bother to implement and execute?

Every time we leave the house, it is a risk. We could stay home, but statistics show that more accidents occur at home. (Statistics dont lie, but liars make statistics) So- you have decided to leave your safe little home and get on a foreign flagged small boat that has been cobbled together from an oil rig tender and crewed by one or two licensed seamen. Being on any ship smaller than an NCL cruise ship is always a serious gamble. Plying the seas on any such vessel is universally understood as a risk.

This isn't to defend the Hughes operation. It is to try to squeeze some value out of this incident, some value out of all of these posts, printings of the book, and yes- most of all- to get some value from the dreadful loss of life among our friends.

Learn from the mistakes, understand what you can do to minimize your exposure, examine with care your unfamiliar surroundings, and either be ready to make your own decisions or follow those of whom you have entrusted your safety and security. I have declined bookings on boats before boarding (a catamaran that flipped over in the Galapagos on it's initial sea trials), and have walked off of a ship in mid-cruise.

Examine the situation with your best abilities, do research, look to sources here on the internet... before you commit to stepping aboard.

Let's try to return to the path of learning from this, it is the best memorial that could be.

 

[HeatherJohnston]

My point is not that someone closed a forum, because they thought the friends and families of the deceased were over-opinionated. Rather the point is that CDNN closed its forum.

Although they once posted interviews with Tom Stark and Teresa Mars, and my letter in response to "Into Harms' Way," CDNN has changed its tune.

I got my first email account in 1986 and wrote my first web page in 1996. Yet I very rarely post my opinions on the internet.

Enough said.

Heather Johnston, Really tired of this topic, but having trouble forgetting my parents deaths.

 

[GrierHPharmD]

Heather, my condolences to you, your family and all the families and friends of the other victims.

Thank you for your comments. It's so easy to forget the human side of things as we try to wrap our minds around such a horrible event. The fact that the victims were divers brings the story home to most of us, and, for myself, I'm drawn to the story because of the fact that I can identify so closely with the victims and see myself in their places.

I wish the best for you and yours as this story surfaces once more in the press. I know that it must be very difficult to visit and revisit the details time and again.

Safe ascents,
Grier

 

[Perkolater]

Heather and Teresa,

I just want to add my condolences to you both and to THANK YOU for sharing your stories with us via this forum and Joe's book (I had the good fortune of meeting Mr. Burnworth at a local (Indy) dive shop a week ago).

I just finished the book this weekend and will certainly keep it in mind when/if I do a liveaboard trip. While some (above) may complain that the book isn't detailed enough, I found that it gave insights into the character of the people on board and the senseless, avoidable tragedy that followed. Perhaps by sharing the truth regarding the incident someone else's life may be spared in the future. That would certainly be a wonderful legacy.

Thanks again, I am sure rehashing the events was/is very difficult for you.

 

[Mike Veitch]

I also just finished reading the book. It was informative and not too bad of a read.
I worked for a long time in the liveaboard industry and know one of the crew members from that boat as well as the relatives of other crew members.
I never did follow the story over the internet (as i was working on liveaboards at the time )
so was interesting to read the events.

I also send out condolences to all involved. Terrible tragedy, i won't forget hearing about it the same day it happened. (News gets around fast in the industry)

I will not comment or give opinions on the matter so please don't ask...

 

[gangrel441]

My condolences as well to Teresa and Heather.

I have just finished reading the book, and it is almost as though I have lost friends in the victims of this tragedy which occurred only months after I was certified. I had not even heard about the Wave Dancer tragedy until long after that fateful night, but having read this book, I almost feel as though I have lost personal friends in the victims of that fateful night. I find myself only wishing peace of mind among the survivors and surviving family members of the victims.

 

[JMD123]

Interesting Book. Tragic Story. Best wishes to all that suffered losses