Subic Bay - 17th Jul - 2 divers missing on USS New York

[DevonDiver]

Retired U.S. Navy officer, Hong Kong citizen drown in Philippines - Investors.com

Retired U.S. Navy officer, Hong Kong citizen drown in Philippines
Posted 09:18 AM ET
SUBIC BAY, Philippines, Jul 18, 2011 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- The search of two people, including a Hong Kong resident, who drowned while having scuba diving in the Subic Bay of north Philippines on Sunday evening, is still going on, police said Monday.
The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and the Philippine Coast Guard organized a rescue operation for the two people, which was attended by 6 divers from Olongapo City and the Subic Bay. By 5:30 p.m. Monday, the divers have located the two bodies, but the retrieval is continuing.

Police identified the two people as Stephen Brittian, a 47-year- old retired U.S. Navy officer who is currently a dive instructor at the Johans beach resort in Olongapo City and a Hong Kong citizen Shun Chuen Tin, 30. The two, together with another Chinese, Fong Lung Chow, drove to see the USS New York, a tourist attraction in Subic, on Sunday.

The two, according to a witness, were diving at the USS New York, a shipwreck site in the Subic Bay at around 6 p.m. Sunday.
Chow left the dive site first and later failed to find the two, as the site was dark and muddy. Chow waited for 30 minutes and reported to police.

The owner of the Johans beach resort and dive shop, identified as Johan De Sadeleir, who is a Belgian national, was one of the divers.

Brittain is a known dive expert. That's why his fellow divers were puzzled as to what really happened to them.

Copyright 2011 XINHUA NEWS AGENCY

 

[DevonDiver]

If correctly reported, the DM was Steve Brittian, a well-known and highly regarded instructor at Johan's. Also a member of Scubaboard.

 

[DevonDiver]

Divers now on retrieval mode for lost companion inside USS New York « News in Subic, Olongapo, Bataan, Zambales

Divers now on retrieval mode for lost companion inside USS New York

POSTED ON MONDAY, JULY 18TH, 2011


SUBIC BAY, Freeport: Divers here have located the two foreign divers who drowned inside a shipwreck site in Subic Bay Freeport.

Six divers from the Boardwalk dive shop inside Subic Bay Freeport located the two divers at around 5:30pm today (Monday).

Although the drowned divers identified as America dive master Steven Brittain, 47 and Hong Kong resident Shun Chuen Tin, 30 were located thier body has yet to be recovered.

The two divers including another Chinese national identified as Fong Lung Chow dove to see USS New York, a popular dive site in Subic Bay Freeport at around 3pm Sunday.

Chow left the dive site first and said that he saw Tin stop and turned around as they were leaving USS New York, Brittian signaled to him that he would go back to go Tin.

Chow proceeded to surface, he added that the site was dark and muddy and that he lost site of the two divers.

Chow waited for the his two companion for 30 minutes and decided to dive back to look for them but failed. He reported the incident to authorities.
Before divers from Boardwalk Dive Shop went to search for the two drowned victims, 4 divers from Johann’s Dive Shop located in Barangay Barretto in Olongapo City dove but failed to located the two foreigners.

The search started Sunday afternoon a few minute Chow reported the incident to local authorities.

Johan De Sadeleir, a Belgian national, who owns Johann Dive shop was one of the divers. The two victims originally came from Sadeleir dive shop were they rented their gears before going to the dive site.

Brittain is a known dive expert which is why his fellow diver were puzzled as to what really happened with the two.

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/07/18/3020194/american-hong-kong-divers-missing.html

American, Hong Kong divers missing in Philippines
The Associated Press


Rescuers in the Philippines were searching Monday for an American diving instructor and a Hong Kong tourist who failed to surface after exploring a World War II shipwreck northwest of Manila.

American dive master Steven Brittian, 47, and Hong Kong resident Tin Shun Chuen, 30, were last seen Sunday as they were about to ascend from the shipwreck, said Romeo Renojo, chief of maritime security at the Subic Bay Freeport.

A third diver, 49-year-old Chow Fung Lung of Hong Kong, told officials he saw Tin stop and turn around as they were leaving the wreck. He said Brittian signaled Chow to come back and then proceeded to go to Tin.

Chow said it was dark and he lost sight of the two, so he followed a line to the surface.

Chow and the Filipino boat skipper waited for 30 minutes and when the pair failed to surface they reported them missing, Renojo said.

He said Brittian is a longtime resident of Olongapo City whose U.S. hometown was not immediately known.

Tin is an experienced diver who was undergoing further training for technical diving, Renojo said.


Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/07/18/3020194/american-hong-kong-divers-missing.html#ixzz1SSxH2zfM

 

[Sabanist]

Im not very experienced so pardon my ignorance but how does this happen? The article said it was dark and muddy, was it night time? I guess i would have to see a photo of the wreck to understand.

 

[DevonDiver]

Im not very experienced so pardon my ignorance but how does this happen? The article said it was dark and muddy, was it night time? I guess i would have to see a photo of the wreck to understand.

I've dove that wreck many times, but I still couldn't assume what happened. I was on it a few days before the incident and the visibility at the bottom was <4m and it was very dark due to a layer of very clouded water at the surface. There's virtually no current and the wreck is relatively easy to navigate (on the outside). It lies in approx 30m/100ft of water. Penetration inside the wreck is very complex, with a confusing layout (in the engine rooms) and lots of silt. There's a permanent penetration line the leads approx 10m into the engine rooms - after that you have to lay line.

At least one of the divers (Steve) was a very accomplished technical diver, with a wealth of experience on that wreck.

One of the news reports quoted in the thread seems to indicate that the two divers were instructor and student on a technical diving course.

I know that the small engine room penetration is popular with local tech instructors, for check-out dives on technical wreck penetration courses.

The videos on this link give an idea of the dive: Subic Bay Diving (USS New York) Videos

 

[Sabanist]

I guess I'm just not hard core because that does not look fun to me. The viz is pretty low

 

[blacktulip]

The instructor was recovered this morning.

R.I.P

 

[Mampsa]

Kudos and job well done to George, Narcky and the rest of the boardwalk team! Very unfortunate this had to happen.

 

[DevonDiver]

+1 Kudos to George and team.

 

[ad6e]

I'm shocked! Steve was an excellent diver and instructor. I took the PADI Rescue class from him three years ago and I've been thinking to take a tech class from him should I get back there later this year.

I've been on the USS New York several times, but only around the outside. It's very murky with vis no more than 5m/20ft at best. I dove the Hell Ship with Steve two years ago with even worse vis. For those who don't know Steve, he lost his right arm many years ago. However, it never slowed him down. He certainly understood danger and would not have ventured into a nasty spot willingly. I'd like to hear more about the investigation.

Alan