I would have posted a reply sooner but had some Internet issues yesterday with all the storms.
I just want to say a couple of things and then be done with it, as I will not speculate on boat construction, permit rules, the port authority, the harbor master and the validity of statements printed in the local tabloid, Por Esto!
First of all, I want to apologize to Darol for a bit of a knee-jerk reaction to his comment about "karma". (I sent him a private message with my apologies but also wanted to state it here). I will also go back and edit out my comment. Thank you for understanding. Having spent the last two days with two of my friends that survived this, I can say my emotions were raw and I had just heard that a certain person (who also created a fake identity here: ceynote69) had taken great pleasure in privately messaging two of the people involved with this accident with the words: "ever get that sinking feeling" and "karma". I can not even imagine what type of person could possibly take delight in a boat sinking, almost claiming nine human lives. You need to move on Heath and start to heal. Perhaps some anger management and grief counseling might be in order to help you through all this. I wish you no ill harm, but I can not help but wonder why you do what you do and what motivates you.
Secondly, I wanted to say how impressed we were with the response of all involved when the distress call went out here in Cozumel. Everyone came to the ready, and there was good communication between the Port Authority, the Harbor Master and the Navy. They jumped into action quickly and they also were in communication right away with the crew of the ICE (according to the captain) as they were given the green light to take part in the search. I also want to thank our good friends with Opal's Dream, who, in the middle of a working day, sent two boats out to search for survivors and never hesitating for one moment to get out there and make sure to do whatever they could to find our friends. God bless you boys. We love you!! Thanks too to our friends at Dive Paradise who were on the ready and thanks to Apple for keeping me calm and in communication with what was going on. the same for Mau, who was constantly on the phone with us. Thank you!!!
Repeatedly, I see major confusion here about two completely separate dive accidents involving two completely separate dive shops.
FACT:
Mauricio (Mau) had been gone from Scuba Mau several months before the tragic dive accident that took the life of our friend and owner Opal Cohn and injured our friend Gabriel Silva (Dive Master for Scuba Mau) and another diver, Heath Hood. At the time of the accident, the shop associated with this dive accident was operating under the name Scuba Mau. Mauricio, who is an instructor, was running a completely separate dive operation with a completely separate staff for the past several months. The two dive operations were completely separate and were in talks between the two as to who was entitled to use the name "Scuba Mau". I was diving with both shops at the time, sometimes with Scuba Mau and sometimes with Mauricio. (I refuse to speculate or get in the middle of what happened in their personal lives and it is not relevant to either accident.) I don't see how some of you here want to repeatedly crucify these shops and its employees because of two completely separate incidents involving two separate boats, owners, staff and crew. By the time the second incident took place, Mauricio had been operating his dive operation for nearly a year. (Am not sure of the exact date.)
FACT: I do not have any financial interest in ANY dive shop here on the island. Outside of diving, the only time I have ever given money to a dive shop was to Scuba Mau (who is NOW Opal's Dream) and gave it directly to the boys at the shop to help with bills there while they were desperately trying to reorganize. This small amount of money was a personal donation and there were no strings attached and I expect no repayment, unless they want to throw a free tank or two my way some day! <wink>
FACT: I have only been on the boat that sank twice and I was not aware of the construction, nor would I have even thought to ask about it.
FACT: i have been aware in the past, that there are only a certain amount of park permits given out and that when a boat is retired or out of commission it is common practice for the permit to pass on to another boat but that name of the permit has to stay the same. i can't even begin to speculate on this one.
FACT: According to my somewhat fuzzy memory, I can count approximately 10 times (all on small boats) with 4 different dive operators (some large companies and some small) that have made that crossing to go and dive in Playa in the past 15 years.
It still amazes me that some posters here DEMAND for statements that will never be completely accurate and will be based on personal opinion and conjecture and when they do post about their personal experiences, the very ones that make the demands are the very ones who claim that it's not enough and insinuate that there is some kind of cover-up and imply that these dive operations are somehow dangerous.
If you want an OFFICIAL report, get your butt on a plane and come down here and talk with the port authority and the harbor master and the Mexican Navy and stop relying on the media for your TRUTH and stop demanding that the people who were on the boat speculate on what happened and how it happened to satisfy your sense of entitlement.
