Non Diving Incident

[Aquabear]

DandyDon, you hit it! North coast, deserted beach, large rock, yep it was Jobos beach, aka "The beach of Death", like a bad SciFi movie name.
Except I survived at the end of the movie!

I had a similar experI had locals help me too years ago and they refused money too, maybe it was the same guys?!

 

[Aquabear]

Gypsijim, ur dam right. PR hosp are NOT where u want to be. In San Juan ok(been there) but outside of SJ it's like a third world country. They helped stitch me up- thanks ER doc, Special surgeon from outside hosp got me artifical skin - Thanks Ortho - but low marks on cleanliness and others I do not want to mention.

 

[DandyDon]

DandyDon, you hit it! North coast, deserted beach, large rock, yep it was Jobos beach, aka "The beach of Death", like a bad SciFi movie name.
Except I survived at the end of the movie!

I had a similar experI had locals help me too years ago and they refused money too, maybe it was the same guys?!

Seemed like all of the Puerto Ricans I met were rather nice folks. We did not go into San Juan at all; stayed a Hyatt on a coupon but left every day to explore. Stopped by a local bakery away from any tourist areas where the lady apologized for her English; I told her it was far better than my Spanish - no problem. Went on a cave tour, etc.

Glad you were well covered for the medi-evac, one of the main reasons I always do trip insurane leaving the country, and glad your wife is recovering well.

 

[diver 85]

To the OP--glad you are 'OK'...IMO next time head on to one of the Virgin Islands or better yet down to one of the Lesser Antilles....Good luck in your recovery process....

 

[Belmont]

Saw a similar situation on the Atlantic side of Barbados. A beach, rocks and intermittent waves the likes that would trash in no time then carry your remains out to sea for the bottom feeders. :shocked2:

 

[Aquabear]

Belmont,
Bottom feeders???.... ohhhhhhh you mean attorneys

 

[Nylorac]

OUCH! Many thanks for sharing - it is so important to share where not to go and what not to do - thanks again!

 

[Aquabear]

Thanks for your support Nylorac.
I was spared from paying the ultimate price to tell the story and warn others and even show them the outcome with the pics my wife took of me in the ER. If I can help just one person avoid a bad experience I have done my job. Others before me on that beach were not so lucky.
Thanks amigo!

 

[DandyDon]

OUCH! Many thanks for sharing - it is so important to share where not to go and what not to do - thanks again!

Not to try to give Aquabear a hard time here, but just to offer a couple of cautions...

Edit: My mistake; see below. [-]When you see a sign saying "DO NOT GO OUT ONTO THESE ROCKS THE WAVES ARE VERY DECEIVING," don't. That he was on a Spanish speaking island suggests that the warning might have been more informative before translation perhaps, but follow the suggestion and don't.[/-]

If you see rocks on the beach, accept that waves wash away the sand and you probly don't want to be there when it happens - and their arrivals can be very surprising if you're not educated on the factors and local situation. Avoid rocky areas.

 

[Aquabear]

Actually DandyDon, Unfortunately the only sign says one word "Peligroso" (danger)thats it. No reference to anything else.
We and lots of other locals have been on those rocks before without a thought at all to that ever happening.
My only afterthought was if I had observed for at least 5 minutes the water then I would have seen the wave sets and their height and would have stayed away.
My wife and I take active vacations and always do multiple levels of risk analysis prior to any activity- camping in the desert, hiking, mountain climbing in ice, SCUBA, kayaking to name a few. We come back fine every time.
This time we did not and we paid a hard price for it but NOT because we didnt heed an indepth warning or that it was in spanish. I speak,read and write in spanish.