A ScubaBoard Staff Message...
I have been working with @Akimbo on this article to document the origins of flags used to protect divers over about the last 150 years. This thread chronicles the history as accurately I have been able to document it.
Our Red & White dive flag, also known as the Diver Down flag, is the newcomer in the world of maritime flags and is widely recognized, but legal recognition varies by sovereignty.
Bravo flag, the Baker flag before 1956
There is evidence that the earliest flag adapted to protect diving operations is the Bravo flag.Wikipedia: International maritime signal flags, Letter flags (with ICS meaning).
Alfa flag, Able flag before 1955
This is why you often see both flags on dive charter boats, especially those with a licensed captain onboard.
This was not always the case. The 1972 International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea designated the Alfa flag's meaning as "Diver Below" when flown alone on a stationary vessel or "I am undergoing a speed trial" when underway. The meaning in the 1950s was "A vessel engaged in dredging or underwater operations, when restricted in her ability to maneuver. (per the normal maritime rules of the road)". It was typically flown for dredging and cable laying.
This explains why the Alfa flag was not adopted by recreational divers when the red & white dive flag was developed starting in 1957.
Why does this matter?
The main reason for all the fuss over flags is to warn boats so they don't run over divers. Our new sport of "skin diving", that we now know as recreational diving, also wanted a symbol.The Accident
On September 22, 1962, Darrell D. Toso and two diving companions prepared for a routine day of diving. They securely anchored Darrell's 18 foot outboard boat in the lea of Long Point (Camp Fox) Catalina.The red & white diver's flag flew from boat's stern staff, and on a large yellow canvas-covered innertube use as a working float. Utilizing the "two down, one up" technique, Darrell and Bob Seamann entered the water for diving while Bob Jane remained on board as safety man. A large Calico Bass was the first fish speared by Darrell who, after surfacing, placed it in the center of the yellow float and zippered the opening.
It was then that he noticed the float anchor was breaking loose. He decided to try to secure the float by maneuvering the anchor until it lodged in one of the cracks or became entangled in kelp. With his right arm resting on top of the float and his head submerged in the water, he was engrossed in securing the anchor and wasn't aware of the large 40 toot boat that was coming in his direction.
Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, the bow of the boat struck him. In only a split second he realized a boat was running over him. Darrell fought desperately to push himself away to clear the propellers. He almost made it but at the last moment — as if in the suction of a giant vacuum cleaner-he was caught. His arm was pulled into the path of the propeller. Bobbing in the wake of the boat in extreme pain and already suffering from shock and loss of blood, he managed to dispose of his weight belt, stop the flow of blood, and summon help.
Seconds later, Bob Jane, the safety man, arrived, pulled him into the boat, and immediately started administering first aid. Almost simultaneously Mr. Robert E. Rowley, who had been fishing nearby, boarded the boat. Whether it was a coincidence or a quirk of fate, Mr. Rowley had a first aid kit with him, and had been trained as a U.S. Army medic, thereby being experienced in attending wounds of this type. While the two men were working over Darrell, a Coast -Guard cutter rounded the point and was summoned to the scene by Mr. Rowley's son, Bill. Darrell was rushed to the Avalon Hospital for emergency treatment, and several days later was transferred to the St. Mary's Hospital in Long Beach where he underwent a series of long and extremely painful operations in order to save his arm. All the ligaments and muscles in his forearm had been completely severed, and the bones had been shattered. If it hadn't been for the presence of the Coast Guard cutter and the quick action of Mr. Rowley, Darrell would never have survived the accident. Several months elapsed between the time of the first operation and the time Darrell was released from the hospital.
Darrell's wounds are healed now, although he has only partial use or his right arm. The incident is only in the memory of many' but Darrell, who has resumed his job arid a nearly normal life, is faced with one more major ordeal-a long, involved legal suit resulting from the accident. Basically this legal action is to determine the rights of a diver versus a boat handler. Who was legally responsible? Was Darrell negligent or was the boat owner negligent? No precedence has ever been established in a court of law to determine the rights and responsibilities divers or the recognition of a diver's flag. This trial, therefore, could have a profound effect on the future of diving.
During the course of the trial, great significance will be placed upon Darrell's qualifications as a diver, his adherence to established safety patterns, and the use or the diver's flag. I was requested, as a professional underwater instructor, to testify at the forthcoming trial as to the validity of each factor. Darrell was trained and certified as a Los Angeles County diver by one of the foremost and best-qualified instructors, Mr. Tommy' Thompson, so there was no doubt that he received the best possible diver training. In flying the diver's flag and using a working float, he was conforming to the established patterns of safety. However, verifying the validity of the diver's flag required some background information as to its history and official recognition. Approaching the subject in a methodical manner, I proceeded to gather pertinent information.
The first mention of a flag exclusively for the identification of underwater diving activity was in the Editorial Section of the September, 1957, issue of Skin Diver Magazine. A small paragraph announced that Ted B. Nixon of Michigan has requested that designs be submitted for a diving flag that could be accepted nationally. In the ensuing months considerable research was done to determine the best designs for flags, for visibility or colors and for appropriate sizes that could be secured to a float or the mast of a boat. This resulted in a flood of ideas (including using a large plain red flag or the "Seven flag" which is red with a white vertical stripe), but nothing really unique. Most people wanted something that had only one meaning — a flag which would positively identify diving activity.
Finally in 1958, Ted Nixon, who originally suggested a diver's flag, settled the issue. Writing an editorial in Skin Diver Magazine, he summarized, the various suggestions, stating the pros and cons of each, and concluded by strongly recommending that a unique design would be for the flag to be red with a white diagonal stripe running from the top corner near the staff to the extreme lower corner.
Continued in the next post
need the issue and page
