Two divers missing Whitsunday Islands

[RonMurray]

Great ending to a possible tragedy. I must say I often wonder if the cheese has slipped off my cracker when I carry SMB, DiveAlert, Mirror, and Strobe. But maybe it's not a bad idea afterall...

 

[leapfrog]

The greatest feeling in the world is being the frogman on that winch hauling those guys out of there. Congratulations to the rescue team, the two lost divers and their families.... lost off the Great Barrier Reef. Uff.

 

[tc]

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/accidents-incidents/235056-two-divers-missing-whitsunday-islands.html

 

[DandyDon]

She was rubbing it in. Wish I was going out to dive today.

:11: Whoa!? Now this is interesting...!! "Police say the dive crew did not raise the alarm until three hours after the divers went missing." Seems like the pair may have both been US Instructors.

From:Police to question crew over dive alarm delay - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Police to question crew over dive alarm delay

Posted 1 hour 9 minutes ago; Updated 41 minutes ago

Queensland Police and Workplace Health and Safety officers will investigate how a dive boat left two divers in the sea off the Whitsundays.

The 38-year-old British man and 40-year-old American woman were found alive on Saturday morning after drifting for about 19 hours off Hayman Island.

Police say the dive boat crew did not raise the alarm until three hours after the pair had gone missing.

Police Superintendent Shane Chelepy says authorities want to determine what went wrong and if anyone was at fault.

"The local CIB are working with our Water Police, together with members from Workplace Health and Safety," he said.

"We are going to take statements from everyone onboard that vessel, then there will be the normal issues of taking possession of all of the equipment for further examination."

Both of the divers, who strapped themselves together with a weight belt to stay together as they drifted through the night, are believed to be dive instructors in the United States.

They were released from Townsville Hospital after a brief check up yesterday and newspapers are reporting they have sold their story.

The search operation involved seven helicopters, three planes and six boats.

Now, if I'd just spent the night floating lost at sea, I would be severely pissed at a captain who did not raise the alarm for 3 hours.

 

[1_T_Submariner]

Wow Great news that they were rescued!

 

[BarryNL]

Great ending to a possible tragedy. I must say I often wonder if the cheese has slipped off my cracker when I carry SMB, DiveAlert, Mirror, and Strobe. But maybe it's not a bad idea afterall...

Yeah, I don't see any signs of an SMB in the news report. If they'd had safety sausages and LP powered alert whistles they could probably have avoided their night to remember.

 

[DandyDon]

merged

 

[leapfrog]

open Water

 

[sporket]

Wow glad there OK.

 

[sporket]

Very lucky!