Ran over at LBTS

[Randy g]

To the north bound boater that about ran us over, in 12' of water on saturday around 1 in the afternoon and sent my (bright red with a large dive flag) Banks Board flying 75', severing my line to my float. Rain is no excuse for your actions!! I really wish you would have stopped and checked on us, so I could have drown you!!! ................You seen me flip you off!!!

You shouldn't be driving over the 2nd reef at 20+ kts thru a WELL KNOWN shore diving area, with dive flags on your nose.

I stopped our scooters when I heard you and ducked all three of us down to the bottom and watched you pass literally directly over my wife, our dive buddy and I with twin screws screaming and you caught me, spun me around and drug me 10-15' before the 1/8" tow line was cut by your prop only 6' from my floating dive flag!!!! Thank GOD I am smart enough and had the common sense to get all three of us down. I have thought about it every hour since and get more and more pissed everytime.

I really, really, really wish you would have stopped and came over to check and see if we were ok.

Other than stopping briefly to see if there was blood in the water then taking off again.

I reported it to the beach patrol who reported it to the sheriffs dept. Sunday they were out in full force.

Sorry Mods.....the more I think about this, the madder I get.

 

[djtimmy77]

Exactly why I have never been diving there. This is the only reason.

 

[D_B]

rant away ... I'm pissed off just reading it


could you give the authorities any boat numbers?

 

[Randy g]

Everytime I think about it or tell someone I get infuriated.

 

[djtimmy77]

Glad you and your dive buddies are ok.

 

[Randy g]

No DB there was nothing on the back of the boat that I could make out. That's the first thing I looked for. Beach patrol said they had been following us all afternoon. The float is a small yak and moves pretty quick with the scooters, so we stand completely out of the norm to them. There was some rain blow thru at that time and the beach patrol said they lost sight of the float for a few minutes but saw the boat go thru when it happened. They met us when we came out and I was spittin mad.

 

[chillyinCanada]

So did they get any info on the boat?

 

[Randy g]

No, it was a 25-30' sport fishing boat with twin engines on the back is all I could tell.

If he had a name on the bottom I could have clearly told you though.

I have video but did not get the boat in it. All it shows is me on the bottom, being cought by the boat, spun and then surfacing to look for my float.

 

[scubadada]

To the north bound boater that about ran us over, in 12' of water on saturday around 1 in the afternoon and sent my (bright red with a large dive flag) Banks Board flying 75', severing my line to my float. Rain is no excuse for your actions!! I really wish you would have stopped and checked on us, so I could have drown you!!! ................You seen me flip you off!!!

You shouldn't be driving over the 2nd reef at 20+ kts thru a WELL KNOWN shore diving area, with dive flags on your nose.

I stopped our scooters when I heard you and ducked all three of us down to the bottom and watched you pass literally directly over my wife, our dive buddy and I with twin screws screaming and you caught me, spun me around and drug me 10-15' before the 1/8" tow line was cut by your prop only 6' from my floating dive flag!!!! Thank GOD I am smart enough and had the common sense to get all three of us down. I have thought about it every hour since and get more and more pissed everytime.

I really, really, really wish you would have stopped and came over to check and see if we were ok.

Other than stopping briefly to see if there was blood in the water then taking off again.

I reported it to the beach patrol who reported it to the sheriffs dept. Sunday they were out in full force.

Sorry Mods.....the more I think about this, the madder I get.

Everytime I think about it or tell someone I get infuriated.

Hi Randy,

I can relate. I was hit by a similar fishing boat last August 3, racing in to make weigh-in for the Pompano Beach Saltwater Shootout (Please wait see #13,15). This happend on top of Delray Ledges in an intense squall with nearly zero visibility. Luckily, my injuries were modest and I made an uneventful recovery. In my case, the captain did stop and actually took me and another diver to shore. He was ultimately cited for reckless boating, excessive speed for conditions, and no look out. I can just imagine what the outcome might have been if I had been killed or maimed.

I think one of the real problems here is excessive speed, especially in poor conditions, over the reefs where we dive. I wish I know how to fix this, laws/regulations might work if boaters obeyed them.

Best, Craig

 

[tddfleming]

Randy:

We have been zipped over twice at LBTS. Like you, when we hear to oncoming boat, we get on the bottom and watch as they pass over us. We also, make sure our flag line is free from us before it passes. For that exact reason you mention. Glad you guys are OK, but these boaters are crazy at times.