Dive instructor shot by roatan resort owner

[Mike]

I think that depends if the tourist is going to visit West End or not. If he stays in his hotel compound that's one thing, but visiting the streets of West End I'd be sure to find out where this "Wesley's compound" is and avoid it. Whatever you do if you don't know where it is, then probably avoid leaning on any fences or putting your bike on any bushes anywhere in West End just to be sure, and any local with a machete in his hand I'd avoid, whether he's harmlessly carrying it for a benign reason or not.

 

[Scott L]

If you have friends in high places, folks can get away with about anything. First world nations included...

 

[diverrex]

I think it does impact the casual dive tourist. There are more dive locations than I will ever be able to get to. No sense in making a visit to Roatan when so many other places exist.

 

[Jax]

It really doesn't impact the dive industry except for it having been posted here.

It really has nothing at all to do with the visiting tourist diver.

I think it does impact the casual dive tourist. There are more dive locations than I will ever be able to get to. No sense in making a visit to Roatan when so many other places exist.

Sorry, RoatanMan, it impacts at lease one dive tourist.

Roatan has definitely dropped way lower on my list of places to visit, because I don't want to go anywhere that tolerates that kind of craziness. Again, if someone can get away with beating up on people, and shooting people, what chance would I have?

. . . and don't want to find out.

 

[shortdivemedic]

I have to agree with you Jax. Life is to short to worry about crazy people.

 

[ktomlinson]

Lol unless you plan on staying inside the walls of a dive resort your entire vacation (what kind of fun is that?) it's advisable to watch yourself pretty much anywhere you go. This is an act of violence between two people that knew each other...happens everyday, everywhere. No need to not visit Roatan because of it. I'm sure much worse had happened there in the past, just like anywhere else you could visit.

 

[Jax]

Lol unless you plan on staying inside the walls of a dive resort your entire vacation (what kind of fun is that?) it's advisable to watch yourself pretty much anywhere you go. This is an act of violence between two people that knew each other...happens everyday, everywhere. No need to not visit Roatan because of it. I'm sure much worse had happened there in the past, just like anywhere else you could visit.

It is not "the" act of violence that is a problem - it is the pattern of absolute nutso crazy that has been allowed to go on and on . . . THAT is what is disturbing.

I don't want to be some place where misfortune may cause me to run afoul of a powerful but stupid-crazy local that can do anything s/he damn well wants to.

 

[koozemani]

There are plenty of fish in the sea, and plenty of spots from which to see them. I'm with jax on this one, and I wouldn't call this being about two people who knew each other either. The initial encounter was absolutely insane and everything that followed defied all reason.There are enough dive locations on my to do list that I won't even miss this one.

 

[salth2owannabe]

Whenever I see threads like this one I like to pull out this line from the men in Black Movie-

There's always an Arquillian Battle Cruiser, or a Corillian Death Ray, or an intergalactic plague that is about to wipe out all life on this miserable little planet, and the only way these people can get on with their happy lives is that they DO NOT KNOW ABOUT IT!

Crime occurs everyday even in small town America and as a law enforcement officer I can comfortable say that you are not aware of the crimes that go on every day in your own neighborhoods. If you go to the ABC Islands posts you will find numerous posts from folks who say they refuse to go to Bonaire due to rental vehicles getting broken in to and lack of law enforecment action. What kind of a dumb knee jerk reaction is that? This crime in Roatan, while it is ridiculous, was not even a random act on a tourist. Don't let some nut in Roatan make you a victim. Travel, be aware, be safe, and enjoy yourself. (I'll be there in 3 weeks!!)

 

[Jax]

Whenever I see threads like this one I like to pull out this line from the men in Black Movie-

There's always an Arquillian Battle Cruiser, or a Corillian Death Ray, or an intergalactic plague that is about to wipe out all life on this miserable little planet, and the only way these people can get on with their happy lives is that they DO NOT KNOW ABOUT IT!

Crime occurs everyday even in small town America and as a law enforcement officer I can comfortable say that you are not aware of the crimes that go on every day in your own neighborhoods. If you go to the ABC Islands posts you will find numerous posts from folks who say they refuse to go to Bonaire due to rental vehicles getting broken in to and lack of law enforecment action. What kind of a dumb knee jerk reaction is that? This crime in Roatan, while it is ridiculous, was not even a random act on a tourist. Don't let some nut in Roatan make you a victim. Travel, be aware, be safe, and enjoy yourself. (I'll be there in 3 weeks!!)

You are missing the point, officer.

It is NOT that the crime was committed.

It is that the behavior of this pair is apparently condoned by the Powers-That-Be on that island. Is it just the west end? Or are people advised to stay in their "protected" resorts?


And, as another said, there are a lot of places to dive, and it's real easy to slip Roatan to the bottom of the list.