Malta Extradition

[Emmer]

I am shocked and horrified that this is all happening, first of all from the Maltese side, but as I read further into this there seems to be a black hotspot for this to keep repeating. They should be addressing why in certain areas and not concentrate on finding themselves a scapegoat, and secondly to be let down so thoroughly by a club that should have your back, that you've supported and volunteered your time for to teach diving safely. As a trainee Ocean Diver i have lost a lot of trust in a club I thought had the reputation for safety and support as you dive within their club. It's not the people at the bottom who actually meet up and make friends with people they dive with and trust. It's the other end. I think Centrals advice about taking it up with the BSAC president is the way forward.I am a trainee Ocean Diver and Steve is my instructor. I have known him since I started in February, and only this week learned of this Malta Extradition. There is no question to his dedication to safety with diving, he is an excellent instructor and I am very confident in the water with him.

 

[AaronRiot]

Here is a link to a map of the dive site: Blue Hole / Azure Window / Malta Gallery - divecenter.hu

I did this dive a few years ago. We entered inland via a shallow beach, swam through a narrow channel out to sea, turned left, followed the wall, turned, and went back. Very little current but the swells were significant... From what I could tell (walking around the site a day later) you're pretty screwed once you're through the channel if anything happens, given there's not really anywhere to exit other than by swimming back through the channel. I would not want to surface swim through that channel, at least not on the days I was visiting the area.

I am not sure I agree with the charges laid, there must be more to this story. If this account is near to what actually happened I find the charge inappropriate.

 

[stephen.martin]

This is Peter lemon's book on shore diving, he is a personal friend of mine, he is shocked at what happened....I can assure you there were no current at 13 mtrs and the dive was unremarkable...the exit point is the blue hole, another 10 mtrs and we would have been home and dry....and then talking about another excellent days diving in the bar

The first diver sadly suffered from immersion pulmonary oedema characterised by short panting breaths underwater she was still finning down, there are photographs and these were shown at the inquest in England, this condition can also be seen in mountain climbers, this triggered the rescue and the second loss

 

[Freewillow]

The report from the UK doctor is very clear on the circumstances of death: immersion pulmonary oedema.



I had a close look at the warrant for extradition. The Maltese authorities want to trial you for:


Abnormal profile: shallow before going deeper.

Even if a "usual profile" is deep and then shallower, your explanation is clear on this issue. You had no intention to bring the group to 35m. I remember having read somewhere that DAN has not been able to establish that an "inverted profile " presents more danger than a "normal profile". So this is 100% B.S.


That the 2 deceased were not competent for this dive

This not only incorrect, they were both sufficiently qualified ( AOW and BSAC sport divers ) but this had no effect watsoever on what happened: an immersion pulmonary oedema has nothing to do with diving qualification.


Blaming you for not giving "first aid" underwater This is laughable and shows that the judge in question + maltese experts are not divers nor have any knowledge on the subject. It is already plain "wishfull thinking" to believe that this can be done swimming at the surface, although we are trained to do it.

You are charged because you did not check the diving gear of each diver Again, this is ludicrous, since the autopsia has clearly demonstrated that the two incidents have nothing to do with faulty equipment. Moreover every diver is supposed to check is own equipment. I have never seen an instructor/guide checking equipment for any qualified divers. If I understand you correctly, you were in vacation and in no way in charge of the group.


In summary, as [FONT=&amp] immersion pulmonary oedema has been diagnosed post mortem in the UK, as the cause of dead. This correlates perfectly with your version of the incident. therefore I see no reason to have you accused and judged in Malta.

I do not understand why the UK authorities are allowing this "mascarade" to go through. You, a UK citizen, have been dully investigated in the UK by an expert body and you have not been brought to trial at home. So why do the the UK authorities accept this " non sense " warrant . Why does the BSAC not only remain silent, but had you bannished from their forum and refused to defend yourself. What a revolting story.

FYI, I wrote the following email to the head of BSAC, 3 days ago. As of today, I have not received any answer, although I think that the tone of the mail is by no way innaproriate.

Enclosure. Copy of my email to BSAC


Dear Ms Meadows,


like many others Divers I have read the story of Mr Stephen Martin on a scubaforum.


I am not related to him and I do not know that man.


Would you be kind enoug to give your point of view on the matter. What Mr Martin is telling is so "difficult to believe" that I just cannot understand it.


Of course, I understand that you may have a difficult position with somebody that is one member of your organisation. But a small word from you would help me understand what other "professional" divers risk on private vacation.


Thank you very much


Dr. Guy xx xxxxxx, Ph.D.[FONT=&amp]
[/FONT][/FONT]

 

[tc]

Interesting, my immediate reaction as an instructor is that whatever the outcome I'll never go to Malta. Not worth the risk of facing trumped up charges.

 

[mselenaous]

Here is a new article about this.
Scuba instructor faces extradition to Malta over 'negligence' charges | Daily Mail Online

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[gypsyjim]

Interesting, my immediate reaction as an instructor is that whatever the outcome I'll never go to Malta. Not worth the risk of facing trumped up charges.

Plenty of other great dive destinations on this planet, where you shouldn't have that risk, unless you do behave negligently.

 

[rmssetc]

Can you imagine, if Turkey joins the EEC, to be expatriate there, as a french citizen? Pretty scary ;(

Can you imagine, if Turkey joins the EEC, how scary it would be to be a Turk expatriated to Belgium, given the level of bias against Turkey that is shown even when the subject at hand has nothing to do with Turkey?

 

[Freewillow]

Can you imagine, if Turkey joins the EEC, how scary it would be to be a Turk extradited to Belgium, given the level of bias against Turkey that is shown even when the subject at hand has nothing to do with Turkey?

.

Well, my guess is that you are living in Philadelphia but of Turkish origin. In fact what I was saying was an answer to a frenchman talking about laws of reciprocal extradition rules between EEC members. So the statement was not "out of context" as you claim it to be. Turkey has been trying to join the European community since quite a few years now .

Well let me put it like this: Yes I have a bias against a country that still denies the genocide done to the Armenians . Yes I would be afraid of beeing extradited to a country that does not respect "human rights" , is not only bombing ISIS but also Kurdes population and let Europeans go to Syria in order to get trained to terrorism. I would add that, like quite a few Europeans, I find that Turkey has no place in the EEC because it has very little in common with our European/Christian Culture.

 

[Redshift]

The report from the UK doctor is very clear on the circumstances of death: immersion pulmonary oedema.[FONT=&amp]
[/FONT]

This was for the diver who got into trouble underwater, no? And the second diver who was found drifting on the surface?