Found him ~3 miles out after an hour of searching

[cfberry]

This all happened last week.

Hopefully people reading this, in the future, will prepare better than this guy, before they come to Cozumel. I’m going to call him “Guy”.

There were 3 of us diving with Bottomtime divers. Raul’s normal boat was being repaired, and so we were jumping with another popular dive shop’s boat. I don’t want to name them here, as I don’t feel like the other operator did anything wrong.

We started on Tormentos, but knew the current was not ideal so we made some fairly long swims over sand while we quartered the direction of the current. Usually I don’t feel like I get much exercise while diving, but I did this day. Our group of 4 were always in sight of each other. We did not dive with the other group on the boat. The current was pretty sporty the whole time.

The current switched towards the end of the dive and visibility dropped to 20-30 feet, so we ascended to the safety stop. My dive log shows a 56 min bottom time, so our ascent was not really premature.

When we got on the boat, our group was the only one there. The other divemaster + 4 divers had been picked up by another boat, not far away. Wind was from the SSE, and likely 15-20 mph. There was a good bit of chop on the surface. Btw, Raul shoots 2 DSMB’s (on one line), so the captain knows it’s him.

Raul and the captain spoke for a minute and then Raul tells me the “big guy” is lost (Guy). We look for a few minutes and then go get the other DM + 4 divers that should have been on our boat. And then we start looking for Guy in earnest. The wind was really blowing, and the current was all over the place, and this was quickly getting to be a mess. The captain had all the other dive boats looking and then sometime within just a few minutes he had the Navy looking as well.This was like looking for a needle in a haystack. After almost an hour, another dive boat found him 3 miles away / out. That boat took him back to the marina with the Navy boat right behind.

When we were back at the marina, Guy acted like it was no big deal. I heard him say, to no one in general, that he never felt like he was in danger.

Here are the things I think he did wrong:
1) No dive buddy
2) Did not stay with his group
3) Very poor dive fitness, for the conditions.
4) No dive computer
5) No signaling device i.e. DSMB
6) He should have had his own dive master to dive with him.

When we got back to the marina, the Navy, and ambulance, and several officers were there to question Guy. If nothing else, this guy wasted at least 1 hour of 9 different peoples’ vacation due to his negligence.

There’s no way the dive operator made any profit that day. I’m sure we burned it all in fuel looking for him.

***Edited a few lines for clarity

worst nightmare

 

[jezscuba]

Scary situation, glad he was found safely.

 

[grassgreen]

I wish Cozumel dive ops would require all divers to carry a SMB. If they don't have their own, the dive op should have loaners on the boat to provide to them.

Yes defo good idea....

 

[Jaan]

Yes defo good idea....

Only those wanting to improve their odds of being found should consider this

Glad guy was found and maybe once home and past his outwards bravado he will also realize that there are no guardrails on this to prevent any missteps and he has to take responsibility too. When weather picks up it really is like looking for a needle in a haystack .. and I can only imagine Cozumel currents make that a quickly growing haystack. A PLB is another good idea for anyone wanting to be out there alone!

 

[ggunn]

Yes defo good idea....

Replying to the comment "I wish Cozumel dive ops would require all divers to carry a SMB. If they don't have their own, the dive op should have loaners on the boat to provide to them."

If one doesn't have an SMB and practiced deploying it I would not advise trying to inflate a loaner buoy except at the surface. Loaner SMBs should probably not have a reel or spool attached.

 

[NDL_Diver]

Replying to the comment "I wish Cozumel dive ops would require all divers to carry a SMB. If they don't have their own, the dive op should have loaners on the boat to provide to them."

If one doesn't have an SMB and practiced deploying it I would not advise trying to inflate a loaner buoy except at the surface. Loaner SMBs should probably not have a reel or spool attached.

Exactly why my SMB is on a reel and my wifes SMB is not. I practice inflating at least once a trip at depth. I tell DM before I go in the water that I will be doing it so there is no confusion.

 

[ggunn]

Exactly why my SMB is on a reel and my wifes SMB is not. I practice inflating at least once a trip at depth. I tell DM before I go in the water that I will be doing it so there is no confusion.

Same. I deploy mine often, not on every dive, necessarily, but more than half the time. I have the line marked at SS depth, and when I am weighted correctly I can get a little bit negative and hang from it like a subway rider. It gives my wife a visual reference so she doesn't have to keep checking her depth gauge.

 

[Himself]

We are of the same ilk…

I have a DSMB, a whistle, a mirror, two cutting devices and an Applewatch Ultra as my backup DC. My son/dive buddy, also has an Ultra and SMB. He tells me our Apple Watches will alert the local authorities via satellite if you initiate an emergency services call. Probably not as good as your PLB, but still more comforting than nothing.

I dive only at Cozumel. While there I have never seen any line or other obstruction that needed cutting. Perhaps I was just fortunate. Is a cutting tool recommended if one is diving only at Cozumel?

 

[Scubagermany]

I dive only at Cozumel. While there I have never seen any line or other obstruction that needed cutting. Perhaps I was just fortunate. Is a cutting tool recommended if one is diving only at Cozumel?

I would recommend having a cutting tool with you at any dive you make!

 

[jbjclj]

We had a diver get ensnared in fishing line yesterday. Took 2 of us to untangle him