(6/22/2005) Nekton Rorqual crewman dies

[Doc]

I don't think I knew him. I've only been on the Rorqual once and that was over a year ago. Most live-aboards have a fairly high turnover rate for their crew so he probably wasn't there when I was on. But he was probably a dive master. Almost all the crew members that dive are either a dive masters or an instructors.

I believe that DJ was a Chicagoan and was the engineer onboard, and no, contrary to industry standard, the Nekton fleet has a remarkably low turnover.

They do rotate their staff, but I have seen the same crews repeatedly over the many years. They are very consistent in that regard.

 

[Kriterian]

Any new info on the crew of the Nekton Rorqual who died Monday int the Bahamas. From the news story the boat did not report the accident until they returned to port on Monday????


http://www.cdnn.info/news/safety/s050621c.html

Er, I think this post needs the title changed. I know it was copied from Cyberdivers Network but one person dying is a WHOLE lot different than the entire crew.

 

[mike_s]

.

The U.S. Coast Guard has no jurisdiction outside of territorial waters so they would not be involved in launching a boat or helicopter to recover the corpse.

That is not correct.

The US Coast Guard can board any US Flagged or US registered ship anywhere in International Waters per US Law. They commonly do this in the carbbean. Now this doesn't mean that they can go into other countries territorial waters and do this without permission form that country.

Typically when the US Coast Guard operates in a "rescue operation" in a forgein territory, such as the Bahamas, they have prior permission from the Bahamian government. When they operate an interdiction, patrol, or boarding operation in foreign waters, such as the Bahamas, they typically not only have permission, but have a member of the Bahamain Defense Forces on board who has Bahamian authority to stop any ship in Bahamian waters.

This is all so "regular" that the US Coast Guard has a Liaison Office in the US Embassy in Nassau to coordinate all of these activities with the Bahamian government.

 

[Rick Murchison]

The U.S. Coast Guard has no jurisdiction outside of territorial waters

This is a nit, sort of, but the US Coast Guard has jurisdiction over US Flagged vessels wherever they are. They also have jurisdiction over other vessels on the high seas who are in violation of certain specified US laws (running drugs or other illegal cargo, fleeing US authority etc).
As a practical matter, about the only thing they can't do outside US waters is a safety compliance (life preservers etc) inspection on a non-US vessel that's not carrying US citizens.
Also, "territorial waters" usually means 3 miles for the US, 12 miles most other places, but 200 miles or the limits of the continental shelf for the "commercial zone." There are changes in jurisdiction at 50 miles as well...
All that said, I have no idea what one's duty is - or to whom - in the event of a death on the high seas. In the Navy we had messages to send to the powers that be, but the ship's mission would not be altered. In this case the captain may very well have notified the appropriate authorities, who in turn didn't notify the media (imagine that).
Rick

 

[tedwhiteva]

The Facts are:
The ship called the Coast Guard while they were still doing CPR attempting to revive the crewman on 20 June. Unable to revive him. The vessel proceeded direct to a US port immediately thereafter.
All done correctly and humanely.

 

[Rick Murchison]

The Facts are:
The ship called the Coast Guard while they were still doing CPR attempting to revive the crewman on 20 June. Unable to revive him. The vessel proceeded direct to a US port immediately thereafter.
All done correctly and humanely.

You mean the press got it wrong??? Oh my!
What a surprise...
Glad to see they're still at 100%
(Thanks for the straight word Ted. BZ)
Rick

 

[DiveMaven]

The Facts are:
The ship called the Coast Guard while they were still doing CPR attempting to revive the crewman on 20 June. Unable to revive him. The vessel proceeded direct to a US port immediately thereafter.
All done correctly and humanely.

Thanks for reporting this, it sounds more believable than what seemed to be said by the press. I am so sorry for the family and the Nekton folks, this is a rough time for them.

 

[OneBrightGator]

Does anyone have a better source then CDNN?

I couldn't find anything on the Sun-Sentinel's website.

 

[jepuskar]

Ted, where did your info come from?

 

[ScubaLuke]

Does anyone have a better source then CDNN?

I couldn't find anything on the Sun-Sentinel's website.

The CDNN article looks like it was taken from a short blurb in the Miami Herald:
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/11948898.htm

I don't know where Ted got his information but I'll bet it's correct. That sounds like the way the Nekton folks would do it. They're a pretty profesionaly run organization.
Luke