Dangerous Crossing

[DandyDon]

Oh, you can see land easily enough. You can see the mainland from the island any day that it's smooth enough for a small boat crossing. Mayan women used to row across in their pilgrimages, altho they may have started at Tulum and got back to the mainland halfway to Cancun.

It's still much further than I'd want to think about swimming, without fins even. I really don't notice how many engines a boat has, trusting that they will be able to pick me up after a dive or make the crossing ok, or radio for help.

We divers tend to think of the boats as our safety islands, and they are most of the time. It's those exceptions we need to allow for. One report I read mentioned it was a wave over the back that did this one in, and that can happen close to the island too. Yeah, we'd be closer to land, but still further than I'd want to swim without fins. I'll keep boarding with my vest and y'all keep laughing. :laughing:

 

[Darol]

Come on Don .....????


Don said:

One report I read mentioned it was a wave over the back that did this one in, and that can happen close to the island too.

Yes if a boat is stopped or moving very slow. So were in how many feet of water? And what pray tell caused this rouge wave? Another boat?
Then why so long for a rescue?

It would be very useful if someone on the boat in question would man up and tell what actually happened.

I don't bet, but if I did, I would go with a catastrophic failure of the hull, like were the glass bottom was.

Sinking that fast, if in fact that is even true?

Still glad everyone is safe.

 

[MMM]

Let me get this right. Mau renamed the retrofitted glass bottom boat in order to use the park permits that the original Living Underwater carried. Is this right or am I helplessly confused?

. I think you have that right. At least that is my understanding now after cenote's posts. Now I understand how the Living Underwater vessel I knew became a glass bottom boat!

 

[WSOPFAN]

Cozumel Port Captain is investigating

Google Translate

More info here:

Google Translate

Looks like the boat was not registered and they were lying about it having a glass bottom.

 

[TomZ]

Based on the poorly translated (as always) articles, I surmise the potential for those involved having been instructed not to make public comments.

My takeaways so far:

1. Ensure the boat is current on it's inspections, and take that with a grain of salt.
2. Pay attention to safety briefings, and know where PFD's are. As a long ago firefighter, I always look for fire extinguishers.
....Boat fires aren't uncommon.
3. Keep your personal safety devices close at hand.
4. Have as least the bottom of a full suit on while onboard, or wear a shorty, or PFD.
5. Partially inflate one BCD while it's in our waterproof boat bag. Submerged life support items are useless.
6. Consider the electronic locators.

 

[MMM]

3. Keep your personal safety devices close at hand.
5. Partially inflate one BCD while it's in our waterproof boat bag. Submerged life support items are useless.
6. Consider the electronic locators.

One more thing I was thinking about (which takes me back to my initial desire to have my BCD as my first rescue/safety item) is that all of my signalling stuff is attached to, integrated with, or inside a pocket of my BCD. Without my BCD, I'm hooped.

 

[DiverG]

I would hold off any judgements for now. Early reports of incidents are often wrong on the facts. A properly translated version of the articles referenced above would help, but even then until an official report by authorities is released I will withhold judgement.


For those dive operators in Cozumel, do the authorities release an official report for incidents such as this? How long does an investigation take?

 

[WSOPFAN]

I would hold off any judgements for now. Early reports of incidents are often wrong on the facts. A properly translated version of the articles referenced above would help, but even then until an official report by authorities is released I will withhold judgement.

This is from the 2nd article:

The glass bottom boats are not designed to make the crossing between Cozumel and Playa del Carmen, said Javier Pizaña Alonso, president of the guild.​

That statement explains it all right there. Still waiting to hear back from Jen or anyone involved if they were informed before the trip they were going in a glass bottom boat. I would guess if they weren't some or all of them are probably a bit angered by that little handy fact that was not disclosed. I wonder if they at least got a refund........

 

[dmoore19]

I haven't had the pleasure of meeting any of the people involved in this incident but have been to Coz and suffer from a constant desire to return. I am truly glad to hear everyone was found to be safe.

Poor translation, from a article generated by something even the OP will decry.

Too bad there isn't some better more trustworthy source.

We all need to ask questions when getting on a boat. Maybe even ask more questions than "does the head work?"

What I have seems to be coming from this thread is to be aware. We as divers are supposed to have situational awareness, This just shows we need to have it on the boat as well as under water.

Why is it that every thread WSOP starts ends up being a trainwreck?

 

[beaverdivers]

I'm glad everyone survived!