Diver missing - Grand Cayman

[DandyDon]

He surfaced with his buddy, and then what...?

Search launched for missing diver :: cayCompass.com

Update: By late afternoon Sunday, police had found no trace of a missing 57-year-old male diver last seen on a morning boat dive. Police received a call at around 10:20 a.m. Sunday morning from a local dive company saying one of its divers was missing.
According to police, the diver, who was visiting from the United States, apparently came to the surface with his dive buddy but did not make it back to the boat.
"The boat captain and crew commenced searching the area to locate him but were unsuccessful. They reported the matter to authorities," police said.
A search and rescue effort was launched involving the marine unit, the police helicopter, dive vessels and officers on shore. However, as of 5 p.m., the diver had not been located.
Sergeant Richard Scott of the police marine unit said efforts to find the missing diver would continue at 7 a.m. Monday if the search was not successful on Sunday.
Sergeant Scott appealed for anyone who could assist with vessels or diving to contact him at 949-7710 or 325-8092 if they wished to assist in the coordinated search.


Original story: Police have mounted an air and sea search for a male diver who went missing late Sunday morning.

The police’s marine and air units, as well as uniform officers, were searching an area off Seven Mile Beach Sunday afternoon for the diver.

Several dive boats also joined in the search for the missing man.

 

[suzbo]

I was there until Saturday PM. Somebody I know was there until this morning. He said the buddy pair (husband/wife) surfaced about 100 yards from the boat. I believe they were going to surface swim to the boat. When the wife looked again, he wasn't there. Don't know if they had begun swimming, had been swimming for a little while, or what. Strong winds had come up from the North on Wednesday night, making the seas very rough on the West side, and they'd been diving the South side for a couple days. Not sure what the seas were like yesterday, I think they were beginning to lie down, (and that hey were back to diving the West side, not sure) but perhaps it was still choppy on the surface.

 

[iamrushman]

sad news for all the diving community.....

 

[ronscuba]

Wow. Hope they find him. 100 yds. from the boat in rough seas. I wonder if a whistle, mirror or SMB would have made the boat spot them.

 

[suzbo]

The seas may not be rough any more. It look like they were back diving off the West side, off Seven Mile Beach, so it could have only been a light chop, or even back to calm. This sort of thing also always makes you wonder about underlying health issues being involved, not just straight out scuba issues. They've now released the guy's name.

 

[Drew Sailbum]

Tank and BCD have been recovered according to Cayman News Service.

 

[DandyDon]

He's from North Carolina: North Carolina man missing after Grand Cayman dive - chicagotribune.com

 

[Jim Lapenta]

This is one of those type of incidents that I looked at in my presentation on the failure of the buddy system. A similar type situation happened in Florida a couple years ago. Funny that one eyewitness I talked to was from Chicago and the story Don linked to was in the Chi Town Trib.

A husband and wife surfaced from a shore dive, were swimming to shore, he got a little bit ahead, turned to see where she was and she was gone. Found on the bottom two hours later.

While it doesn't say this couple were single file or side by side but apart a ways, it is clear from the incident that I looked into and covered in the presentation, as well as some other accidents, that staying in proper position on the surface - touch contact side by side- is as critical as it is underwater.

Even if it was a massive heart attack or stroke if they were right next to each other she may have been able to grab him. It also points out again the absolute need to carry visual and audible signaling devices. A 6 ft SMB and Storm whistle or dive alert, coupled with the common sense and training to use it may have had a dramatic affect on the outcome of this and similar situations.

 

[Akimbo]

…Even if it was a massive heart attack or stroke if they were right next to each other she may have been able to grab him. ...

The confusing part to me is how did these divers sink so fast on a surface swim? I’m a lazy bastard so I put a little air in my wing on surface swims. I guess a massive heart attack or stroke could result in an operator error that deflated instead of inflated the BC… but on two different incidents???

 

[ianr33]

Sad.

Wonder if he is still wearing his weight belt?