Struck diver in critical condition - Florida

[RJP]

Here is a pic captured from the video.

As my grandmother would have said it's a perfect boat for "someone with too much taste."

 

[vincent54]

How do you prove a boat is inside the protected area around a diver down flag? It's pretty hard to guesstimate a distance over water. Alcohol is another matter. He will be guilty, if he was intoxicated.

I'm still a fan of deploying a smb when at the surface in an area of boat traffic. Not a guarantee, but something is better than nothing. I'll admit it's not practical for snorkelers and free divers to swim around with one. However it's one more way to let people know you are there. Too many boats with in attentive drivers. Finally,the boat looks like a gaudy mess.

 

[DandyDon]

As my grandmother would have said it's a perfect boat for "someone with too much taste."

Tacky looking gas guzzler for rich boy compensation...??

 

[abnfrog]

Tacky looking gas guzzler for rich boy compensation...??

you know it don ....ill bet the lawyer gets a boat just like after he tenders his fee .................

 

[drbill]

Heck, I've been inside our buoyed and roped off dive park and had idiots run outboards over my head as well as much larger boats and even a sailboat. Only Darwin can solve stupid.

 

[PatW]

If their was a divers down flag, I hope the kid will have to use his father's attorney. Sadly, one can find idiots of all ages

A diver down flag can be little or no protection in FL. Sometimes I think the boat captains use the flags as targets.

 

[Pinecube]

A diver down flag can be little or no protection in FL. Sometimes I think the boat captains use the flags as targets.

There were jet-skis doing circles around our dive flag during our OW class. I agree that dive flags can be bullseyes for boaters rather than warnings...

 

[crabbyfiddler]

I know lots of people have a more cynical view, but all I keep thinking is how sad this is all the way round. For the diver, obviously. For the kid driving the boat, absolutely. There is no age limit for driving boats in Florida, is there? Yet we know that the brain is not fully matured until 21 or 22 years of age. This kid has to live with this harsh life lesson.

I think it's sad.

 

[jake11]

Another senseless tragedy!

 

[Remy B.]

It will be nice that something good come out of this, like proper training or awareness for the individual that need to optain a licence to be behind the wheel of a boat.

If the layer of the kid is smart enough he can turn the blame to the authorities for not having proper training developed for optaining a licence, it looks more of a problem that the ones that are behind the wheel just don't know that they need to keep certain distance from the dive flag and the divers sausage.