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WILLIAM “BILL” HENNESSY MARCH 10, 1950-FEBRUARY 14, 2011
Bill and I were off on another of our amazing scuba diving trips. We were off the coast of Honduras, near the eastern side of the Isle of Roatan. It was our third day into the trip aboard a beautiful live aboard dive boat; Valentines Day to be exact. We had completed three dives earlier that day and as the sun was setting the real “hard cores” geared up for the night dive, I was sitting this one out. Bill entered the water with a group of ten or so other divers. As the divers started returning I ran out onto the dive deck to see what exciting visions I had missed…... They fed an evil Lion Fish to an Octopus close to our anchor, pretty exciting stuff to us divers. That was the last anyone recalls seeing Bill. As the last few stragglers boarded the boat we immediately became aware Bill was missing. An underwater recall was sounded and we ran up and down the sides of the vessel looking for the glow from his flashlight, nothing. The crew immediately donned gear and the search started, this was followed by other guests. People were in out of the water an hour in an hour out, organized searches were made. Surface searches were conducted when divers were taking dive intervals. My voice grew hoarse from calling out his name. We called the US Consulate and Divers Alert Network to request assistance, there are not many resources in such a remote area. As daylight broke Anthony’s Key Resort and Coco View Resort sent there staff out and they dove several hundred feet on “Virginia’s Wall” endangering their own lives to search for Bill. The searching went on for days. The owner of the boat actually paid the Honduran Navy to search with sonar, he hired fishing boats to troll the area to look even more, and a couple sea planes swept the coast. Bill is lost without a trace. No body, no equipment not anything to suggest he had ever even been there.
None of us ever get to pick and chose when or how we leave this world but. I do believe Bill went too deep, lost track of his depth and air and died a quick painless death. It was a death any diver would have chosen given the choice, but not the time Bill would never had chosen this as the time. Bill and I were still very in love and were so happy. He was a wonderful father and very close with our children Tim and Erin .We as a family were all best friends and we will grieve for him for the rest of our lives.
I give my thanks and heart to the staffs of Coco View Resort, Anthony’s Keys Resort, the Utila Agressor Crew, the Passengers( who became my strength) and especially Captains Troy and Nestor. They are all Heros and have my everlasting respect.
"Equality of opportunity or equality of outcome?
One is consistent with a free people and the other requires a police state. Pick one." ~Cool Hardware52
I, alone, am responsible for my health and safety, my actions and inactions.
"If a small thing has the power to make you angry, does that not indicate something about your size?" ~Sydney J. Harris
Sorry for your loss. It was very brave of you to post these details. What strikes me is your praise for all on the boat in your time of grief. You're a larger person than most.
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I appreciate you sharing this and I pray for comfort for you and your family.
