Liveaboard fire

[Dan]

Not really sure what's exactly going on, since links are being removed rapidly from facebook

Facebook video:

From scubadivermag.com:

Wow! Sad situation! Glad to hear everyone off the boat safely.

I was on that boat in December 2019. It was a temporary replacement of Red Sea Aggressor I that burnt down few months earlier. Ahmed was our DM then too.

 

[Dan]

Also smoke detectors have radioactive components in them, don’t they? I’d be worried about trying to travel internationally with one…

You mean you will turn it on while traveling (going through the airport & while on the airplane)?

 

[Miyaru]

You mean you will turn it on while traveling (going through the airport & while on the airplane)?

The smoke detectors in the airplane's toilet are always on. I never saw a person coming out of the toilet with radiation burns.....

 

[Centrals]

The smoke detectors in the airplane's toilet are always on. I never saw a person coming out of the toilet with radiation burns.....

hps.org

Health Physics Society

hps.org

Readily available.

Americium in Ionization Smoke Detectors | US EPA

There is no health threat from ionization smoke detectors as long as the detector is not damaged and used as directed. Do not tamper with your smoke detectors, as it could damage the shielding around the radioactive source inside of them.

www.epa.gov

 

[Chris Stock]

Jeah i will. But if trapped inside the boat, that doesnt help.

Like the fire 1year ago

Looking for multiple exits and making sure they are open, I think is proactive and if you walked the boat ahead of time and talked to crew and divers and made it a priority, you would be okay. I always look for this, but never said much, I do now.

 

[Chris Stock]

Don't these boats have an automatic fire suppression system in the engine room? @Wookie ?

I just returned from a week on the Belize Aggressor IV. We had a very detailed briefing before sleeping the first night, we did not leave the dock until the next morning. Nine of the ten cabins are on the main deck. The primary entry/exit is onto the dive deck. I reserved a room next to this door. There was a large, freely accessible emergency exit at the other end of the hall. There was a dedicated crew member who was the roving night watch every night. I saw him each morning.

I started packing an escape drybag before the Conception and Red Sea Aggressor I fires and sinkings, wallet, documents, keys, flashlight with strobe, water. Glad I have never used it.

You are thinking of 1st world countries with fire suppression and crew walks. It's mandatory in our part of the world, we are lucky. Even when I sail on Tall Ships and it's voluntary crew, we have someone all night long in 2 shifts walking around and checking a preset list.

 

[wgw04024]

These stories do not make me want to do liveaboards.

 

[Mod63]

These stories do not make me want to do liveaboards.

The most dangerouse part is the drive to the airport...

 

[DandyDon]

The most dangerouse part is the drive to the airport...

Sounds good even when untrue.

 

[drrich2]

These stories do not make me want to do liveaboards.

That's understandable, but plenty of bad things can happen to people during land-based trips, some of which are unlikely during a live-aboard trip. Car wreck headed out to eat in the evening? Maybe get mugged? Someone burglarized your room while you were gone diving?

There are people who won't get on a plane, and I suspect for many the idea of being helpless trapped in the sky in case of mishap is a key reason. Never mind it's probably safer than a long distance car trip. When a live-aboard fire breaks out and shuts (or burns) the boat down, a lot of people are simultaneously affected (not unlike a plane crash). Between that and the idea of being stuck under the care of others, these stories resonate with our fears (and legitimate concerns, to be fair).

But I'd need to see some hard data before concluding live aboard dive trips are more dangerous than land-based dive trips.

Richard.