peterbj7
August 21st, 2008, 10:11 PM
In the spirit of openness let me say here that Protech lost a 28ft boat this morning. The two guests who were diving with us had been transferred to another boat and were unharmed, but whilst trying to tow the boat back the line broke at the worst possible moment (entering the barrier reef) and a following wave swamped and overturned us. The two Protech crew were unharmed, other than the odd bruise. Sadly gear was lost belonging both to us and to our guests. Our guests will of course be compensated.
The boat began taking on water whilst divers were down and the bilge pumps were overwhelmed. It sank in around 30ft of water, but was recovered within a few hours. An initial examination suggests that a crack developed in the engine mount, allowing water to pour in.
The boat will be out of action for at least a few days, and will not be used until it has been inspected and pronounced safe. Protech has suspended its operations in the meantime.
Our apologies to our two "victims" and to others who have booked diving with us during the "down" period. And our thanks to the three dive operations who assisted with the rescue and recovery - Bottom Time, AquaDives and Amigos del Mar. Amigos even cancelled a trip to free up a boat for our use. It's good to report that although we may be competitors for your money (!) all boat operators in San Pedro pull together when there's an emergency.
The boat began taking on water whilst divers were down and the bilge pumps were overwhelmed. It sank in around 30ft of water, but was recovered within a few hours. An initial examination suggests that a crack developed in the engine mount, allowing water to pour in.
The boat will be out of action for at least a few days, and will not be used until it has been inspected and pronounced safe. Protech has suspended its operations in the meantime.
Our apologies to our two "victims" and to others who have booked diving with us during the "down" period. And our thanks to the three dive operations who assisted with the rescue and recovery - Bottom Time, AquaDives and Amigos del Mar. Amigos even cancelled a trip to free up a boat for our use. It's good to report that although we may be competitors for your money (!) all boat operators in San Pedro pull together when there's an emergency.