Dive Boat Fire Belize

[Tom725]

Any one know what boat this was? Was it a liveaboard. Lot of divers if it wasn't.


Bits 'n' Pieces: Couple's first try at scuba diving goes up in flames- Columbian.com, Clark County, Washington, Vancouver, Breaking News, U.S., World, Entertainment, Video, Weather, Sports (http://www.columbian.com/lifeHome/lifeHomeNews/2007/11/11122007_Bits-n-Pieces-Couples-first-try-at-scuba-diving-goes-up-in-flames.cfm)


Monday, November 12, 2007
By Mike Bailey, Columbian staff writer

When Battle Ground's Mike and Brenda Dobbs booked a two-week vacation to go scuba diving in the waters around Belize, they expected to be amazed by the underwater views.

It turned out the most shocking thing they saw was above the waterline.

Just three days into the trip, the Dobbses were among 22 passengers and crew forced to abandon a 48-foot dive boat after its engine caught fire.

As smoke filled the cabin, passengers were told to put on their inflatable dive jackets and jump into the water.

"We were among the last to put on our jackets," Brenda Dobbs said.

Amazingly, Mike Dobbs found his disposable underwater camera just as he was about to jump. It was their only possession salvaged from the ship before it burned and sank.

The Dobbses, like most passengers, lost money, clothes and diving equipment on the boat, but they do have photos of the memorable experience thanks to that disposable camera.

It all happened in calm waters, Brenda Dobbs said, and another dive boat in the area was able to rescue everyone. The billowing cloud of black smoke was easy to see, so it didn't take long to attract help.

The Dobbses had just earned their open water scuba diving certification from Thunder Reef Divers in Hazel Dell before booking their first underwater adventure.

[sctom]

It was talked about the other day in the Central America Forum.

[JJM1631]

Thats pretty crazy...hopefully it happened after they go their dives in!!!!:D

[diver 85]

This post is NO good without pics............GEAUX TIGERS.........

[vladimir]

Any one know what boat this was? Was it a liveaboard. Lot of divers if it wasn't.


A lot of divers if it was, too. As much as I'd hate to be on a day boat with 22 passengers and crew (and refuse to do it), living with them on a 48 foot boat sounds a lot worse.

[DandyDon]

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/central-america/207970-amigos-del-mar-san-pedro-belize.html

Dive Boat with 19 Tourists on Board Erupts Into Flame (http://www.7newsbelize.com/archive/10260710.html)

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb119/dandydon-2/Nov%2007/102607b.jpg * http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb119/dandydon-2/Nov%2007/102608b.jpg

Accidents do happen, hope all had trip insurance to cover gear losses and all, glad everyone got out ok, but is this sloppy reporting, or did they not have PFDs?! :11: "As smoke filled the cabin, passengers were told to put on their inflatable dive jackets and jump into the water."

I know that safety rules are mere guidelines in the Caribe, but did they really cross the channel to the atoll on a boat without PDFs?! What about a fire extinguisher?

Maybe they did, but how many of us go to sea without confirming these minimum safety devices? Once we leave the control of the US Coast Guard, it becomes even more important to do so.

[battles2a5]

I was diving w/ Frenchies the day it happened. Everyone at the dive shop was talking about it. Crazy.

[scubapatton]

I keep my gear so ready to roll, I would have probably grabbed my bc and rolled in. I still would have lost some gear, but I would have had at least most of my stuff with me. Bummer. I am not sure insurance is even an issue in this case - it seems to me the boat owner would just file your gear with their claim... assuming of course they had insurance....

[fisheyeview]

I set my gear up before we leave the dock. If ther is a problem my gear is going in the water with me. Oh I'll take one of the life jackets for visibility, but my gear goes too. (Easy to say when I am safe at my desk.)

[DandyDon]

I keep my gear so ready to roll, I would have probably grabbed my bc and rolled in. I still would have lost some gear, but I would have had at least most of my stuff with me. Bummer. I am not sure insurance is even an issue in this case - it seems to me the boat owner would just file your gear with their claim... assuming of course they had insurance....
BCs are not life preservers. You'd be safer in the water with the PDF that every dive boat should furnish. That could have been inaccurate reporting, but the crew should encourage divers to don PFDs even if they take their inflated BCs with them, and they certainly should be readily available. I'd rather wear my snorkel vest at sea than any BC, and - I would probly have had it on for the crossing.

I still wonder if this respected operator did not have fire extinguishers onboard? Engine fires happen, but were they used?

[Hank49]

Amazing....living here and not hearing about this until I log onto SB....

[bleeb]

How in the world did they get 22 people on that boat? It doesn't look large enough for that many people to stand, let alone dive or live.

[Steve Lawson]

They should have quickly grabbed their gear so they could dive a virgin wreck.

Steve

[Belmont]

They should have quickly grabbed their gear so they could dive a virgin wreck.

Steve


Still hot...:D

[scubapatton]

Even begin the salvage process.. :-)

[fisheyeview]

They should have quickly grabbed their gear so they could dive a virgin wreck.

Steve

That happened to the divers off of the Captain Crunch in Key Largo back in the early 80's. Came back to the boat at the end of the dive only to find it on the bottom.

