West Palm Diver "run over" by boat?

[Dr. Doug Ebersole]

Saturday afternoon while I was out on Jim Abernethy's Deep Obsession in West Palm, we heard that a diver had been "run over" by a pleasure boat. I haven't heard anything since except the tail end of a story telling boaters and divers to be safety conscious on the West Palm FOX TV news last night. Anyone know any details? Is the diver okay?

 

[Scuba_Dad]

Saturday afternoon while I was out on Jim Abernethy's Deep Obsession in West Palm, we heard that a diver had been "run over" by a pleasure boat. I haven't heard anything since except the tail end of a story telling boaters and divers to be safety conscious on the West Palm FOX TV news last night. Anyone know any details? Is the diver okay?

That's why I always launch my 6' sausage during my safety stop. Even though that only gives the pleasure boats a target to aim for... if they're at least a little diver savy... maybe they'll stay away from the sausage.

A couple of weeks ago I went out with Pura Vida Divers, and after Trevor picked me up, he had to gun it in order to cut off a pleasure boat that was heading directly for a group of our divers with the flag...

Al

 

[CBulla]

Given that even the Marine Patrol over there runs down flags OR uses them to yank people up from the bottom by the flag, the fact a pleasure boater hit a diver is inevitable.

 

[Hapytruck01]

the news just said he will be allright, the prop hit the tank and it exploded

 

[H2Andy]

holy crap!!

well, i'm glad to hear he is ok even though the tank exploded

 

[baitedstorm]

I wish I could report that this very seldom happens. I've had a few close calls as well down there. My boat Captain is constantly cuting the pleasure boaters off in order to keep them away from us. I can not stress it enough during my dive briefing to make sure divers look up and around when coming up from their safety stop. More often than not, the divers are completely focused on their spg's instead of the enviroment around them.

Im glad to here this diver is going to be ok. It could have been a whole lot worse.

 

[Sue-ba]

No matter how careful you are coming up, you just can't be totally safe. It is not ALL in our own power as divers. I dived West Palm beach about 10 days ago. The viz was maybe 30-50 ft at best. You do a safety stop at 15, look around as far as the viz will permit, then come up slowly as necessary. The time it takes for a boat to get from beyond your 30 ft viz range to being right on top of you is miniscule. 30 ft is just not a huge enough time/reaction barrier for a diver against a speed boat with an ignorant driver behind the wheel.

 

[Li'l38]

Given that even the Marine Patrol over there runs down flags OR uses them to yank people up from the bottom by the flag, the fact a pleasure boater hit a diver is inevitable.

I've never toted the dive flag in my group. Is it difficult? I guess it causes some drag? Would it be too much to tote if it were larger? I don't mean re-design the dive flag colors or anything. I'm just thinkin' more visible- or would that even matter. (CBulla- please tell me this yanking isn't routine! :11: ) Maybe the addition of day-glo colored flag on taller stick? I dunno, only had 6 ocean dives so far... no problems of any nature (lucky us!) I did think to myself tho... I don't know how the crew can see those flags so well. They get old, discolored, beat up etc. but it's the crew's job and they keep an eye on them from the moment they leave the boat. I know there are inconsiderate boaters. I just have to believe for the most part, this happens because the flags aren't very visible.

 

[offroaddiver]

I worked at a marina last summer and became more understanding of what goes through pleasure boater's minds. I have heard "if I hit a diver I'll just have him replace the prop". They changed their tunes when they found out that one of the owners of the marina dives in the marina to replace props for people. There are boaters safety classes that do indeed show boaters that it is illegal to get within so many feet of dive flags unless you are engaged in the diving operations (50 feet in TN) and must be in idle within so many feet(200 feet in TN). Since people don't even obey NO WAKE ZONES, I doubt they even know the laws until it's too late and they are written a citation(pretty pricey in TN)

I tried to get my boss to post a sign in addition to the normal boating rules about dive flags, but alas he said he wouldn't cause he didn't see any divers. INSERT YOUR OWN JOKE HERE!!!

I recently took a boater's safety course. I suggest everyone that is ever on a boat or operates a boat take them.

The last time I dove from a boat a boater almost hit me and my designated dive buddy... I saw the ******* boat coming straight towards us and decided to sink under the water. My dive buddy for the trip lived in FL and took a picture with his camera to show the coast guard or whoever to get something done about it. I forgot to get his contact info so I don't know if he did any good or not.

I would also suggest that people use a larger flag. I have been topside helping a DM find the dive flags. Those suckers are hard to see in slightly rough seas, even the tubes. One diver mounted 4 dive flags on one float so you can see a dive flag no matter how you look at it.

I have been worried about this when I travel to FL (I live in TN, Hello!).

 

[Sasquatch]

the news just said he will be allright, the prop hit the tank and it exploded

D'oh!!