Coast Guard searches for diver - Bahamas

[DandyDon]

Coast Guard searching for missing diver near Bahamas | wtsp.com

Miami, Florida -- A search-and-rescue Coast Guard crew is looking for a missing diver off the coast of New Providence, Bahamas.
Two divers were reported missing after their 21-foot pleasure craft became adrift and was towed back to port. One of the divers was able to swim to shore.

 

[DandyDon]

The other one was found alive: 24-hour swim to safety for pair of divers | The Tribune

 

[ibj40]

One of the reasons that both my wife and I carry lights when we dive, day or night.

 

[DandyDon]

One of the reasons that both my wife and I carry lights when we dive, day or night.

Yeah, and I added a PLB this year. It goes where I go when I leave town: Costs $50/year over 5 years, one time use but free replacement with rescue story submitted. Dive canister is extra, but I rent one for trips.

I don't know who reported them missing, but it sounds like they didn't leave a pilot on board? "The 21-foot pleasure craft, which started drifting, had to be towed back to port."

 

[Lorenzoid]

. . .
I don't know who reported them missing, but it sounds like they didn't leave a pilot on board? "The 21-foot pleasure craft, which started drifting, had to be towed back to port."

That was my first reaction. Number one rule of diving from a boat is that someone needs to stay on watch while the divers are in the water!

 

[merxlin]

I'm confused. They were reported missing after not returning to their boat after 45 minutes, but by who? Their boat started drifting and had to be towed in, indicating no one was on board. If someone else was out there, why didn't they know where they were?

 

[koozemani]

I don't know who reported them missing, but it sounds like they didn't leave a pilot on board? "The 21-foot pleasure craft, which started drifting, had to be towed back to port."

That sounds exactly like a Diver Down chapter.

 

[mala]

Yeah, and I added a PLB this year. It goes where I go when I leave town: Costs $50/year over 5 years, one time use but free replacement with rescue story submitted. Dive canister is extra, but I rent one for trips.

I don't know who reported them missing, but it sounds like they didn't leave a pilot on board? "The 21-foot pleasure craft, which started drifting, had to be towed back to port."

Im sure PLB's will save lives but really.......

Better to have some basic common sense with boats and diving from them.

 

[Bob DBF]

I'm confused. They were reported missing after not returning to their boat after 45 minutes, but by who? Their boat started drifting and had to be towed in, indicating no one was on board. If someone else was out there, why didn't they know where they were?

Could be the vessel that found the boat adrift figured it was divers and waited 45 minutes to see if they surfaced before calling it in to the authorities. That's what I would have done finding a drifting boat with its anchor swinging in a dive area with no one aboard, assuming I wasn't trying to beat a storm to port.

The reason I don't leave a boat unattended.



Bob
----------------
I may be old, but I'm not dead yet.

 

[chrispete]

The other possibility is that they did have someone topside on the boat but it broke loose / they were live-boating and the engine failed...