Angler charged after pulling up diver

[mdax]

I can't imagine my response if that's been me...for sure would have involved multiple felonies or a stand my ground response to the attempted murder.
Agreed that the only reason he was even charged was her fed status

 

[TSandM]

My first reaction to the story is that it's a perfect example of why you should be VERY careful about what's actually attached to your person. You can't control the behavior of others (I work in an ER; God knows I know this) but you CAN do what you can to avoid becoming a victim.

 

[Ste Wart]

She needed to decompress from a 55' dive? How long was she down for???????

She ascended rather fast:

[SIZE=-0]"Bamford grabbed her dive flag and used the line to drag her topside in less than a minute[/SIZE]"

A 74 year old pulled a woman up from nearly 18 metres in less than a minute, really? He must be quite spry for his age. I have enough trouble hauling in a deep shot, let alone a whole person fighting against it. If it was in a minute, or less, she probably swam up to see what the problem was. I find this tale highly suspicious.
I'm not condoning the fisherman, but the reporting sounds exaggerated.

 

[DandyDon]

I know that letting the legal system handle things like this is best for society but sometimes I wish there was an option to suspend the criminal findings in exchange for giving an a$$ kicking. Maybe the judge holds the guilty down for an appropriate amount of time based on your crime while the other side reminds you that your rights stop where someone elses begins.

You can say ass on SB.

Judges can be creative at times. One recently offered to reduce the length of community service on a kid if the mom cut her pony tail off at the base in the court - and she did. I don't think corporal punishment would be allowed tho. I still want to take his boat, maybe give it to the research organization - but Florida is no longer really part of Dixieland. It used to be, but it's changed so.

Agree with Bob. Even the dive flags flying on our local dive boats attract other boats to us rather than keep them away. This is why dive boats should carry arms and fire warning shots instead! Just kidding... kind of.

I remember being on a ScubaLuv boat up near Twin Harbors once when the Scouts were taking loaded boats out, and one of them headed towards us.

 

[nimoh]

I agree that an SMB should never be attached and I also agree that dive flags are a more of a hazard to divers than a safety device.

To charge this guy with attempted murder would be way over the top, since he shouldn't have been able to pull up the diver. He does need to be charged with something, and hopefully the case gets a lot of publicity among boaters.

 

[DandyDon]

It's such a minor charge, a lawyer should be able to plea it for next to nothing. Sorry.

 

[gmanstan]

I think this guy was lucky it was a woman and someone not of an aggressive nature. Had this been me he hauled up the story might have read "Diver retrieves unconscious fisherman's body".
Hopefully the prosecutor reads up on DCS & Lung injuries and helps the court to understand just how serious this offense really is, or what it could have led to.

 

[Danseur]

Reckless endangerment? Criminal Mischief? Failure to obey boating laws? Vandalism? Assault?

Pick a couple, make at least one GOOD one stick. Fine enough to let him, or anyone reading about it, never ever muck with a dive flag or the diver under it.

Same should go for those special little creatures who steal deco bottles at Ginnie Springs and the like, but that's another thread.

 

[Hank49]

A 74 year old pulled a woman up from nearly 18 metres in less than a minute, really? He must be quite spry for his age. I have enough trouble hauling in a deep shot, let alone a whole person fighting against it. If it was in a minute, or less, she probably swam up to see what the problem was. I find this tale highly suspicious.
I'm not condoning the fisherman, but the reporting sounds exaggerated.

She's neutrally buoyant. All she could do is kick real hard to try and stay down. It'd be like hand lining in a 30 lb grouper.....errr.....snapper.

 

[Magnolia3]

wow, I'm pretty sure that's when you kick him between the legs and dive back down. But why didn't she just release the dive flag line and let it go up, as she stayed down? Then stick some seaweed all throughout the propeller

Seaweed... a line wrapped around is much better... most fishermen are not smart enough to have a line cutter on the prop. Any number of seabottom things she could have used.... I concur with the kick thing.. guy had already assaulted her.. If he had his hands on her, then she had every right to use anything she could get her hands on to defend herself...
Sounds like this person needs a psych evaluation.