Diver left behind - Florida

[DandyDon]

Charter boat crew accidentally leaves diver in ocean | Local News - WPBF Home

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. —A man who spent the morning diving off the coast of Pompano Beach is back at home getting some much-needed rest Thursday. Officials at the U.S. Coast Guard said the diver was missing after a charter boat crew accidentally left him in the ocean.


The crew from the boat known as "The Sea Siren" said they sent out an emergency call that they were missing a diver.
The crew turned around and searched for the man until they found him.
The man is OK and did not require medical attention.
The Coast Guard did not take part in the search.

 

[Rich Keller]

Just a suggestion if this ever happens to you. The first place they will come back to looking for you will be your last known location. You want to be in the first place they will look. If there is something on the bottom that you can tie your reel off too and it is safe for you to go back down secure your self to the bottom and wait on the surface for help. If there is nothing to tie off to or it is not safe for you to go back down tie your reel to your weight belt and drop the belt so it will act as an anchor to keep you in place. Once the belt is down you want to let out as much line as you have increasing the scope on the line that will reduce how far you may be dragged by the current.

 

[Wookie]

This sounds a little blown out to me. I know the captain of the Sea Siren, and he's a pretty responsible guy. Second, just how far did the boat go before they realized someone was missing? Did they call roll while heading in and immediately realize someone wasn't picked up, or did they get back to the dock and find a empty gear bag. Why is this in only one paper?

This sounds like someone was trying to get a story for the paper.

 

[kelemvor]

I wonder how long he was floating. The article makes it sound like a fairly short time.

 

[dreamdive]

Don't believe the Press! Their agenda is to make a "good" story and they don't care if they have to twist the truth a little to get it.

 

[kelemvor]

Second, just how far did the boat go before they realized someone was missing? Did they call roll while heading in and immediately realize someone wasn't picked up, or did they get back to the dock and find a empty gear bag. Why is this in only one paper?

I was kind of thinking similar except it was apparently the captain that called USCG. Maybe that is the procedure even if the guy is "right over there"? I ask out of simple ignorance.

 

[Wookie]

Like I say, it seems a little hokey, but I assure you, when I have a diver who isn't where I expect him to be, I call the Coast Guard before I start my search. They are way better at seeing missing divers from the air than I am from the wheelhouse. And besides, if you find them right away, you can always call off the helo. It takes a couple of hours to get one to where I am.

My guess would be, the skipper of the Sea Siren didn't have their diver where they expected him/her, they called the CG for help, then they found him/her before the CG could even roll. No story except for the media making something up on a slow news day. Kudos to Matt for being proactive.

 

[Tug]

Jeremy, the owner of Odyssey Charters just posted this on Facebook:

We would like to address the recent sensationalism of a diver being left at sea by the news media. Yesterday a diver had an early ascent on the second dive, which led to that diver surfacing away from the group and float ball. A short time after picking up the other divers we discovered he was not on board and the crew began the search. Following protocol and looking out for the best interest of the diver the crew notified the Coast Guard and local vessels to help expedite the search. We found him shortly thereafter prior to any assistance and are thankful that he was in good spirits and most importantly safe. We place an emphasis on customer service and safety and will continue to look for additional ways to support these standards.
Jeremy Jarosky
Owner

 

[kelemvor]

Looks like Wookie was right.

 

[Akimbo]

As a separate issue, most of us have been aboard dive boats where passengers were not very attentive or polite during a roll call. It is amazing that divers aren’t left behind more often between yakking, head calls, eating, and showering. Kudos to crews who manage to get it right and shame on everyone who doesn’t take it seriously.