2 divers missing in Karpathos island Greece

[stepfen]

Google translate from this article (in Greek): Συνεχίζονται οι έρευνες για τους δύο δύτες που αγνοούνται στην Κάρπαθο | in.gr

Investigations are under way on Sunday morning to identify two 60 and 35-year-old divers from the Czech Republic and Iran, respectively, who are missing in Karpathos.

The two men had gone to Sokastro on Saturday afternoon for underwater activities inside a cave about 45 meters deep and have been missing since then.

Another friend of theirs, of Czech descent, who dived with them, reports that currents and turbulence in the seabed resulted in the loss of communication with the other two divers.

Investigations are ongoing to locate divers, including a Coast Guard float, floating boats, and a group of private divers, with good weather conditions in the area.

The Coast Guard's Special Diving Team, with a military helicopter, has also gone to the spot to try to locate the divers on Sunday morning. This is a team of specially trained divers who work at great depths, with the rescue operation typical of two years ago in Pharmakonisi, where the divers of the Port attempted 75 meters.

Let's hope for the best

 

[stepfen]

Unfortunately the news are not good. Both divers have been fount dead. According to one report, one body has been recovered already and an operation for the recovery of the second body is under way.
I will try to follow this and report here any more info that might become available.
May they rest in peace.

 

[dytis-sm]

I have also followed this through the Greek news which mentioned a weird detail, that when found the divers did not wear their gear??? Not sure how accurate that would be but can lead to interesting speculations.

May they rest in peace.

 

[stepfen]

Efforts to recover 2nd victim will continue tomorrow.

that when found the divers did not wear their gear???

The only extra info I read is from a person who is supposed to be part of the search team saying that the divers were not properly equipped for the dive (whatever this might mean).
Maybe what you get is a mis-translation of that statement?
As usual don't take everything you read in Greek press as 100% accurate.

 

[JohnnyC]

Not properly equipped for the dive would make sense if they were diving a cave without the appropriate gear. Not wearing their gear could make sense if they were entangled and tried to extricate themselves.

Could be both, however if their intention was to dive a sea cave, I would put more credence into the first scenario.

 

[dytis-sm]

Cave accidents most often are because of lack in training or poor planning... But if the entrance to the cave was at 45 meters (147ft), one would assume a tech dive where more discipline and planning are exercised (or expected). It would be interesting to hear more details...

Very sad.

 

[Griffo]

This sad accident reminds me of two recent threads here. One where someone was trying to defend sea cave diving in Greece without training or gear - apparently it was normal practice. And the second where someone was defending deep air diving to 60m as normal practice in Greece.

So I would not assume they had the training or the gear or anything else.

 

[dsp]

updates from here with some translation from greek: Τραγωδία στην Κάρπαθο: Ανασύρθηκε ο ένας νεκρός δύτης - Νέα επιχείρηση αύριο για τον δεύτερο

not cave divers, no line, single tank, -45m , into some sort of canyon (Still haven't figured out if it's an actual cave or just some overhead area) . 2 dead, the iranian was brought out today, they will go back for the other person tomorrow. the third person exited because in the 0vis environment somehow he found some fishing net and a fishing container for shrimp that he had saw on the way in and he was able to locate the exit. The special op divers will go back fetch the second person tomorrow due to too much silt in the area at the moment.

very very sad to learn for the first time the dangers of deep and overhead on your last dive, but we all know better.

 

[stepfen]

Just an update. According to the reports the second body (the older Czech guy) was recovered today.
Also the reports today refer to the guy whose body was recovered yesterday (the younger Iranian guy) as dive instructor.
To sum up the reports the bodies were fount at about 45ft/15m from the entrance. Divers had single tanks (no back up gas), they didn't use cave line and the site was very prone to silt outs (it is mentioned that even the bubbles of the search team were reducing visibility to almost zero). All these at a depth of around 150ft/45m.

 

[dytis-sm]

Thank you for the info... Seems to me that there were too many obvious bad choices in this incident but that is irrelevant at this point. Two people are dead and their families in mourning. May they RIP.