Palm Beach diver loses arm as group hit by boat - Florida

[Gene]

If the area of this unfortunate accident is indeed right off the north tip of Palm Beach Island, (near the little pier), my family and I have snorkeled and dove there going back to the 1970s.
My aunt and uncle used to live on Lake Worth (West Palm side) near the marina and port. We've gone to Peanut Island too since the 70's as well as the area right off the north point of PB Island, on their boat or my grandparent's houseboat.
It's been a handful of years since we've done it, but we anchor in about five or six feet of water and roll overboard. Staying on the bottom and using a dive flag, we descend down to about 30 feet, following a rocky wall where the inlet was cut in early in the 20th century. You see lobsters but I like to go bottle hunting. You find some down there through the decades of people throwing them in to the water.
We were always very aware that the inlet channel is right there and we stay on the bottom until back to the boat.
I don't think I've ever seen anyone else dive there, at least while we were there. But, I have seen swimmers now and then.
In my 57 years, with about five decades of it going to Palm Beach County, I've seen a tremendous increase in boat traffic, and not all of them seem to know what they're doing...

 

[Steelyeyes]

There is a good chance they thought you were in distress since you were waving, hence the course change to you.

It wasn't a distress wave. They were clearly sending a message.

 

[Kublai]

Actually it's better to go back and read the actual post.



Now how they actually waved was not described. I assume there was mis-communication from the result, as much from the skipper as the diver, because both assumed they knew what the the signal meant. The result was changing the course of the boat, and p*ssing off the skipper, that was not the intent.

I'm thankful that my interaction with boaters, while diving, has been more cordial, probably because on some days I am one.


Bob

"Two dive boats approached headed north after their dives, I assume. " So yep, I did. He suggested in one sentence "dive boats" and "after dives.' Good advice, though.

 

[Altamira]

It wasn't a distress wave. They were clearly sending a message.

Obviously, I was not there, but the message you sent was possibly unclear to the boat operator/captain of the boat. However, if I altered course toward you while responding to your signal, I would be happy to find you safe, and would not have given you the single digit salute. Less than ideal behavior on his part, regardless of the mis-communication.

 

[Kublai]

Obviously, I was not there, but the message you sent was possibly unclear to the boat operator/captain of the boat. However, if I altered course toward you while responding to your signal, I would be happy to find you safe, and would not have given you the single digit salute. Less than ideal behavior on his part, regardless of the mis-communication.

Very well said, I agree with this completely. After reading the original sub-thread post I could put together in my head a probable "why" it elicited the pale response from the boat based on real dive briefings I have received repeatedly on boats, but the response of the boat is in poor taste.

 

[KathyV]

The police report suggests that alcohol onboard may have been factor in the boat accident that maimed Carter Viss.

His Mother posted that the first thing he said when he was able to talk was "I swam as fast as I could".

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/p...0191203-lhsqx5njybddpkvfkauozgfagy-story.html

 

[The Chairman]

Never wave at a boat, unless you need them to pick you up.

If they are coming towards you because of this, they will veer before they actually hit you.

If they are coming and you didn't call them over, Push your sausage way up in the air and let it sway, but don't wave it unless they are getting close. In the meantime, swim out of the path. Note: that's perpendicular to the path, not simply trying to outrun the boat.

 

[islanddream]

Today Carter's mother posted both bad news. They had to delay surgery because he developed some fluid in his lungs but they were able to remove the ventilator and he is breathing on his own. She also shared this about his work at the Loggerhead MarineLife Center:

"...Carter works as a marine biologist at the LMC in the maintenance department along with Andy and his boss, Tim. He cleans and preps the complex for events, fixes things, builds things, participates in cleanup dives, maintains the Juno Beach pier and is LMC’s deferred expert on fish and their tanks. And, Carter is one of the guys that regularly hoists 200 pound+ sea turtles into rehabilitation tanks for therapy and then back into the ocean when they recover..."

One of my friends from LMC and I visited Carter in the hospital today. When we arrived the nurse said he was sleeping. It's been difficult for him to sleep with the noise that goes on in ICU, and prior to yesterday he had a breathing tube which he didn't like. Anyhow, we waited about 30 minutes and the nurse said Carter was awake and we could go visit. He was a bit groggy from sedation but he was able to carry on a conversation. He was supposed to have wrist surgery this afternoon....I look forward to his mom's journal entry tomorrow morning to see if it happened. As you know, he lost part of his right arm, has a broken wrist, and two broken legs. I'm guessing it'll be awhile before his legs will be operated on due to the lacerations he sustained. He has external fixators on both legs that are keeping the bones lined up. He's still on an IV and said he couldn't wait to have real food....a hamburger and a beer sounded real good to him. Carter is a wonderful young man. Please keep him in your prayers.

 

[scubadada]

I'm sorry, this is very personal. I was hit by a boat in Delray in 2013. Fortunately, for me, I was able to make an emergency descent and only suffered minor injuries. I can't imagine the hell that Carter Viss and his family must be going through. Please consider donating to his recovery fund Click here to support Carter Viss Recovery Funds organized by Levi Viss

Most appreciatively,

Craig

 

[chillyinCanada]

Unfortunately, that's diver-talk, not boater-talk.

Didn't this waving happen in Coz? How many boats there don't know diver talk?