Troubling incident in San Pedro

[AWMIII]

In this case, PADI also expelled the instructor and specifically said they would not accept the DM candidate in the future. PADI could have the story wrong, but I doubt they would expel AmigoS lightly. I'm sure they checked it out.

 

[Wookie]

Ummmm. I wouldn't be so sure...

 

[chillyinCanada]

I've been diving with Amigos more times than many posters here have been on dives at all. I've been diving in a number of places in the world. I've been diving with many ops worse but rarely better.

In the 16 years (numerous trips per year) that I've been diving with them, a boat has never broken down while i was on it. There have been occasions when an engine wasn't working perfectly. While i was last there a few weeks ago, Amigos did have to send out their second big boat to relieve the original out at the Atolls. Divers and gear were transferred over to finish out their day on another lovely super comfy boat. The first boat took itself to Belize City to be fixed. Upon returning to Amigos dock at the end of the dive day, divers are returned to their hotel docks in smaller boats, which is how they are picked up in the morning in the first place. The crew stays late to clean the big boat and prepare it for the next day.

I too have friends in San Pedro and have some awareness of what may have occurred. The accused actually is one of the guides for landbased trips not for diving.

The other thing i know about San Pedro is that there are rumor
mills like crazy. There's jealousy and people that make trouble for each other. Stories are spread and reality rarely meet.

Just because someone says that is why Amigos made PADI's list, doesn't make it so. Frankly, I'd like wookie or someone else to look up that list and ensure it isn't doctored.

---------- Post added July 19th, 2014 at 11:43 PM ----------

AWMIII, and Wookie, does PADI take this kind of action before a guilty verdict in court? What if it is love gone wrong and the boy is being falsely accused?

 

[AWMIII]

I think the court trial is 7/24.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Where is that being held? Seems a bit soon. Frankly, even more fishy. What's your interest in spreading this AWMIII?

 

[AWMIII]

The incident happen several months ago. The reason I have shared this is because this is about the only way negative news comes out of Belize. The local papers didn't even cover it. There was an arrest and he made bail after a matter of hours. Divers deserve to know. How else do they find out? I won't post anything else before the court decision.

 

[chillyinCanada]

If and when you get that, may we expect backup verification along with it?

 

[Scared Silly]

Just because someone says that is why Amigos made PADI's list, doesn't make it so. Frankly, I'd like wookie or someone else to look up that list and ensure it isn't doctored.

That list is from PADI website and is publicly accessible. It will probably be another month or two before PADI Pros will get it in writing via their rag.

AWMIII, and Wookie, does PADI take this kind of action before a guilty verdict in court? What if it is love gone wrong and the boy is being falsely accused?

If the dive operation is being expelled it would typically be because other measures did not seem to correct the problem. As such, I would assume that there were additional issues and this one was just the last in a series. Or PADI may have felt the singular incident was enough. They do not release the reasons behind the decision only the decision.

 

[drbill]

Hmmm... I used Trip Advisor as part of my research for the dive ops I used in Aruba and Bonaire. Both operations I chose were very positively reviewed and I had excellent experiences with both. Of course the two ops I chose were ones not likely to attract the attention of casual divers. Not saying TA is always the best source to use, but as part of your research it certainly helped me.

 

[chillyinCanada]

I have some clarity on this situation, though not as much as I'd hoped.

The man charged was not, and never has been an employee of Amigos. However, an instructor employed by Amigos was training him to get his dm. And had also been training the girl. No one knows why the accused was in the water with the girl while not under the instructor's view.

There is some belief that the man and young lady were in a relationship, not known to her family. Her family would not have approved initially and now it is out in the open.

PADI has taken this step because of this matter, despite the accused not being an employee of Amigos. This part is still confusing to me but it seems to have something to do with it having been an Amigos instructor that was independently training the accused.