Female diver struck by boat propeller

[DandyDon]

That's the title that came with the story as found...

Female diver struck by boat propeller | Herald Sun

May 22, 2008 07:26am

A 23-YEAR-OLD woman has been seriously injured after being struck by the propeller of a boat in the Whitsundays, off north Queensland.

Police said the woman and two other divers were being picked up after a dive at Langford Reef, near Hayman Island around 11am (AEST) yesterday when the boat approached at low speed.

The woman, who was holding onto a large weight belt, said the wash of the vessel sucked her under and into the propeller.

She suffered a broken pelvis and a large laceration to her right thigh and cuts up her right side.

She was flown to Mackay Base Hospital by a rescue helicopter from Hayman Island.

The woman was reported in a stable condition and her injuries were not considered life threatening.

"....holding onto a large weight belt"...? "...wash of the vessel sucked her under and into the propeller"...?

 

[Jim Kerr]

We all know how the news media mis reports things. They also seem to know an awful lot about her injuries. I hope they notified the doctors of their findings so they know what treatment to give her.

 

[farsidefan1]

It was my first dive trip after certifying. Yes I was a newbie. We were doing a drift dive so the boat was "following our bubbles". I was running low on air so I went up for my safety stop. With an empty tank it wasn't easy to maintain depth and before I knew it AI was right under the motor. The prop missed me by about 2 feet. Dumb on my part not to keep track of where the boat was and get out of the way but that is how accidents happen. :no

 

[BarryNL]

It was my first dive trip after certifying. Yes I was a newbie. We were doing a drift dive so the boat was "following our bubbles". I was running low on air so I went up for my safety stop. With an empty tank it wasn't easy to maintain depth and before I knew it AI was right under the motor. The prop missed me by about 2 feet. Dumb on my part not to keep track of where the boat was and get out of the way but that is how accidents happen. :no

Bad buoyancy control is a component in a huge proportion of scuba accidents. It's certainly understandable in a newbie diver, but divers who have not yet perfected buoyancy control do need to ask themselves which dives they should be attempting.

 

[Mr.X]

Here's a question - Why was the prop in gear if they're being picked up and presumably near the dive ladder? I am glad the diver is OK.

Without knowing some facts involved it's hard to come to any fast conclusions like buoyancy control, or skill of the diver involved. I would ask:

1. Why are props engaged (operator) if you are close to any diver?
2. Was there anyone on deck telling the operator to cut engines ? Another set of eyes.
3. Could the boat operator see the divers from the wheel?
4. Where was the diver? Underwater, or at the surface?
etc.
5. Was there supervision in the water.

Sadly, being hit by props. is all too common. I was looking at stats. from just the UK (not easily found) and there are quite a few accidents with boat propellers & divers.

X

 

[drbill]

Not to make light of this situation, but a few years ago there was a diver using rental gear who surfaced outside the Casino Point dive park boundary lines and was hit by a boat's propeller. The prop didn't do any serious damage to the diver, but it did chop all the reg hoses off his first stage and marked up the tank. According to the dive shop, he brought the seriously damaged first stage back saying something like "it was like this when I rented it." Double dumb for that guy.

 

[Butch103]

Its dumb s***s like that, which ruin the reps of concientious and well trained divers.........