Search for four missing Divers off coast of North Carolina

[DiveProKoko]

I’m assuming this was a private boat, not a charter. Was there someone left on the boat? Or did they not leave someone on the boat, anchor line got loose, and boat wasn’t there when they surfaced??

You may be on to something. The story kind of contradicts itself. How were they reported for "not resurfacing" if nobody was with them to report it? But then they report the boat being found in a separate location.....from USA Today:

"Four divers who were reported missing Sunday afternoon off Cape Fear, North Carolina, have been found alive, the U.S. Coast Guard said Monday.

The Coast Guard and Navy found and rescued the four divers about 46 miles southeast of Cape Fear River, authorities announced on social media.

The four men were reported missing to Coast Guard officials around noon Sunday after they were diving off a leisure boat called "Big Bill's" and did not resurface, authorities said.

Officials from Coast Guard sectors in Wilmington, North Carolina, and Charleston, South Carolina, were notified and launched a search. The boat was found roughly 63 miles east of Myrtle Beach."

 

[Rob Wilks]

Very glad they were found, and I agree you’re on to something. Curious why the circumstances of how the four divers lost their boat, or, how the boat lost them. Seems to be a glaring omission from any reports I’ve found.

 

[Marie13]

You may be on to something. The story kind of contradicts itself. How were they reported for "not resurfacing" if nobody was with them to report it? But then they report the boat being found in a separate location.....from USA Today:

"Four divers who were reported missing Sunday afternoon off Cape Fear, North Carolina, have been found alive, the U.S. Coast Guard said Monday.

The Coast Guard and Navy found and rescued the four divers about 46 miles southeast of Cape Fear River, authorities announced on social media.

The four men were reported missing to Coast Guard officials around noon Sunday after they were diving off a leisure boat called "Big Bill's" and did not resurface, authorities said.

Officials from Coast Guard sectors in Wilmington, North Carolina, and Charleston, South Carolina, were notified and launched a search. The boat was found roughly 63 miles east of Myrtle Beach."

Maybe they were supposed to contact someone on land when they were done with dives and when that didn’t happen, the CG was called?

 

[danpass]

Good news indeed.

Found by a strobe? Nice.

What sort of strobe are you all carrying?

I vacuum bagged an ACR PLB, model 2881 which has a built-in strobe. I've only had it in the pool so far, to 11-12 ft, no issues noted. We'll see what happens at depth lol.

Also have a signal mirror, whistle and dSMB/spool.

I also have a Glo-Toob tank marker light.

I am considering a mini back up dive light that has a strobe function.

-

 

[Shot a man in Reno...]

Good news indeed.

Found by a strobe? Nice.

What sort of strobe are you all carrying?

I vacuum bagged an ACR PLB, model 2881 which has a built-in strobe. I've only had it in the pool so far, to 11-12 ft, no issues noted. We'll see what happens at depth lol.

Also have a signal mirror, whistle and dSMB/spool.

I also have a Glo-Toob tank marker light.

I am considering a mini back up dive light that has a strobe function.

-

I use a Jotron. Mine is an older model than shown.

AQ-4 MkII Strobe Light I Jotron

AQ-4 MkII Strobe Light is a high quality multi-purpose marking and distress strobe light with high intensity LED for use in maritime and onshore environment

jotron.com

I had quite a few others (the ones where you losses the battery compartment to activate) flood on me when I first started. I have used this for more than 10 years >250 dives without issue. It uses a C battery and has a physical slide switch.

 

[FishWatcher747]

How could it take 4 hours from the time they were spotted to the time they were recovered?

Were there not CG boats in the water near where they were expected to be based on currents?

 

[Johnoly]

How could it take 4 hours from the time they were spotted to the time they were recovered?

4 hrs from the 1st spotted at night until the last spotted sounds about right if they all got separated while floating. So the CG picked them up one at a time in somewhat of a drift line I'm guessing.
The un-written rule among spearfisherman is to lock your fish stringers together after 1hr of floating. But you could use your necklace loop, your wetsuit zipper leash cut off, your spg retractor, etc. Anything to lock 2 divers shoulder to shoulder because one of you is going to stop finning to stay next to the other. So the un-written rule is 1hr float > tie off to each other.

 

[TravelGas]

Found by a strobe? Nice.

What sort of strobe are you all carrying?

Tektite: STROBE 200, STROBES, 2C-7100-4

Tektite Technical,LZ,DZ,&IR Runway Lights & Beacons,Spec Ops & Dive LED Flashlights,Bulbs,strobes&beacons,Submarine Escape&UW EOD lights,UV&CSI Lights,&Knives

www.tek-tite.com

 

[1bubbleoff]

I'm here...( my boat runs out of Cape Fear river....) story I get is as follows...keep in mind, I have NOT gotten it from any of the horses mouths...

4 divers, private vessel, one on deck...

Dive site was about 60 miles E/SE of North Myrtle beach... I suspect...maybe the 18 fathom wreck of one nearby.

Was alittle sporty..4', 12kts wind...with chop on top....makes a diver VERY hard to see rather quickly.
The 4 lost the anchor line...no idea if free or lined in...

Man on deck called CG when they were obviously overdue at 12 noon..( sunday). Operater knew he couldn't see divers in water with sea conditions, and stayed anchored...( smart move).

CG scrambled assets between Carolina, Va, and NJ...including air.

Strobe spotted at 0045 hrs monday....nearest asset responded and had all 4 about 0430... no injurys, from what I understand.

Yeah...ummmm...not my idea of a good time...I dive out there ( meg teeth) for a living...and NO WAY would I want to spend 16 hrs floating..I have SEEN some of whats prowlin around out there, and don't dive during feeding hours lol.

Lucky guys...I hope every one of them stopped at the first quikstop and bought lottery tickets.

 

[Altamira]

Good news indeed.

Found by a strobe? Nice.

What sort of strobe are you all carrying?

I vacuum bagged an ACR PLB, model 2881 which has a built-in strobe. I've only had it in the pool so far, to 11-12 ft, no issues noted. We'll see what happens at depth lol.

Also have a signal mirror, whistle and dSMB/spool.

I also have a Glo-Toob tank marker light.

I am considering a mini back up dive light that has a strobe function.

@danpass. I would like to hear what more knowledgeable people think about taking a vacuum packed ACR PLB to depth. I have an ACR View in a 300' rated dive canister, and an Inreach Mini, also in a dive rated housing. Perhaps there is some trustworthy and validated research on the subject of vacuum bags instead of canisters, and perhaps we have all been wasting money on expensive dive canisters--but I doubt it.