Father and son run over by dive charter

[Jax]

We really don't have enough info, do we?

The divers could have surfaced unknowingly. The boat captain / watchers could have lost the bubbles. The dive float may have been further down current than expected.

All I know is that the captain and crew must be crushed, right now. All the folks I met in the keys had the number one priority of making the divers' dives as safe and wonderful as possible. My heart goes out to all involved.

 

[mike_s]

Doesn't say if they or anyone else had a dive flag being towed or not.

 

[Jax]

Exactly! No information beyond that they were injured.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

But, what if I'm a new diver that hasn't yet learned to listen for an approaching boat, hasn't learned to deploy a safety sausage from a safety stop, and just don't have that much situational awareness yet.

... then I would say that you are not ready to do that kind of diving ...

I can easily see someone being run over by their own boat in that situation.

... and that is why I would say so.

One of the things that people should understand about diving is that local environments create their own critical skills ... and if deploying a safety sausage from a safety stop is what's needed to assure such accidents don't happen, then that skill needs to be taught and practiced before telling someone they're qualified for this type of dive. That is the reason why I'm in favor of adding skills to the "standard" training curriculum ... because that curriculum cannot possibly identify all the critical skills needed to dive safely in all areas.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Reef_Haven]

There isn't a charter boat in West Palm that would turn away a diver who admits he has never deployed a smbd from depth.
Instructors take their students on these dives every weekend for their initial open water check out dives.

 

[danvolker]

First, you don't have to deploy a sausage in west palm to come up away from the flag...you can listen to hear boats in the area. It is fine for people to deploy from underwater, but this pales in comparison to listening and looking, first.

Pleasure Boats and fishing boats do not look for divers...we are not even there, as far as most are concerned.

If I come up from a recreational duration dive, away from the dive flag -- I am not going to waste my time deploying a float... I am going to do my stop at 10 feet, then when ready, I am going to listen....when I don't hear any approaching boats, I will surface fast, spin around and look for oncoming boats....Doppler shift works great underwater....you really can tell alot about what is happening on the surface, before you poke your head up.
If I was really smart, I'd be coming up by the flag someone was pulling...since we all know that is not always who I am , the listening and looking behavior is what keeps me safe for when we could not be part of a larger group, or couldn;t be bothered to tow a float.


Once I am up, if I am a long way from the boat, I will deploy a sausage or my Halcyon Surfmat, to make it easier for the boat to find my buddy and I.

 

[Reef_Haven]

First, you don't have to deploy a sausage in west palm to come up away from the flag...you can listen to hear boats in the area. It is fine for people to deploy from underwater, but this pales in comparison to listening and looking, first.

Pleasure Boats and fishing boats do not look for divers...we are not even there, as far as most are concerned.

If I come up from a recreational duration dive, away from the dive flag -- I am not going to waste my time deploying a float... I am going to do my stop at 10 feet, then when ready, I am going to listen....when I don't hear any approaching boats, I will surface fast, spin around and look for oncoming boats....Doppler shift works great underwater....you really can tell alot about what is happening on the surface, before you poke your head up.
If I was really smart, I'd be coming up by the flag someone was pulling...since we all know that is not always who I am , the listening and looking behavior is what keeps me safe for when we could not be part of a larger group, or couldn;t be bothered to tow a float.


Once I am up, if I am a long way from the boat, I will deploy a sausage or my Halcyon Surfmat, to make it easier for the boat to find my buddy and I.

I agree completely.
That is how we all do it in West Palm. We All KNOWINGLY violate the law, for our convenience.

 

[KeysCuda]

FWC report summary, verbatim. Boldface mine. Not saying its 100 percent accurate; saying its what the FWC says in its initial report:

On 080911 at approximately 0910 hours a commercial dive charter vessel was operating a drift dive approximatley one mile north of Conch reef. Two divers standing on the stern dive platform jumped into the water while the vessel was in reverse gear. The divers were struck by the vessel propellers sustaining severe life threatening injuries. The divers were airlifted to Dade County hospitals for treatment of their injuries.

 

[Jax]

FWC report summary, verbatim. Boldface mine. Not saying its 100 percent accurate; saying its what the FWC says in its initial report:

On 080911 at approximately 0910 hours a commercial dive charter vessel was operating a drift dive approximately one mile north of Conch reef. Two divers standing on the stern dive platform jumped into the water while the vessel was in reverse gear. The divers were struck by the vessel propellers sustaining severe life threatening injuries. The divers were airlifted to Dade County hospitals for treatment of their injuries.

OMG . . . raying: for the crew - how horrible if that is indeed it.

 

[openmindOW]

Two divers standing on the stern dive platform jumped into the water while the vessel was in reverse gear. The divers were struck by the vessel propellers sustaining severe life threatening injuries.

That is sad.

Is it possible that they fell in? Is it possible that they thought they heard an instruction to enter the water?