mnj1233
Contributor
- Messages
- 476
- Reaction score
- 0
Former 500 princess dies during scuba trip
Lynsay Clutter/Eyewitness News
Columbus, October 26 - Throughout her life, Abby Brinkman shined. A fourth year medical student and Indy 500 princess in 2001, Abby's future seemed bright.
Sorority sister and former 500 festival princess Jennifer Sawa says Abby was a role model. "There were several service projects and she came to every single one with a positive spirit and it was genuine, and everybody knew that. It was contagious."
But she left the world early, leaving questions behind in her death.
Her parents say a boat carrying ten divers and two guides left the Belize coast Saturday morning. It dropped off a group of snorklers on South Silke Caye. The remaining six people and one guide motored out to the Barrier Reef for scuba diving. But something happened to the engine.
Jan Brinkman explains, "The snorklers and the remaining divers realized the boat was in trouble and saw it veering off course."
Blown by high winds and out of sight, the four divers on board decided to jump and swim back to Silke Caye.
Survivor Nancy Masters recalls, "I could still see the cayes, so we figured we could still get our dive equipment on and we could dive it. I felt that we could swim it anyway, but once we got into the water, we realized that the waves were much larger than they appeared."
Rescuers pulled the divers out two days later. According to Channel 5 News in Belize, Abby was the only one not wearing a wetsuit.
Family and friends are searching for the truth.
Roger Brinkman says, "Any parent that's lost a child is a parent's worst nightmare."
But in the meantime, they are just trying to pull through.
Sawa says, "Everyone is traumatized by this and at this point we're not as focused on getting answers as just comforting each other and getting through this time. I think that's something that's going to come later and everyone will need closure with that."
Safety officials issued a small craft warning that day because of rough waters left from Hurricane Wilma.
According to Channel 5 in Belize, the company that hosted the excursion, Advanced Diving, is under investigation. They had no warning flares in the boat, or radios, and their two guides had suspended licenses.
Roger Brinkman said he is going down to Belize Thursday.
>>>>>> Absolutely insane to abandon ship in rough seas. Ill bet the crew didnt attempt to swim. I believe we are all responsible for our personal decisions but this outfit needs to be investigated. As a charter boat owner I would never allow anyone to leave my vessel after a loss of power even under ideal circumstances.
Lynsay Clutter/Eyewitness News
Columbus, October 26 - Throughout her life, Abby Brinkman shined. A fourth year medical student and Indy 500 princess in 2001, Abby's future seemed bright.
Sorority sister and former 500 festival princess Jennifer Sawa says Abby was a role model. "There were several service projects and she came to every single one with a positive spirit and it was genuine, and everybody knew that. It was contagious."
But she left the world early, leaving questions behind in her death.
Her parents say a boat carrying ten divers and two guides left the Belize coast Saturday morning. It dropped off a group of snorklers on South Silke Caye. The remaining six people and one guide motored out to the Barrier Reef for scuba diving. But something happened to the engine.
Jan Brinkman explains, "The snorklers and the remaining divers realized the boat was in trouble and saw it veering off course."
Blown by high winds and out of sight, the four divers on board decided to jump and swim back to Silke Caye.
Survivor Nancy Masters recalls, "I could still see the cayes, so we figured we could still get our dive equipment on and we could dive it. I felt that we could swim it anyway, but once we got into the water, we realized that the waves were much larger than they appeared."
Rescuers pulled the divers out two days later. According to Channel 5 News in Belize, Abby was the only one not wearing a wetsuit.
Family and friends are searching for the truth.
Roger Brinkman says, "Any parent that's lost a child is a parent's worst nightmare."
But in the meantime, they are just trying to pull through.
Sawa says, "Everyone is traumatized by this and at this point we're not as focused on getting answers as just comforting each other and getting through this time. I think that's something that's going to come later and everyone will need closure with that."
Safety officials issued a small craft warning that day because of rough waters left from Hurricane Wilma.
According to Channel 5 in Belize, the company that hosted the excursion, Advanced Diving, is under investigation. They had no warning flares in the boat, or radios, and their two guides had suspended licenses.
Roger Brinkman said he is going down to Belize Thursday.
>>>>>> Absolutely insane to abandon ship in rough seas. Ill bet the crew didnt attempt to swim. I believe we are all responsible for our personal decisions but this outfit needs to be investigated. As a charter boat owner I would never allow anyone to leave my vessel after a loss of power even under ideal circumstances.