[DandyDon]

How in the world did they get 22 people on that boat? It doesn't look large enough for that many people to stand, let alone dive or live.
No rules, mon - guidelines. No Coast Guard, protect yourself.

It was not a liveaboard, tho - was it?

[bleeb]

It was not a liveaboard, tho - was it?

Probably my bad. Skimmed the OP quickly and somehow jumped to the conclusion that "three days into the trip" meant liveaboard. Rereading things, there doesn't really seem to be anything to back this up.

[Hank49]

I believe that's a DivePro 48. There's a few of them here in Belize...one less now. They're twin engine, diesel, jet drives and can go in very shallow water. I've been on one that used to be in Placencia and there's a lot of deck space.

[ScubaBabe22]

I thought I saw something about Amigos Del Mar- Does anyone know if it was from Amigos (in Ambergeris Caye) and if it was, was it the Miss Mel?

[emtgirl86]

Hello there everyone. I only knew bits and pieces about this when I was on the Nekton Pilot. I surfaced from a dive and saw some think black smoke....I went up and talked to the Captain. He was able to tell me the name and knew that it was a dive boat. I later heard that everyone made it off okay. We were too far out of position to render aid and still had divers in the water. All I can say is that it was a pretty crazy site to come out of the water and see a boat on fire. From what I was told is that they saw three explosions, a fire, then it sank. Can anyone confirm this?
Nicole

[DandyDon]

I thought I saw something about Amigos Del Mar- Does anyone know if it was from Amigos (in Ambergeris Caye) and if it was, was it the Miss Mel?
From the link in post 6 above...

Amigos del Mar, San Pedro, Belize
A couple of days ago their Pro-48 caught fire and sank inside Lighthouse Atoll whilst transiting between dive sites. No-one was hurt, though a lot of possessions were destroyed.
The other link had more info that I'd noticed before: Dive Boat with 19 Tourists on Board Erupts Into Flame (http://www.7newsbelize.com/archive/10260710.html) including...

Kathy Mowvley, Passenger on Burning Boat
“The crew noticed a loss of power in one of the engines and then we heard a bang from the engine room, like a fan belt or a pistol going through the engine or something. Grey smoke started coming out and then black smoke.”

Nadine Cote, Passenger on Burning Boat
“I just thought there was engine trouble, didn’t think there was any fire down there. It can happen at anytime anywhere. We weren’t too concerned until we started seeing thick black smoke.”

Pamela Maze, Passenger on Burning Boat
“At first we thought it was just a minor puff of smoke, of fire. We didn’t know there was actual fire until we saw the flames. It was very fast. Basically we were just trying to get as far away from the boat as we could and watching it in flames was quite an experience I have to say but we were more concerned about the safety of everybody around us.”

Keith Swift,
Were you frightened?

Pamela Maze,
“Of course. You are always frightened in that kind of situation. We were more frightened on the boat when the fire started and it happened so quickly. We were just so lucky that the crew was very fast on helping us get on our BCDs and get in the water with out scuba gear.”

David Cote, Passenger on Burning Boat
“We ended up going to the bow of the boat, because the smoke had filled the cabin, and then we started seeing flames coming out of the side of the boat and so the captain started giving everybody life jackets and everybody started jumping off the boat because the boat was engulfed in flames.”

All 19 tourists onboard and 4 crew members safely evacuated the boat and watched from a distance the fire consumed it. The tourists were picked up by a crew from Aqua Dive Shop who had heard the explosion and responded to help.

Julio Perez, Aqua Dive
“They said they overheard an explosion on one of the boats that works out there and they decided to help the divers that were on the boat; rescued them and put them on a dock out there.”

This afternoon - a day after their dance with death – these tourists literally toasted to life. They say it could have been much worse and they are happy they made it out alive.

Pamela Maze,
“The escape was very well organized. Really in that kind of situation, the crew was amazing, got us out safely and everyone around us helped us. It was an incredible situation and normally in a country far away from our home, that was a great experience and of course we would come back anytime.”

Ok, so it was poor reporting, then my misreading. They were given PDFs - gooooooood.

Fire on a boat is a very risky thing. I think I would have hit the water at the first sign of smoke - they went to the bow? :silly:

[BubblesUp]

Ok, so it was poor reporting, then my misreading. They were given PDFs - gooooooood.

Not so sure about that. The guy to the left in the second picture in Post #6 is definitely wearing a BCD. Except for the person immediately to his right, there seems to be little sign of the typical, orange PFD.

[lamont]

if i could take just one thing off the boat with me when it burned and sank around here it would be my drysuit. PFDs don't keep you warm.

[vladimir]

Fire on a boat is a very risky thing. I think I would have hit the water at the first sign of smoke - they went to the bow? :silly:Don, the boats I usually dive on designate an emergency staging area--either the bow or an upper deck holding the inflatable lifeboat. This allows the crew to take a head count, pass out life preservers, and, if necessary, get people off the boat in an orderly way. It sounds like the passengers and crew evacuated according to procedure.

