Rich Poorman
Registered
This is my second try at my first post . . . Support said there was a server problem, so I'm trying again, this time by typing off-site and copying in, so I won't lose the work . . . see, even old dogs can learn!
I'm trying to get some more information on a dive fatality at Roatan in May. I was part of a group diving at Fantasy Island May 8 - 14. Another group heading there, from Milwaukee I believe, was on our plane, and we got to know them. One of them was a paraplegic, accompanied by his helper/buddy/caretaker (a lifelong friend).
The caretaker died the first day out, and there are lots of stories, rumors, gossip, etc., about how it happened, some of which would reflect negatively on the FI dive operation. This naturally puts me in a bind: I'd like to tell divers what happened, but before I repeat any unsubstantiated rumors, I need facts I wouldn't want to pass on bad info, slander anybody, but neither would I want to paper over a serious deficiency in dive safety.
Here's what I KNOW: the group was organized by Deep Blue; the caretaker was 27 with no history of heart trouble (from the DB group leader); the conditions were sub-par (a lot of wave surge); the boat they were on had at least 22 divers; the FI medical team went out to the boat, but had no defibrillator available (this from a paramedic in our party). A number of the divers in the Milwaukee party were so shaken they did not dive at all the rest of the week.
I've looked around the internet and searched newspapers in Wisconsin for news stories, without success. Another post on this forum mentioned an article in the Honduran paper La Prensa that had briefly mentioned the death of a 27 year old dive instructor on Roatan that week, but without details.
Does anyone have information to share? I think it's important that incidents like this are discussed and reported fairly and accurately, in the interests of safe diving.
Rich Poorman
I'm trying to get some more information on a dive fatality at Roatan in May. I was part of a group diving at Fantasy Island May 8 - 14. Another group heading there, from Milwaukee I believe, was on our plane, and we got to know them. One of them was a paraplegic, accompanied by his helper/buddy/caretaker (a lifelong friend).
The caretaker died the first day out, and there are lots of stories, rumors, gossip, etc., about how it happened, some of which would reflect negatively on the FI dive operation. This naturally puts me in a bind: I'd like to tell divers what happened, but before I repeat any unsubstantiated rumors, I need facts I wouldn't want to pass on bad info, slander anybody, but neither would I want to paper over a serious deficiency in dive safety.
Here's what I KNOW: the group was organized by Deep Blue; the caretaker was 27 with no history of heart trouble (from the DB group leader); the conditions were sub-par (a lot of wave surge); the boat they were on had at least 22 divers; the FI medical team went out to the boat, but had no defibrillator available (this from a paramedic in our party). A number of the divers in the Milwaukee party were so shaken they did not dive at all the rest of the week.
I've looked around the internet and searched newspapers in Wisconsin for news stories, without success. Another post on this forum mentioned an article in the Honduran paper La Prensa that had briefly mentioned the death of a 27 year old dive instructor on Roatan that week, but without details.
Does anyone have information to share? I think it's important that incidents like this are discussed and reported fairly and accurately, in the interests of safe diving.
Rich Poorman
