Freak Storm Sinks Liveaboard off Phuket

[Rick Murchison]

While some questions can be answered already, competent investigations take a while, especially when much of the evidence is on the ocean floor over 200' down.
If you want answers fast, you must accept that they will likely be inaccurate, and certainly be incomplete.
Dr. Beer's snooty slights against Thai investigators and Thailand in general point towards some ugly character traits - hopefully it's just a language thing and he's really a nice guy.
Rick

 

[wilde100]

we are all still waiting for the outcome of a public independent and non-corrupt investigation which should give the answer on all the open questions (not only I have asked).
In civilized countries, if fatalities, it goes without saying.
By the way - I had been a long-term friend of one of the victims.

I am personally annoyed by Hadodi's posts so far. I think it has been made quite clear what is being discussed should be done in good spirit.

It is equally clear that Hadodi has little regard for Thailand. Using terms such as "non-corrupt" and "civilized" stinks of racism. The board members have been too polite in downplaying his rude remarks as "language distortions".

Meanwhile Hadodi raises his qualifications and "long term friendship" with the victim as a get out of jail passport. I spit here.

Detracting from comments about Hadodi's character, I'm eager to hear from experienced boaters and divers whether there was an learning points to make the boat safer, the evacuation more successful, etc.

 

[Chris Tauzin]

Wow.... I think our next dive trip is going to be a liveaboard. I will make sure I know where the life jackets are...

 

[hadodi]

Thanks a lot Wilde100! Please, be real! We all know how 'PUBLIC INVESTIGATIONS" are done (NOT only in Thailand). If this is racism for you, so be it. I will make my assessment, when I see the result of this non-biased, non-corrupt independent investigation.
Yes, indeed, a long-term relationship is very much reason enough to ask for information which are not supposed to be private but public, accessable for everyone interested. And, finally, Thailand is one of my favorites in Asia.

 

[hadodi]

Yes, you certainly should do so. But on such kind of boats, if it happens when you sleep, you might not have a chance to get out.

 

[hadodi]

Thanks Rick, generally I am a nice guy. But when I get crazy is, if there is something stinking...
So far I am just asking for information, if there is not one so far, fine, but I will ask again in a few months...

 

[wilde100]

Thanks a lot Wilde100! Please, be real! We all know how 'PUBLIC INVESTIGATIONS" are done (NOT only in Thailand). If this is racism for you, so be it. I will make my assessment, when I see the result of this non-biased, non-corrupt independent investigation.
Yes, indeed, a long-term relationship is very much reason enough to ask for information which are not supposed to be private but public, accessable for everyone interested. And, finally, Thailand is one of my favorites in Asia.

I am being real! - your words expose you for what you really are. I have a very low opinion of you.

The board is not the place to ask for public disclosure which is I think what you are asking. Members use it to bring greater awareness to improve their skills and safety.

If you need full disclosure, I suggest you write to the relevant authorities through your embassy - then come back and share that document here so we can all benefit from a fact based discussion.

Next, your advice to Chris was unnecessary and unhelpful "on such kinds of boats"?? Hadodi, you disregard the environmental factors as well as how quickly the boat ran into trouble. Your statement implies that other kinds of boats would not be as susceptible.

Let me list a few environmental factors:

1. 1. Tired divers who likely fell asleep quickly
   2. Unlikely there was any boat / dive crew below decks where the bunks were to assist in a speedy and safe evacuation
   3. Temporary disorientation from being woken from tired sleep with little time to react
   4. General confusion

So at the end of it, did you offer any advice to Chris how to be safer (despite your professed boating experience)? NO.

Would having a life vest help? No confirmation. Why? Because had the victim put on his life vest inside a boat filling with water, he likely would have become trapped from the buoyancy of the life vest.

 

[hadodi]

Sorry for late reply. I do not accuse anybody of any thing. All those environmental factors you listed have NOTHING to do with the question WHY it happened. And the answer can only be via a public investigation.
Life vest has nothing to do with the fact that a new ship capsized and sank within minutes. Be assured, have been a sailor for quite a while I know a little bit about the sea.

 

[wilde100]

Sorry for late reply. I do not accuse anybody of any thing. All those environmental factors you listed have NOTHING to do with the question WHY it happened. And the answer can only be via a public investigation.
Life vest has nothing to do with the fact that a new ship capsized and sank within minutes. Be assured, have been a sailor for quite a while I know a little bit about the sea.

Please... "do not accuse anybody of any thing"?? After all your allegations of corruption? I've covered this in my previous post and see no need to revise my opinion of you.

You're entitled to your opinion that those environmental factors had nothing to contribute to the accident. I didn't suggest they did, if you read my post carefully I was responding to your smug reply to Chris T.

Blah blah blah, sailor this, know the sea that. You impose your experience as a sailor to equal knowing the capabilities of that boat. That boat which sank. The capabilities of how well it will float for how long in what conditions. I don't make the same equation and disagree with your basis of reasoning.

Your call that only a public investigation will answer your questions comes back to square one where I have asked you to action this through your embassy.

 

[hadodi]

Mr Wilde100: Be assured that as soon as I receive information about the results of the promised public investigation (which is not a private matter at all) I will the forum let know. So far I received confirmation by the Consulate that such an investigation is "under way..."
Again, I strongly believe that the divers comunity is very much interested in such results, because we all want to be (quite) sure that we will wake up alive when sleeping on the luxurious dive ship as DIVE ASIA 1 was one.
Again I just ask if ANYBODY gets information, please, let us all know.