Divers Found Drifting Way Offshore

[DandyDon]

When you haven't seen your divers for over 2 hours at what point should the authorities be notified? The boat captain is negligent as far as I'm concerned regardless of the nature of the charter.

Yep, all authorities should have been notified during the first hour. Maybe they were, but there's been no evidence of that. Do we know?

I can't imagine a boat captain searching inside the park for missing divers without seeking assistance from the many other Dive Op boats that are usually in the area.

Do we know that he did not ask other boats?

Of course, we do not know the whole story here

True that.

 

[tarponchik]

At least, we know the country where this happened. Beware of Mexicans bearing boats!

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

I wonder, on a scale of one to ten, how happy the divers were to be found. And how pissed they were at the captain that left them for bait.

I'm just happy they were ok and not lost forever.

 

[ggunn]

Let's suppose we heard the whole story, from both sides.
What story could possibly justify leaving the 3 divers as they were, with apparently just ONE boat looking for them in the wrong place? For two hours?

I don't know, but as you yourself have pointed out, we don't know what actually happened.

I heard a story firsthand from a DM that once he was leading a dive at Viilablanca when two of his divers got separated from the group, came up alone, and decided to swim to shore.

 

[mediumone]

I don't know, but as you yourself have pointed out, we don't know what actually happened.

I heard a story firsthand from a DM that once he was leading a dive at Viilablanca when two of his divers got separated from the group, came up alone, and decided to swim to shore.

Customers can and should "fire" idiot DM's. No reason at all that DM's can't and shouldn't "fire" idiot customers.

 

[ChuckP]

Weather is bad and has been bad for the last week almost - top side visibility ain't great and underwater ain't the best either. A few days ago a Santa Rosa dive was aborted after 10 minutes when the current switched offshore and down and visibility went to nada.

I have a video from off the beach club area yesterday and the weather conditions ain't good. Off and on rain....... I could easily see a big boat losing people and could easily see them looking in the wrong area.

I was in a similar situation with a good captain and a guy from Scuba Board a few years ago - two groups diving, tremendous rain, crazy currents on the surface, very few boats in the area - all added up to a 45 minute wait. One factor was that was the first time I ever dove with that captain, probably played a big part in that - now I work with him everyday lol.

 

[tursiops]

There is a lot of discussion here about how crappy the weather was and how easy it is to lose your group/DM. That is not the point. The point is the boat captain searched in the wrong place for too long and did not call for assistance.

 

[brsnow]

There is a lot of discussion here about how crappy the weather was and how easy it is to lose your group/DM. That is not the point. The point is the boat captain searched in the wrong place for too long and did not call for assistance.

Do we actually know that?

 

[tursiops]

Do we actually know that?

We do know he searched in the wrong place, and we know there was no one looking for them where they were. You would hope that if he indeed called for assistance he said they are not here, please look elsewhere.

 

[-Moe]

Do we actually know that?

Wouldn't the original poster's own boat have heard any radio request for help?