chiara93
Guest
Witnessed this incident while diving Y0257(Oahu) more than a year ago.
2 groups of 8 divers on a charter boat to a wreck in 100ft. Water condition was perfect; no chops and clear visibility. First group, all Japanese, went down first with their DM. Minutes later, our group of 8 went in the water.
When our group reached the bottom, I could see some of the Japanese divers were following their DM and a couple of stragglers.
Our DM signaled us to follow him to penetrate the upper portion of the wreck. My buddy signaled me to go in first, but I signaled back that he should go in first. He was closer to the opening anyway. So, I was the last one to go in. I guess our signaling who would go in first was long enough that by the time we were both inside, about 10 ft. in, everyone had gone through and out of the wreck.
Since, there were two openings on both sides of us, we didn't know which way the rest of our group exited, left or right. We were looking at one another when our DM came in from the right opening and signaled to follow him. That was a relief.
As we exited the wreck, we saw the rest of our group on our right checking out the wreck. My buddy, I and the DM were swimming towards our group when I noticed a diver in light pink wetsuit, of the Japanese group, frantically waving her arms up and down and her buddy way below her. She was in a vertical position and climbing really fast. Her weight belt was going the opposite way. The rest of her group nor their DM were nowhere in sight.
I pointed, my buddy swam fast over, but our DM was faster and grabbed her. He dragged her down as he deflated her BC. My buddy in turn went to retrieved the weight belt. I couldn't do anything. My brain was still processing the whole scenario and what could've happened. With her weight belt on, the two Japanese divers continued their dives. We then joined the rest of our group.
The whole thing happened so fast that I don't think everyone noticed the incident. I say this, because no one mentioned anything except the shark they saw at the bow of the wreck. Our DM had a quiet tete-a-tete with the Japanese group DM though. I can only imagine what about.
Don't really know why I'm posting this except the fact that it made a deep impression on me. I can only empathized with that diver because I lost my weight belt during an AOW training, but that's another story. I know I make sure that my weight belt is on and secure.
It's thanks to our DM and my buddy at the time that-that diver was saved from what could've been an accident.
Sorry, couldn't tell you anymore about how that Japanese diver lost her weight belt because of language barrier.
2 groups of 8 divers on a charter boat to a wreck in 100ft. Water condition was perfect; no chops and clear visibility. First group, all Japanese, went down first with their DM. Minutes later, our group of 8 went in the water.
When our group reached the bottom, I could see some of the Japanese divers were following their DM and a couple of stragglers.
Our DM signaled us to follow him to penetrate the upper portion of the wreck. My buddy signaled me to go in first, but I signaled back that he should go in first. He was closer to the opening anyway. So, I was the last one to go in. I guess our signaling who would go in first was long enough that by the time we were both inside, about 10 ft. in, everyone had gone through and out of the wreck.
Since, there were two openings on both sides of us, we didn't know which way the rest of our group exited, left or right. We were looking at one another when our DM came in from the right opening and signaled to follow him. That was a relief.
As we exited the wreck, we saw the rest of our group on our right checking out the wreck. My buddy, I and the DM were swimming towards our group when I noticed a diver in light pink wetsuit, of the Japanese group, frantically waving her arms up and down and her buddy way below her. She was in a vertical position and climbing really fast. Her weight belt was going the opposite way. The rest of her group nor their DM were nowhere in sight.
I pointed, my buddy swam fast over, but our DM was faster and grabbed her. He dragged her down as he deflated her BC. My buddy in turn went to retrieved the weight belt. I couldn't do anything. My brain was still processing the whole scenario and what could've happened. With her weight belt on, the two Japanese divers continued their dives. We then joined the rest of our group.
The whole thing happened so fast that I don't think everyone noticed the incident. I say this, because no one mentioned anything except the shark they saw at the bow of the wreck. Our DM had a quiet tete-a-tete with the Japanese group DM though. I can only imagine what about.
Don't really know why I'm posting this except the fact that it made a deep impression on me. I can only empathized with that diver because I lost my weight belt during an AOW training, but that's another story. I know I make sure that my weight belt is on and secure.
It's thanks to our DM and my buddy at the time that-that diver was saved from what could've been an accident.
Sorry, couldn't tell you anymore about how that Japanese diver lost her weight belt because of language barrier.
