Angler charged after pulling up diver

[Doc Harry]

I...She had a loop in her buoy line around her wrist and couldn't release the buoy...

I am always concerned that a passing boat might accidentally snag my buoy, so I make sure that I am never attached to it.

I am also always concerned that a trolling fisherman might accidentally snag me, so I always have my knife handy.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

In this case, pulling her up would be less serious than refusing to release the line so she could go back down and decompress once she explained it to him ... that shows a level of viciousness on the part of this fisherman that would have to be considered premeditated assault ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Peter_C]

Too bad her encounter didn't end like this one. Man Pulls Gun on Off-Duty Cops in his Fishing Spot « TheRockyRiver.com

It was at the bottom of the page for the link to her story.

We have had many a run in with fisherman while wakeboarding, and fortunately so far nothing has ever come of it other than some yelling and a raised middle finger. They have cast their lines at us before but never been able to hit us. And no we were not trying to aggravate them, we were just doing our own thing on the same water ways.

The two photos of the boats driving and sailing close to the dive flags is unfortunately not a surprise to me. Even waving a downed skier flag all over and pointing to the person in the water, has left us very nervous at times for our friends lives.

 

[Sorrows]

Well, obviously, this was a case of "stand your ground." Anywhere you happen to be, is "your" ground, isn't it?

It's my home state, but I have to admit that Florida is one messed-up, bat-sh*t crazy place.

Years ago, the fishermen used to haunt the Nassau grouper spawning grounds--and we know how well that worked out, for both the fish and the fishermen. I wonder if they are afraid that the mutton snapper will also be put on a protected list and that's why they are so dangerously angry?

 

[dadediver]

Well, obviously, this was a case of "stand your ground." Anywhere you happen to be, is "your" ground, isn't it?

It's my home state, but I have to admit that Florida is one messed-up, bat-sh*t crazy place.

Years ago, the fishermen used to haunt the Nassau grouper spawning grounds--and we know how well that worked out, for both the fish and the fishermen. I wonder if they are afraid that the mutton snapper will also be put on a protected list and that's why they are so dangerously angry?

I would not bet my freedom on this statement. You could be charged with second degree murder.

 

[diverdoug1]

This is a known mutton snapper spawning aggregation site. The commercial fishermen were targeting muttons at the time when they are making more muttons. There were about 7 boats anchored in the same patch of water. The FWC guys were the only non-consumptive boat there. Who are the dicks now?????

If the FWC splashed divers in a site with 7 fishing vessels already fishing, THEY are the dicks and careless. If the FWC had divers in the water, and other boats came that close and started fishing next to divers that have flags, the fishermen are obviously in the wrong.

 

[AggieDiver]

Would be nice to see them follow the lead of the Cayman Islands and just close the spawning aggregation sites to fishing.

 

[N2DeepInAz]

I've had a couple run-ins with fisherman that ended pretty hilariously.

One time, I had two of them dropping lines on us at about 40ft below. We happened to be in an area with tons of trees so we simply tied their lines to the trees and tugged on them. My SAC rate went through the roof cause I was laughing so hard! We swam off and never saw them again.

The second time, I was doing a personal item recovery at a launch ramp dock for a lady who'd lost her keys. It was getting dark and so as I started to ascend, I heard plops and saw fish hooks go flying by, one grazed my bare leg. I grabbed my large pointed dive knife and wound the line around it and yanked down on it real hard causing the pole to fall into the water. I cut the line and continued my ascent. I came out of the water knife first and the two guys on the dock had a ghastly look on their face as I pointed out the 'No Fishing' sign on the docks with my knife and told them to get out of here before I call the sheriffs office. Oddly, no one asked for their fishing pole.

People are just generally idiots around divers, I guess that's just something we have to accept in order to share the water with them. Wish it wasn't that way but it is.

 

[JohnN]

Be careful there cowboy:

13-1202 Threatening Or Intimidating
A. A person commits threatening or intimidating if such person threatens or intimidates by word or conduct:

1. To cause physical injury to another person or serious damage to the property of another; or
2. To cause, or in reckless disregard to causing, serious public inconvenience including, but not limited to, evacuation of a building, place of assembly, or transportation facility; or
3. To cause physical injury to another person or damage to the property of another in order to promote, further or assist in the interests of or to cause, induce or solicit another person to participate in a criminal street gang, a criminal syndicate or a racketeering enterprise.
​

B. Threatening or intimidating pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 1 or 2 is a class 1 misdemeanor. Threatening or intimidating pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 3 is a class 4 felony.

 

[Wookie]

If the FWC splashed divers in a site with 7 fishing vessels already fishing, THEY are the dicks and careless. If the FWC had divers in the water, and other boats came that close and started fishing next to divers that have flags, the fishermen are obviously in the wrong.

I disagree that any user group has any more "right" to a stretch of water than any other user. We all have an opinion.