Diver lost in Cozumel today

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DandyDon

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Just initial reports that came up in discussion on the local forum. Not much is known here now. Perhaps someone can add info? From a thread on crazy currents happening this week, and I will bold the part about the missing diver...

I thought maybe the currents were dying down but they took a less entertaining turn today. We tried to go to Punta Sur but strong currents and bad vis caused us to head back north. We went to Planacar Horseshoe and within about 60 seconds of dropping down, most of my group got caught in a sudden down-welling. I got blown from 72' to 107'. Despite finning as hard as I could and fully inflating my BC I was only able to slow then stop my descent by finning both up and away from the reef. I did not have to even consider venting the BC until I was up around 40' and a long way out from the reef.

My dive lasted 22 minutes and except for maybe 2 minutes at the start of the dive and about a 5 minute safety stop out in the blue, the entire time I was either descending involuntarily or swimming up. The others who got caught got blown down to between 91 and 103 feet but were able to get under some outcropping and then got to where they could ascend. Due to my absence and the current, the DM of course aborted the dive and got everyone back to the boat.

I have thought about it quite a bit and I don't really think there is anything else I could have done. I was seriously considering dropping my weights but manged to stop my descent before I felt it was necessary and did not want to end up with an out-of-control ascent later. Besides, I only had 4 lbs, so I don't know how much difference it would have made given that a fully inflated 35 lb wing wasn't overcoming the downdraft.

We talked to another group later who had gone through the area just before us. They said everything was fine and then saw this rush of sand headed for the edge of the reef.

I ended up floating out quite away from the reef with my SMB. The DM had called for help so other boats were looking for me and one came by and called my boat. Unfortunately, at the same time as my little incident another group got into trouble on Santa Rosa and lost a diver. We saw the helicopter up and boats out looking for her. Last I heard, after three hours she had not been found. I don't know the current status.

Dangerous day today.

The latest from that discussion is that she was not found before dark. :(
 
Not sure about any of this cause my spanish sucks...

"According to news reports, an American from the cruiseship Celebritiy Equinox yesterday , is missing and and a search was launched but no results. Apparently she went missing while diving in the Santa Rosa area with a group on the boat Sand Dollar Express. According to authorities, the search will continue for 72 hours. It can always be hoped for some good news but would seen doubtful at this stage.

One article about the accident, in spanish, can be seen here:" Por Esto! | Yucatán
 
Google's Translation from Por Esto


COZUMEL, March 28. - He lost a foreign tourist who was diving on the reef of Santa Rosa. The woman was with a group of divers when he made the sign that was to emerge to the surface, which he did, however, when the group ended the tour and got into the boat that carried them, the crew noticed that she was not .

Escalante Genaro Medina, chief officer of Federal Maritime Ward (Remafe) of the Port Authority, announced that the tourist by the name of Cristina Cassin, 49, is an American, arrived in the island at 07:30 Wednesday morning cruise aboard Celebrity Equinox which docked at the port terminal SSA Mexico.

Preliminarily reported that "foreign bought a dive trip to the company 'Sand Dollar', and on board the vessel 'Sand Dollar Express, broke in with a group of tourists at this time which I have not the amount of were few. What we have at the moment is that Cristina Cassin, was diving at ten o'clock in Santa Rosa, about a kilometer from the coast in the south of the island at a depth of ten meters, when at 10 : 10 decides to come to the surface, the dive master or dive instructor realizes this, get to see, however, the crew of the boat that traveled did not see, and at the end of the dive, the dive master up to the boat by asking for it and was not on board. "

At that moment was part of the Harbor Master via marine band radio channel 16, is triangulated the report to the Naval Sector of Cozumel, and began the search until 19 pm on Wednesday did not yield positive results.

The respondent said, "to appear was the negligence of the crew of the boat not to be aware of the bubble trail left by divers when they are in the sea, it seems, take into account that the dive lasts 40 to 50 minutes and when they will meet that time is when the crew was concerned about being close to the bubble to help divers when they come to the surface. "

Do not know what was the reason why Cassin Cristina decided to come to the surface, but considers that the priority is to find it and then lifted the corresponding minutes.

In search intercepting two boats joined the Naval Sector, a launch of the Port Authority of type "Zodiac", two boats of the Marine Park, and a helicopter AMHT enrollment 209, the Secretary of the Navy of Mexico.
The status of the foreign is missing, the phase of the current search is considered active until the daylight lasts 72 hours and then, if it is not you enter the passive phase, ie the operation is interrupted and only wait for the body landfall somewhere along the coast.

He said the exploration of the operating radius is to the north of Santa Rosa, and have seen "in the search pattern is very strong currents, in which a person can be dragged 200 meters in a minute."
He says that the vessel involved is participating in the search and continue until 72 hours, if that does not appear during that time, we will report to the judicial authorities and take appropriate action depending on how it happened, the situation may fincar responsibility the owner of the vessel and / or dive guide or dive master.
He concluded that loss is the second of its kind in Cozumel so far this year.
 
It sounds like she aborted the dive before it was over, surfaced by herself and was never seen again.

