Diver Missing in the Florida Keys

[Knavey]

joele once bubbled...
are these Dive Alerts a brand of airhorns?

Yes,

They attach to your LP inflator between it and your BC. As long as you have air in your tank, then you will be able to use it.

Very piercing sound. Its best to duck your head below water before testing it, or your ears will be ringing for a little while.

 

[DandyDon]

SCUBAMedicBill once bubbled...
Dandy Don,

I believe that there was another incident several years ago, I think it was Australia, where the boat left without two divers. The details a fuzzy, but I believe they were husband and wife. The boat captain only realized when they reached the dock. Notifications were made and they went back out. From what I remember at least one was killed by a shark, and either the bodies or gear were found on the shore of an island the next day or two.

Like I said, the details a fuzzy, but maybe someone else remembers the incident.

Its got to be one of the worst fears a diver can have, being left behind.

Bill

I remember that one - newlyweds who didn't want to dive with the group, weren't they? I didn't think they ever found anything of either of them.

The "Diver Down" out of Atlantic Beach uses extremely strict manifest security like Knavey described for the Nekton, and I greatly appreciate such. My Fantasy Island boat did not do an audible rolls call on the first dive I did with them last July, and I objected, so they started. I think I will be bold enough to request verbal rolls calls on all boats that aren't bothering.

Wish the DAN Boat Tags would catch on. Free to the operators, but they have to use them.



don

 

[VTernovski]

scuba_katt once bubbled...
go to the family and friends of the victims, as well as those on the boat who assisted in the search.

Its a tragic time for all involved...

Safe diving everyone.

Katt

same here. I am actually a member of that RUssian Dive CLub... it's a virtual club, and I never met the diver, I will attempt to contact her relatives, I assume her brother or husband, who is also a diver to find out more info, but perhaps not at this difficult for them hour.

 

[DandyDon]

VTernovski once bubbled...


same here. I am actually a member of that RUssian Dive CLub... it's a virtual club, and I never met the diver, I will attempt to contact her relatives, I assume her brother or husband, who is also a diver to find out more info, but perhaps not at this difficult for them hour.

We are all sorry for her loss. If you obtain more information on how this happened in time, we'd like to know...

don

 

[DandyDon]

Looks like maybe they found her BC and tank...

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/7347527.htm

which means that they probably won't find the lady. Sad. I'm sure that the love ones would prefer to.

Perhaps something can be learned from the equipment found. Always looking for warnings, and I know that BCs are a common culprit in diver deaths, rare as they are.

don

 

[PaulB]

What are the DAN boat tags? I don't think I've ever seen them.

 

[DandyDon]

PaulB once bubbled...
What are the DAN boat tags? I don't think I've ever seen them.

Divers Alert Network will supply them, in pairs, at no charge I believe, to dive operators. Divers are issued one each to wear on their BCs, and they're used in ensuring everyone is back aboard before the boat leaves a site. I've seen them twice, used them once.

http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/news/article.asp?newsid=71

To use an old saying: "I'll put my money where my mouth is," and send DAN $100 to finance another board for the next operator in North American waters who requests one. Just let me know...

don

 

[Rickg]

DocVikingo once bubbled...
Edited piece from my "Dive Workshop" column in Jul '00 issue of "Rodale's Scuba Diving":

"What safety devices should I carry? Tom Douglas, Santa Fe, NM.

I am a firm believer in safety devices, and recommend that you carry devices which emit auditory and visual signals, and can be used both day & night. Fortunately, there are good quality devices of both varieties readily available at reasonable cost. At a minimum, these would include:

1. Safety sausage/signaling marker buoy.

2. Dive Alert with back up whistle.

3. Strobe. .

Other safety devices include a signaling mirror.
I highly recommend carrying both visual (for both day & night) & auditory devices. You'll be unimaginably glad you do if you ever need them."

Best regards.

DocVikingo

DocVikingo,

I concur wholeheartedly with everything you say here. I bought both my wife and I Dive Alerts and put together "safety" bags that fit in a BC pocket after the 4 Japanese divers were lost off of Peliliu Corner, Palau back in the early '90s. In each of our bag are everything you mention plus 15' of line with clips at each end. I added the line because I figured if we ever got left behind it is a lot easier to find 2 or more people clipped together on the surface than people separately.

Rickg

 

[VTernovski]

just please be careful when you introduce new "solutions" to problem as not to fall in a trap by creating a new problem. I am against clipping yourself to another diver (unless you are ice diving, which is different), if one divers has bouyancy problems, you are risking to be the 2nd problemed diver soon after.

 

[Charlie99]

An excellent article that reports on trials in the UK of multiple types of diver locating devices such as signal sausages, flares, flags, lights, strobes and dyes.

They were tested for visibility from a small and large boats (eye heights 6' and 10-13') and a helicopter.

Yellow flags worked very well. Even small lights like the UK SL4 worked surprisingly well, even in daylight.

Another surprising tidbit is that a diver with 1 arm up was visible at more than twice the distance than when both arms are in the water.

Charlie Allen