Trip Report: Nekton Pilot Bahamas

[Ed Jackson1]

I was on the cay sal bank trip a few weeks earlier. One of the crew said the Rorqual had a fatality in the Cayman Islands during a night dive. I've not seen any post about it. Has anyone else heard about this?

 

[DeputyDan]

I was on the Rorqual - July 14 to 21 and did not hear anything about it.

However, the crew generally didn't comment on any past weeks divers good or bad!

 

[DiveMaven]

When I spoke privately to a crew member on the Pilot, he said that they had a diver drown recently (end of May I believe). First time ever on their boats to have a passenger die during a trip. I didn't ask details...figured it was none of my business.

 

[Pam_In_Paradise]

I was on the cay sal bank trip a few weeks earlier. One of the crew said the Rorqual had a fatality in the Cayman Islands during a night dive. I've not seen any post about it. Has anyone else heard about this?

There have been no deaths on the Rorqual in Cayman

 

[DeputyDan]

Pam:

I had an excellent week with your employer and will visit with you again!

 

[Ed Jackson1]

There have been no deaths on the Rorqual in Cayman

That's good to hear.
Any idea what happened if anything to start the rumor? The incident I heard about was a woman got caught on the safety stop bar at night and drowned. Have you heard anything similar to this?

We love the Nekton cruises. We are doing our fifth trip in December.

 

[Monkey-Diver]

Ok here is the deal...I was on the Pilot when the death happened at the end of May. There is no clear answer as to why the diver died but it was something that probably killed them almost instantly. The diver was experienced but there was no attempt by them to self rescue. The crew of the Pilot was incredible. They attempted to bring the diver back for over an hour. The crew reacted as one would hope. I understand that the USCG requires that safety drills as well as other drills be performed regularly ,but to have an actual emergency and react the same as the drills is something the Nekton company should be very proud of. The death was not at night. The diver was on the "granny line" . There was absolutely nothing more that the Pilot crew could have done. Out of respect for the family of the lost diver I have kept quiet. Now that the rumors are out there I am writing this in hopes to clear the air and keep the memory of the diver as one that it was simply their time to pass.

 

[DiveMaven]

Thanks for sharing the information....it must have been traumatic for you as a passenger as well. There was nothing wrong with you not sharing what happened on your trip previous to now, and even if you had chosen to stay quiet now, that would have been okay too. The only reason I mentioned it was because I had a few facts and wanted to quell the "rumor" that something happened on the Rorqual.

I neglected to say how impressed we were with the crew of the Pilot during the diver emergency on our trip. They were incredibly professional and efficient during the entire process. We were fortunate to have a few emergency trained passengers (me, my husband, and another passenger) on the boat to help move the patient safely, clear the sundeck of all obstructions, and keep the curious passengers off the upper deck.

 

[Monkey-Diver]

DiveMaven,
I agree with you about the Pilot Crew... Capt. Ephy ran a relaxed but great ship. I loved the dive week and they have sold me on being a repeat customer.

 

[Ed Jackson1]

Diving is a high risk sport so nobody can blame the operator or rescuers.

Accident analysis is the best way to learn and reduce the chances of repeating the incident. I don’t feel it is disrespectful to discuss accidents. Thanks for the information. Is there a thread discussing the incident in detail?

Fear of lawsuits can prevent full disclosure of the events. This is unfortunate because it hinders learning and gives the impression of a cover up.