Missing Diver Report-Lower Keys

Reported in this week's FWC report, but not much info.

Just doesn't sound right, Can anybody add info to it?



Officers Seth Wingard and Joshua Peters responded to a report of a missing diver in
the Lower Keys area. At approximately 3:00 p.m., the diver surfaced and discovered
his vessel had drifted away. The diver used his whistle to signal the drifting vessel, but
the lone passenger on board had no experience with boat operation or diving and
waited several hours before notifying U.S. Coast Guard. FWC was asked to assist at
7:15 p.m. Agencies conducted a search in very rough seas for several hours. Later, a
U. S Naval helicopter located the diver. The diver was recovered in fair condition.


http://myfwc.com/docs/AboutFWC/LE/2010_WeeklyReport_Mar5-11.pdf

Fish collector. Anchor drug, waved kicked up, so boat watch cut anchor line and maintained position by "feel". Coast Guard had to walk him through his Garmin so they could figure out which boat was him.

Florida Keys News - Key West Citizen

Wednesday, March 10, 2010


KEY WEST: A missing diver from Marathon was rescued about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday after being in the water for about five hours, reports say.

Andrew Schlieper, 37, was diving off a private boat about 3:30 p.m. four miles off Key West while the boater stayed aboard, said Matthew Meinhold, spokesman for the Key West Coast Guard. But the anchor dragged and the boater subsequently couldn't find Schlieper, Meinhold said. Two helicopters, one from the Navy, a state Fish and Wildlife boat and two Coast Guard boats began searching for him around 5:30 p.m., reports say.

The Navy helicopter found Schlieper, apparently in good condition, about 8:30 p.m. a mile off Key West, Meinhold said.

"That's like finding a needle in a haystack out there," NAS Key West spokesman Jim Brooks said Tuesday night

Glad he's okay but I hope he can find someone more experienced to stay topside next time so I don't have to pay for helicopters to find him....

Deepstops-- Yep. I am not a expert captain like many professional crew on here but I have run 35' sailboats up to 75' powerboats. I can set an anchor (it all about the scope) or take a fixed point. Am always looking for a free ride out on their boat too..

What an idiot. You NEVER leave someone topside without showing them how to run the boat and how to use the radio. What a total lack of common sense.

On mini-season we had to pick up a few divers who had the same thing happen to them. Guy they left on the boat didn't know squat about what to do. But who was MORE stupid? The guy who owns the boat who didn't show Mr. Clueless what to do.

Dayum, that water must have been COLD for three hours. :shocked2:

DebbyDiver:

What an idiot. You NEVER leave someone topside without showing them how to run the boat and how to use the radio. What a total lack of common sense.

Click to expand...

Reminds me of a funny story involving a close dive friend in the late 70's. He was diving east of the Breakers Reef area on friend's boat with boatowner's semi-elderly father alone at the helm who was advertised to have much boating experience. Seas kicked up during the dive and the boat's cheap plastic steering wheel used at the time sheared off at the hub from the weight of the driver rendering the boat difficult to operate. The older fellow/captain's reaction was to sit down in the back of boat and cry.

The boat circled & circled then eventually ran ashore on Palm Beach setting off a malstrom of rescue activity. The three divers managed to surface swim to the south jetty just before the out-going tide was to spit them back out into the gulfstream. They then got to watch countless law enforcement boats race out the inlet to respond. Sorry for long-winded post but that story amuses me so.

Not dive related but reminds me of a guy that hit his kill engine switch by mistake out on the reef. Calls for the tow boat in and realizes his mistake about 200 yards from the dock. An expensive Homer "doh"