Woman lost - Gili Lawa, Indonesia

[Dan]

The lesson I learn here is the important of buddy system. Each of us should go over with his / her buddy on what if scenario & what safety gear to carry with each of us prior to check dive.

When I was in Galápagos, Darwin sites are also known for fast current. We did negative entry for 2 days, 4 times/day there. If one of us got blown away, the buddy would follow suit. Thank God nothing bad happened, but we were ready for it.

In addition to 6' SMB, I carried Dive Alert, mirror, pocket flashlight (torch) and PLB1. My buddy carried Nautilus Lifeline & SMB.

In November, 13 of us will be chartering a liveaboard crossing from Ambon to Sorong, passing through Banda Sea & Raja Ampat. I would insist my group to stick with buddy system, unless he or she is certified solo diver, which I don't think anyone is in this particular group.

 

[Scared Silly]

I posted some of this in the Indonesia forum but we dove Crystal Rock the morning of the incident. The currents were strong but not unmanageable, we did a negative entry and hit the lower pinnacle before drifting back into the second.

We can speculate all we want about the incident but in the end all everyone knows is that the diver was last scene near the surface. She could have tried to find the group and got caught in down current or swepted out to sea.

Regarding the comments on buddy teams. We were in groups of four with a dive guide. As it turned out two couples. My wife and I stuck together and were near the guide. Not because we needed to be but because he was finding stuff. The other couple got separated several times not only from the group but each other. That is not my wife and I's SOP. Our guide even commented on that to us as well as our buoyancy control. As my wife says we practice it every dive.

As for safety equipment I need to go back and look at what our dive op gave us for information beforehand - I'll follow up with trip report once I am on a real keyboard next week as we are still in Indonesia. That said our dive op had the rule that one of two dinghies were on site any time divers were in the water. On another dive (night) they picked up an errant diver from another group.

 

[Pearlman]

On vacation dives in S.E Asia its mostly instant buddy decided a few minutes before the 1st dive unless you came with a friend. Yes I agree this is a failure in following the buddy system - ideally one should elicit a commitment from the instant buddy to abort the dive together if either one faces difficulty and signals so - but obtaining a real world commitment to each other from two solo divers who have spent $$$ to fly down and book the dive which may be once a year or once a lifetime visit to the said place, between two people who may even not be considering becoming friends by the end of the day, with no bonding for each other - may prove to be another challenge. I believe tackling this psychological aspect and considering ones moral responsibility from the safety procedure standpoint needs to be introduced into newbie divers during the basic training classes.

Or the DM decides the whole group aborts for the sake of one. However imagine crucial minutes lost while the DM locates each diver in the swirling waters, makes eye contact and signals them and ensures he is the last one to go up, following any reluctant divers who doesn't want his vacation day "spoiled" by some other diver?

One way is for the dive shop to provide incentive to divers for sticking to safety considerations - have an extra backup DM always on boat, who can jump in the water to let the assisting buddy re-commence the dive?

P

 

[charlier]

That said our dive op had the rule that one of two dinghies were on site any time divers were in the water. On another dive (night) they picked up an errant diver from another group.

For best and safe practices, a LoB should always leave one or two dinghies in the water following bubbles and watching for surfacing divers during each dive. If the dingy returns to the mothership and only returns after about 50 mins for diver pickup, a diver or group can easily drift away, sometimes rapidly.

 

[Drone076]

Search for missing Singaporean diver called off: Indonesian official

The official search for missing Singaporean diver Rinta Paul Mukkam has been called off after the 10-day operation proved unsuccessful.

Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) told Channel NewsAsia on Sunday (Jul 23) that the search was “closed” on Saturday.

“The search was supposed to be seven days long, but we added three days after a request from the Mukkam family to extend the search,” BASARNAS communications official Roni Sikki said.

However, Mr Sikki said the search will resume if “signs of death” are discovered: “If her diving apparatus or anything else is found, we will reopen the search.”

 

[Kevrumbo]

I remember a group of maybe 6 getting lost around there several years ago. . . Now I never leave the house without my PLB, much less get on a boat or make a dive without it. . .

PLB Registration Info for Singapore Nationals:

http://www.caas.gov.sg/caasWeb2010/...AS-SARSAT_406MHZ_registration_ELT_and_PLB.pdf

Search and Rescue Coordination

NOAA - Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking - About SARSAT

The PLB when activated uplinks to the COSPAS/SARSAT System as described above --your designated emergency contingency contact should be provided by you smartly beforehand, with at least cellphone calling numbers & information on the dive operation, resort or liveboard that you're using, and emergency contact numbers for the Singapore Embassy/Consulate in the particular foreign country you're visiting.

 

[Dan]

This is what I have in my BCD pocket.

 

[KeithG]

This is what I have in my BCD pocket.

View attachment 419479

In some sort of water proof container?

I do not want to rain on your parade, but every PLB I am aware of is not suitable for scuba. They all require a waterproof container to get to scuba depths.

So it will be useful if you also provide details on how you make your PLB scuba ready...

 

[Dan]

In some sort of water proof container?

I do not want to rain on your parade, but every PLB I am aware of is not suitable for scuba. They all require a waterproof container to get to scuba depths.

So it will be useful if you also provide details on how you make your PLB scuba ready...

Of course. It's only waterproof down to 50' deep. If you want to go deeper, then you need to put it in a case. I use an old camera case, as shown below.

 

[KeithG]

Of course. It's only waterproof down to 50' deep. If you want to go deeper, then you need to put it in a case.

And your case is....