Doc Intrepid:
IMHO, the operator is not responsible for the direct cause of the young lady's death, tragic as it is.
Let the blame game continue.
As is usually the case in the majority of cases where more than one party is involved, responsibility for contributing factors leading to the accident is shared to various degrees by various parties involved. I understand the distinction between direct cause and indirect cause. But there is also the issue of indirect causes leading directly to the direct cause. When the possible negative repercussion of these indirect causes are fully known, and there is a failure to prevent them, the computation of directness is expanded to include other methods of calculation.
Duly considering the laws and norms of pratice in other countries, and the risks one accepts in pursuit of diving under various conditions, the fact remains this operator has gone well beyond all these reasonable considerations to establish a track record of negligent customer endangerment - by anyones standards, as reported by mostly first hand accounts in a thread in the Belizeforum, amongst other sources. This operator exhibits a lack of minimal boat safety equipment, poor equipment quality and maintenace causing equipment to brake or not operate, repeated engine failure and repeatedly running out of fuel at sea, poor seamanship, repeatedly turning over a boat with passengers in it. Failure to subsequently take corrective measures to address issues of deficiency in regards to minimal safety standards. Repeated safety failure and customer endangerment appears to be the safety standard maintained by this operator.
IMHO, this operator is guilty of criminal negligent homicide.
Oddly enough, in the Belizeforums website, a thread was started at the beginning of this year about the disregard for safety measures, plain incompetency, and general dangerous negligent practices by this operator. There was mentioned of the need for change before someone died. Too late now for one person. Yet, in that same forum, and here, others are attempting to absolve the operator of contributory responsibility.
And since we are discussing partial or full fault on the part of those injured and killed, let's not forget to also give full credit to those other individuals, who in other accidents and near misses involving this operator managed to survive uninjured despite the operator's actions placing them at risk of injury.
There are enough accounts by various parties in regards to the practices of this operator, which lead me to give credence to the norms of practice he is accused of.
The question is: How many more people need to die before he is held responsible and is stopped from endangering others?
Do not give any business to Vance Cabral or his busines Advanced Diving. Be on the lookout for any other subsequent similar business or name change that may occur.
I have dove in Belize and elsewhere where poor safety measures were the norm, barely adequate, however, this operator is totally inadequate to meet a bare minimum standard for survival at sea, and extreme in his negligence to the point where I am confident in saying, ff no changes take place, it will happen again and again. Not an if but a when. Oh wait, this is already the standard mode of practice here.
