Miami Beach charter leaves divers in open waters off Key Biscayne

[Scott L]

The Drudge Report now links this international (UK) story. Not what the Captain wanted, I am sure...

2 scuba divers left to die by Miami Beach charter boat off Key Biscayne | Mail Online

 

[Beiji]

The schedule for Sunday according to an email sent at the end of September:
 
October 2nd, Sunday @ 8:30 AM………….. The Belcher Barge (30’) and the Neptune Site (40’)
 
October 2nd, Sunday @ 1:00 PM…………. The Patricia (55’) and the Tanks (45’)

 

[DennisW]

Not a good thing. I would be very unhappy. There is only two things I expect the dive charter to do. 1.) Get me to the dive site. 2.) Get me back to the dock.

 

[Blastman4444]

ACR and Artex Products / Cobham - Beacon Solutions Hand Held EPIRB you just need to put it inside an enclosure. Good to have, and you can use it anywhere if you hike in the woods even take it off shore in small boats with you. They have some good story's on there about rescues. I'm thinking about getting one of these we like to cross country ski in the winter as well.

 

[Thalassamania]

Distance is distance, I guess everyone has different perceptions. My son and I frequently swim out a little more than a thousand yards to watch the big fish, dolphins and whales that go by. We take it easy, so it's about a half hour each way.

"Shark infested waters," I love it. We're the infestation, not the sharks (e.g., to inhabit or overrun in numbers or quantities large enough to be harmful, threatening, or obnoxious).

 

[Splitlip]

Interesting.

So in the operations you frequent, divers just walk onto a boat and put their names on a list? And if they don't bring up those names, they aren't on the list?

I don't think I have ever seen it done that way. I am searching my memory, but I believe that in every dive of this sort I have done, the master list comes from the dive operator. It is based on who signed up for (and paid for) the dives and delivered to the boat. The divers would have been on the list before anyone got on the boat.

I am surprised to see your operations do it differently.

Wetdawgs scenario is not far fetched at all. I was on a boat a few weeks ago. During roll call before departure the captain asked the all important "Is there anybody's name I did not call". A female diver responded in the affirmative. She had registered (and I assume paid on line). But she had not checked in at the office and presented her C-card nor had she signed a waiver. She boarded the boat. (And yes, you can board and exit the boat without being checked by the captain against the roster to stow your gear.) Back to the office she went. A few minutes later staff came down with a revised roster.

Another twist.. this from my mother. I stopped by her house earlier to bring her some lobster tails. She mentioned the story because of course most of the local media carried it. I told her of the thread discussions and my thoughts above. Her reply: "If the captain (in question) consults his roster whenever the divers exit the water, why did he not notice after the FIRST dive that there were two divers not on the roster." She thought the entire thing out, thinking that a diver from Spain and a diver from Texas probably buddied up with each other because they were single divers and nobody else on the boat or with the "3rd party" shop would note that they were missing. (Mom's words.."3rd party")

 

[Teamcasa]

I can't believe it, 121 posts in this thread and nobody has commented on the fact that the divers were left in "shark infested waters." Are there any waters not shark infested where the media is concerned?

Or divers with oxygen tanks...

 

[Splitlip]

I think we're talking apples and oranges here. I don't get profiles until after the dive, for short term record keeping. Those profiles get erased right after the boat returns to the dock, and I don't need to write a report for anyone like the USCG or DAN or my insurance company. I only collect dive plans from tech divers, who may have wildly varying run times, and we are basically open deck. I need to know whether to expect them back in 90 minutes or 180 minutes.


This is exactly my experience diving out of Jupiter inlet. I drove directly to the boat, gave my name to the skipper, and lugged my stuff onboard. I paid the dive shop after we returned to the dock. I was, however, known to the divemasters on the boat. I never went on the roster, signed a release, or had my name called. If you saw me, you'd know that I'm somewhat visible.

Yeah..I had a brain fart. I replied to your post and intended to respond to another's. But this was a rec dive, and I was speaking of local rec ops.

 

[Tigerman]

I guess Ive developed a filter for the tabloid scare-tactics and obvious lack of knowledge..

 

[boulderjohn]

Wetdawgs scenario is not far fetched at all. I was on a boat a few weeks ago. During roll call before departure the captain asked the all important "Is there anybody's name I did not call". A female diver responded in the affirmative. She had registered (and I assume paid on line). But she had not checked in at the office and presented her C-card nor had she signed a waiver. She boarded the boat. (And yes, you can board and exit the boat without being checked by the captain against the roster to stow your gear.) Back to the office she went. A few minutes later staff came down with a revised roster.

So they spotted the person who was not on the roster by asking that all important question.

The picture being painted of total chaos and people able to walk onto boats and stow their gear without anyone noticing is not a flattering one. I have dived on a lot of boats around the world, including South Florida, and I have seen a lot of chaos on crowded boats. It seems to me that when it came time to call roll they were generally able to calm that confusion and get everyone's attention, if only for those few moments. I would think that skill would be an important one for a captain.