So could this really happen?

[Carribeandiver]

How do you feel about the film 'Open Water'? Do you think it's a fair/unfair portrayal of the diving world?
Could what happened in the film happen in real life?:14:

Considering the movie was based on a true story, I say yes, it can happen in real life. In the real scenario, the boat Captain was tried and convicted of manslaughter.
The real life male character portrayed in the movie was from Baton Rouge and was a cousin of a friend of mine. This friend flipped when I took up diving and I had to hear his concerns over and over again.

 

[almitywife]

Andy and Boulder... im not supporting the dive operator or the Lonergans

im just pointing out that there are ways to screw up a system and get around the fail-safes if either a, want to do it or b, there is a major stuff up

no-one knows if the Longerans had a desire to die or not... you dont know whats going on in my head, nor my hubby or my parent unless i let it be known. how many times have we all heard about a tragic suicide and then hear "i had no idea"

personally, i dont wish such a situation (forgotten & no boat) on ANYONE

i can say that QLD on paper has some of the toughest laws & checks now.. on paper. last time i dived there we got the official line and the boat operators line... we choose not to dive or recommend that dive operator to anyone becuase of how they conducted themselves

cheers and safe diving

 

[H2Andy]

Andy and Boulder... im not supporting the dive operator or the Lonergans

oh, nor i

i am just trying to get to the bottom of what really happened, one way or another

it seems that the simple, straightforward explanation is the best:

a couple went diving, got left behind, nobody noticed for two days, they died

 

[dry heat diver]

Apologies if this has been asked before...
I did a search and couldn't find anything.

How do you feel about the film 'Open Water'? Do you think it's a fair/unfair portrayal of the diving world?
Could what happened in the film happen in real life?

Just wondering what you guys divers out there think about it.

:14:

We dove the Great Barrier Reef out of Port Douglas, Australia in September on a boat called the Poseidon. The crew on that boat and others in the area are so sensitized to the film that they go to extremes to ensure that everyone is accounted for. They collected everyone's shoes before they allowed you to board the boat. At each dive stop they checked off your name before you entered the water. When you returned to the boat you initialed next to your name. Before the boat moved to the next dive spot they had everyone sit down while they did a head count. At the end of the day they made sure everyone got their shoes back. That was our first dive boat experience so I have nothing else to compare it to. However, I'm sure that there are probably many dive operators who are nowhere near that cautious so I think you have to look after yourself and carry proper signalling equipment.

 

[almitywife]

......everyone got their shoes back. .....

while you were out diving they would fly the shoes off to the mainland and rent htem out for the day!

 

[wilkie]

Somewhat off topic, altough I can easily accept the possibility of being "left", how about shore diving ?

How many times do we dive with no one to know if we are overdue, think Bonaire... Who are you goeing to tell, who would give a damn, and follow up ? How about when you don't like the surf and go to a secondary, or tertary dive sight ?

Now I think shore diving is great, and I love the freedom of chousing a dive site based on the conditions, whitch cannot be related to a "dry party",(if one is available) but I think that you have to be responsible for yourself when involved in such.

 

[fairybasslet]

I used to dive with an outfit in Key Largo that gave everyone a tag when you started. They called the roll after every dive, and collected your tag before leaving the site. I later learned that all their care was caused by the fact that they had been successfully sued by the people they had left in the water a few years before. (Luckily, these divers got to shore and lived to make the lawsuit.)

So, the scenario that got these people in the water was indeed realistic.

Yeah, I dove with them too. They had left a couple at Molasses Reef overnight. But it wasn't one of their regular captains. They are no longer in business, not because of this incident but because of the condo boom.

 

[fairybasslet]

Somewhat off topic, altough I can easily accept the possibility of being "left", how about shore diving ?

How many times do we dive with no one to know if we are overdue, think Bonaire... Who are you goeing to tell, who would give a damn, and follow up ? How about when you don't like the surf and go to a secondary, or tertary dive sight ?

Now I think shore diving is great, and I love the freedom of chousing a dive site based on the conditions, whitch cannot be related to a "dry party",(if one is available) but I think that you have to be responsible for yourself when involved in such.

I thought about this too when I was diving in Bonaire. But I guess what will happen is, when it's time to check out of your hotel or where ever else you are staying, and you don't pay the bill, someone will come looking for you.

 

[Sveta]

We dove the Great Barrier Reef out of Port Douglas, Australia in September on a boat called the Poseidon. The crew on that boat and others in the area are so sensitized to the film that they go to extremes to ensure that everyone is accounted for. They collected everyone's shoes before they allowed you to board the boat. At each dive stop they checked off your name before you entered the water. When you returned to the boat you initialed next to your name. Before the boat moved to the next dive spot they had everyone sit down while they did a head count. At the end of the day they made sure everyone got their shoes back. That was our first dive boat experience so I have nothing else to compare it to. However, I'm sure that there are probably many dive operators who are nowhere near that cautious so I think you have to look after yourself and carry proper signalling equipment.

When i was in Cairns they did the same - double control: before and after dive, but they didn't collect our shoes. We weren't allowed to wear any shoes on a boat anyway.
As for "Open Water" movie, i think it sucked. I barely kept my eyes open when i was watching it.:shakehead

 

[wreckchick]

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?f...&MyToken=b77e8f62-5f0d-42ac-8ba4-aad2009112dc

Yes, it's a long URL, but an excellent short story!

Rachel