Diver killed by hit & run speedboat - Port Phillip Bay, Australia

[DandyDon]

Scuba diver dies after being struck by speedboat in Port Phillip Bay - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Police are searching for the driver of a boat that struck a scuba diver in Port Phillip Bay this afternoon, killing the diver despite the efforts of paramedics to save him.

The diver, a man in his 20s, was hit by the boat between Frankston and Mornington shortly before 1:00pm.

A passing boat picked up the injured diver and his dive partner and conveyed them to Frankston Pier.

Paramedics performed CPR on the man but he died on the pier.

The second diver, also in his 20s, did not need medical assistance.

A police boat and helicopter have been deployed in the investigation.

Marine Investigation Unit detectives are investigating the diver's death and urging anyone who may have witnessed the incident or knows the identity of the driver of the boat involved to contact Crime Stoppers

 

[Mike1967]

Nowhere does it say "hit and run" and for you to say so in your thread title insinuates the driver of the boat knew he'd hit someone.

 

[Snoweman]

Nowhere does it say "hit and run" and for you to say so in your thread title insinuates the driver of the boat knew he'd hit someone.

Probably because the article starts off, "Police are searching for the driver of a boat that struck a scuba diver..." If the driver stuck around, they wouldn't be searching for him.

 

[Jonn]

I'm not sure being completely oblivious would put the pilot in a better position. The stories light on detail in any case.

 

[Mike1967]

If the driver stuck around, they wouldn't be searching for him.

Doesn't mean he ran, a prop blade could hit someone enough to kill them and give no indication at all in the boat.

The stories light on detail in any case.

Exactly, we don't even know if they had a flag.

 

[clownfishsydney]

It is a hit and run if the boat did not stop, whether he knew he hit the diver or not. Title is accurate! No indication in articles I have seen so far as to whether this was a shore dive or boat dive, but I suspect shore dive.

 

[Mike1967]

Title is accurate!

We'll have to agree to disagree on that one, not even the media are calling it a hit and run. Of course that may change.

 

[NAUI Wowie]

It is a hit and run if the boat did not stop, whether he knew he hit the diver or not. Title is accurate! No indication in articles I have seen so far as to whether this was a shore dive or boat dive, but I suspect shore dive.

Wrong. If a boat driver has no knowledge their boat hit anything then it IS NOT a hit and run. Period. Hit and run means you hit a person so are now running because of that to get away.

Hitting someone with no knowledge of it and keeping on boating is not a crime. Unless there were dive flags or it was in a slow zone.

This could have completely been the scuba divers fault coming up to surface while you can obviously hear a boat coming.

If a person runs across a freeway through traffic and dies is it the drivers fault or the person running across a freeway? Different by far but for the driver of boat or car they CANNOT stop instantly if someone pops in front of them. or under the prop.

Likely though the boat driver did know they hit someone but possibly not.

hit and run? maybe maybe not. but not guaranteed.

 

[Russjstewart]

For what it is worth the tv news coverage shows the buddy of the deceased diver wearing a camouflage wet suit which are normally used by free divers that are spear fishing rather than scuba divers. The Age newspaper report says “It is unknown whether the divers were using a flag at the time of the incident or whether the driver of the boat was aware he had struck the man”....... “It was the latest in a string of almost 50 fatalities to strike Victorian waters since last July”

The weather here has been a bit average and the north end of the bay is pretty dirty, I would be surprised if it was much better in the area the incident took,place
It is a tragedy by any measure and my sympathies to all concerned.

 

[Griffo]

Sad. It would be interesting to find out exactly where they were, and if they had a flag. Flags aren't commonly used here, and I know at some places they are more dangerous that not having one (idiots use them as targets). There are however many areas where boat speeds are supposed to be restricted, and you also see morons ignore it. A couple of years ago a swimmer was hit by a jet-ski and killed in a signposted restricted area. I hope this isn't a repeat.