3 divers missing off of Java

[Dan]

I bought it on the Nautilus Belle Amie. The owner of the ship designed the device, and he sells them onboard for $170, including a baseball cap or t-shirt. What sold me on it was that a diver on the boat had bought one on a previous trip, then gone diving in an area with strong currents, and had lost sight of the boat. He activated the device and within 10 minutes had a couple of boats heading towards him in response. He said he never dove without it. I’m happy to have it. I’m increasingly diving from liveaboards and it seems like a good way to reconnect with my own boat, if nothing else.

$170 is really good deal. I bought mine for $225. Many liveaboards that I have been on loan Nautilus Marine Rescue GPS (new version of Nautilus PAB) to their guests for free of charge, such as Spoilsport (GBR), Galapagos Master, Palau Aggressor 2, Argo (Cocos), Maldives Aggressor 2, Nautilus Undersea (Socorro). Afterwards I bought one for my next liveaboard trip to Banda Sea with Blue Manta since they don't provide it for their guests.

 

[Diving Dubai]

I think aircrafts use different VHF radio frequency.

Airband - Wikipedia

May be @fsardone can shine some light on what SAR aircraft is using for monitoring / listening to VHF radio emergency alert.

Back in the day I used to work on Maritime patrol.

The sensor pack is broad spectrum and very sensitive, the secondary role was SAR so we could easily pick up (and rely) weak hand held radio signals from downed aircrew or life raft beacons

Also our radar could pick up coke can size objects at great distances in N Atlantic swells.

You still need to be looking in the right area though, and the ocean is a vast place.

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

Have they been found, yet?

 

[Dan]

I don't think they have been found, yet. Today is the last day of search. The family post Rp. 1.5 billions (~$10,000) rewards for finding the lost divers. We'll see what BaSARNas decision after today.

 

[outofofficebrb]

If it were a strong downcurrent that caused this disappearance, there isn’t any technology that you have for rescue that can aid in that. If it is strong enough that you can’t even get to the surface by swimming upwards with a fully inflated BC, the divers are likely panicking and therefore increasing air consumption. It will create an issue if it is sustained and when they run out of air........we’ll, it’s not good. I have felt down current before but it’s usually close to the reef and in an emergency like that I would start rock climbing the reef but if there’s nothing nearby or they are in the blue and disoriented there is only so much that can be done.

 

[outofofficebrb]

I don't think they have been found, yet. Today is the last day of search. The family post Rp. 1.5 billions (~$10,000) rewards for finding the lost divers. We'll see what BaSARNas decision after today.

Do they only search for a certain number of days for each reported case of missing divers?

 

[Dan]

Do they only search for a certain number of days for each reported case of missing divers?

I don't know. For this particular case, BaSARNas has been searching for 7 days. They are extending it to 3 more days, until Tuesday, next week.

Indonesia extends search for missing Singaporean and Chinese divers till Tuesday |

 

[Dan]

If it were a strong downcurrent that caused this disappearance, there isn’t any technology that you have for rescue that can aid in that. If it is strong enough that you can’t even get to the surface by swimming upwards with a fully inflated BC, the divers are likely panicking and therefore increasing air consumption. It will create an issue if it is sustained and when they run out of air........we’ll, it’s not good. I have felt down current before but it’s usually close to the reef and in an emergency like that I would start rock climbing the reef but if there’s nothing nearby or they are in the blue and disoriented there is only so much that can be done.

I dove in known down current site, Crystal Beach, Nusa Penida, Bali, closed to the reef, following DM and had experienced down current where my mask was flooded almost to the point of losing it, had I not planted my hand on my face and finned like mad to the reef and got behind boulder. That's why you need a guide who knows the danger of down current and cautioned me to not swimming too far into the blue.

These 3 tourist divers were on their own diving in known down current site, without a local DM that knows the site, unfortunately.

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

May they find peace, no matter the outcome.

 

[DandyDon]

I don't know. For this particular case, BaSARNas has been searching for 7 days. They are extending it to 3 more days, until Tuesday, next week.

Indonesia extends search for missing Singaporean and Chinese divers till Tuesday |

That's a heroic effort, but I doubt there is any real hope after a week without drinking water. Miracles happen tho. I gave up on a group of divers off of Komodo island, then they were found throwing rocks at dragons on the island.