Hard to say if that's 100% what happened yet, but if it is, here we go again -- where was the dive buddy?
 
It sounds like she aborted the dive before it was over, surfaced by herself and was never seen again.

Hard to say if that's 100% what happened yet, but if it is, here we go again -- where was the dive buddy?
Sounds like she ascended alone before being lost. I've had boat pick buds do that to me because they had air left, and I simply wouldn't dive with them again. It also sounds like Sand Dollar took a new cruise customer to a deep wall dive in a period of known current problems rather than put her on a check-out dive boat.

Another news story from google translate: ¿Se la tragó el mar?
Reported disappearance of tourist who was diving in Santa Rosa reef

COZUMEL, March 27
. - was lost in the waters of Cozumel, the tourist Cristina Cassin, where he practiced diving and divemaster's carelessness (instructor), surfaced so far without their whereabouts are known, because the disappearance of foreign elements Port Captain, Naval and Civil Protection Sector, conducted a search operation to try to locate the woman who came aboard the cruiser "Equinox". The harbor master, Eduardo Meixueiro Mancisidor said the company "San Dolars" informed them that this day around 10:00 am, took a group of tourists to the reef diving "Santa Rosa", but at 10 minutes, it is believed that foreign Cristina Cassin, 49, rose to the surface without the teacher noticing.
Whenever at 11:00 am all the tourists who were on tour together with diving instructor boarded the vessel "San Dollar Express" and that's when he realized that the woman was missing, giving first hand the company, with those subsequently give notice to the Harbor Master.
As implemented an operating search with elements of the Navy of Mexico, who are using their boats to the location by sea and a helicopter to try to view from the air, if indeed the tourist surfaced as people think.
Similarly explained that the Tuesday had a meeting with all the dealers of Tourist Services, such as diving and snorkeling, where they were asked to take further training with their staff and the care with tourists, since there is now a strong current at sea and currents are found, which has been with the harbor pilots who are responsible for giving out to the cruise and are moved abruptly by the weather.
Eduardo Meixueiro Mancisidor said they have confidence in the next few hours to locate the tourist, who came from a passenger on the cruise, "Equinox" and that this called for the support of the Fifth Naval Region Isla Mujeres and Cancun who joined the search along with two interceptor boats of Cozumel Marine sector and two boats of the Port Authority.
It should be noted that the operation continues, but still there is no information that has been located the tourist or his body, but it is presumed that the currents in that area are very strong and according to information from experts, the person may go away 100 meters per minute to the south, so that part has already been given to authorities elsewhere in the state, as it will continue searching until the sun's rays permit .

Ok, I guess I was wrong in assuming she ascended alone. From another thread...
She was with her husband. She told her husband she needed to go to the surface. Her husband let the instructor know then headed up himself but when he reached the surface he couldn't find her. The current was part of the problem.
 
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I'm interested in this descending current the op mentions. I've never heard of that. I can't imagine being at 72' then being sucked to 100 with a fully inflated bc. I don't know what I would do other than try to stay calm and with a buddy
 
I'm interested in this descending current the op mentions. I've never heard of that. I can't imagine being at 72' then being sucked to 100 with a fully inflated bc. I don't know what I would do other than try to stay calm and with a buddy
They happen, and Cozumel is known for them - but can happen anywhere there is current, yet seldom discussed. Most divers fight them with BC inflation and finning, but that's like swimming into a rip current. I prefer swimming horizonal to the current to get out of it, away from the wall buddies staying together, and an open water ascent with care. Some prefer getting close to the wall and climbing it. Others swim across current along the wall.

See http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/co...ling-down-current.html?highlight=down+current

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ad...ing-down-currents.html?highlight=down+current

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ad...ling-down-current.html?highlight=down+current
For new divers, it's good to hire a private DM and discuss with him.
 
The thread in the Cozumel forum has gone into things quite a ways, and the daughter of the missing diver has been participating and giving her understanding of what happened. The problem is that we have some very different accounts of what happened there. One story is that the diver ascended alone without telling anyone. THe other story (from the daughter) is that she indicated a problem and started to ascend. The husband went to the DM to tell him that she had ascended and that he would go, too. When he got to the surface, he could not find her.

I think it would be wise at this point to limit all speculation as much as possible until things clear up.
 
We often tell newer divers that it's good to hire a private DM for their first Coz divers, but I doubt the cruise ships ever suggest that. I wonder if the cruise forums do? Rental gear, first dive on Santa Rosa wall, who knows what weighting, so many challenges for newbies. I guess by the time the ship sends them to the Op for their fun dives, if the Op asked them how much experience they had and then suggested hiring a private DM, then it'd look like upselling.

I don't want to encourage wild speculations, but you know what it's like for newbies coming off of cruise boats.
 
I have experienced downwellings in Cozumel. They seem to be most severe right next to the wall and swimming away from the wall will allow you to ascend safely. I have never seen one last more than a minute or so.



I'm interested in this descending current the op mentions. I've never heard of that. I can't imagine being at 72' then being sucked to 100 with a fully inflated bc. I don't know what I would do other than try to stay calm and with a buddy
 
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