[DandyDon]

Don, the boats I usually dive on designate an emergency staging area--either the bow or an upper deck holding the inflatable lifeboat. This allows the crew to take a head count, pass out life preservers, and, if necessary, get people off the boat in an orderly way. It sounds like the passengers and crew evacuated according to procedure.
Yeah, you're right. The way one guy said they went to the bow cuz the cabin was full of smoke sounded like a delayed abandonment, but maybe not. I have been on small boats that I know did not carry PDFs, one that crossed from Utila to Roatan. I took my own.

[Lead_carrier]

BCs are not life preservers. You'd be safer in the water with the PDF that every dive boat should furnish. That could have been inaccurate reporting, but the crew should encourage divers to don PFDs even if they take their inflated BCs with them, and they certainly should be readily available. I'd rather wear my snorkel vest at sea than any BC, and - I would probly have had it on for the crossing.

I still wonder if this respected operator did not have fire extinguishers onboard? Engine fires happen, but were they used?

Was there time? How big was the fire when it was discovered, and how much did it grow by the time they could ? Have you ever tried putting out an oil/diesel fire with a fire extinguisher in calm weather? It isn't the easiest thing that I've ever done. Throw in the wind, difficulty is greatly multiplied. Yes, I have been in the situation to have tried it, fortunately it wasn't on a boat.

Sounds to me like they got the best advice. Leave the boat please, NOW!

[DandyDon]

Was there time? How big was the fire when it was discovered, and how much did it grow by the time they could ? Have you ever tried putting out an oil/diesel fire with a fire extinguisher in calm weather? It isn't the easiest thing that I've ever done. Throw in the wind, difficulty is greatly multiplied. Yes, I have been in the situation to have tried it, fortunately it wasn't on a boat.

Sounds to me like they got the best advice. Leave the boat please, NOW!
Yeah, probly so. I tried to find the larger article by channel 7, but I don't think they filed it online. Oil, diesel, and fiberglass is a combination of tender I would not want to stay on long with smoke coming from below. I once surfaced from a dive at St Barths, looked around, saw my dive boat, then saw one burning in the harbor. Not a fun sight even when you're away and know it's not yours. Having yours burning would be pretty personal, being on it or in the water at sea either one - but being off of it ASAP would be preferable for sure.

Anyone know about automatic fire suppression systems for engine compartments? I would think a $700,000 bought should have one?

[khacken]

I have been on that boat. It is the Amigos Del Mar takes out to the Blue Hole and the Turneffe Islands. This is not a liveaboard, but instead a large open dive boat. My experience with them was great and they seemed to be concerned about safety. I also seem to remember life jackets being up in the front of the boat. However, this was over a year ago, so I could be wrong.

[diverbob]

if i could take just one thing off the boat with me when it burned and sank around here it would be my drysuit. PFDs don't keep you warm.

not a whole lot of dry suit divers in Belize. I dont recall seeing any when I was there in July anyway.

[DandyDon]

not a whole lot of dry suit divers in Belize. I dont recall seeing any when I was there in July anyway.
Rare, but I know one who does. Still, he is right. If I had my wet suit, I'd want it in the water for jellyfish and hypothermia if out long. The survivors who were lost at sea there last year were found with those problems.

First and foremost, tho - flotation, and PFD is better than BC for that.

[peterbj7]

It was the Miss Mel, which (like most Pro-boats) has props, not jet drives. It seems (I am told) that for some reason a pipe containing transmission fluid under pressure let go, spraying the engine room with a fine oil mist. When that reached the turbocharger, the hottest thing in there (the exhaust manifolds are water cooled), it ignited. Probably went up like a bomb, and no automatic extinguisher system (which it didn't have anyway) would have made any difference. It seems possible that just prior to this the oil feed was cut off, giving rise to the reduced oil pressure some divers have reported the crew noticing. This carries an element of surmise as there has been no official report released (and no-one expects one).

Once ignited the fate of the boat will have been sealed, as it was hot enough to melt and ignite the fiberglass. Apparently the fire was so intense that engine parts and scuba cylinders melted together.

Luckily the boat was inside the atoll in calm and shallow (and warm) water not far from the island of Long Caye (where the next dive was to be), so once away from the boat and any possible further explosion no-one was at great risk. Very unfortunate occurrence nonetheless.

Since then, only a couple of days ago, the other big dive boat on the island, AquaDives' 52' boat, is also out of action. In that case it was about to enter the barrier reef on its way back from the Blue Hole when one of the two transmissions failed catastrophically. The boat had to negotiate the reef on just one engine in quite heavy seas, and with greatly reduced control was swept sideways onto a shallow sandbar. No injuries or great drama, but they can't drag the boat off as there's coral in the way, so they're waiting for a crane to lift it. No hull damage but quite a lot to props and one shaft. Again, most unfortunate and (at the time) unavoidable. No blame can possibly attach to the owner/operator.

A few weeks ago another boat ran onto coral when trying to negotiate shallow water in a sudden storm. As I said on an earlier post, the sea's always in charge.

[DandyDon]

Thanks for the coverage, Peter! Been wondering. I can certainly see where a fine mist of trans fluid on a hot engine would lead to a fireburst in the engine room, and it does sound like the situation was well handled.