boycott Peter Hughes Diving

[sdiver02]

Last year 17 of my personal friends lost their lives on a dive boat named the Wave Dancer in Belize. Settlements were made this past week September 25th. Go to Richmond Times Dispatch for more information. The article hints at some of the problems that caused their deaths. I do not think the settlement was even close to what was needed. Some of these people had young children they were left without their parents. The legal system did nothing their hands were tied most of his operations are registered out of the country. And it looks like that the new boat (Wave Dancer 2) cost more money than the 17 people's lives in Richmond were worth. So What I am asking is for all Divers to please boycott Peter Hughs Diving. I hope this post stays on the web page everyone needs to know and do their homework about who they are diving with! Please do a little research on this and

 

[O-ring]

I live in Arlington and this hit pretty close to home when it happened being that you all are from Richmond.

Here's a link to the story since it is hard to find...

http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/more/MGBY1EJLI6D.html

 

[kwesler]

I have read and re-read the articlle and cannot figure out why so little was available to the victims if there was a $14 million judgement?

 

[O-ring]

...but, from what I have read, that is all that was left on the insurance coverage after Lloyd's of London paid out on the policy. I assume the other funds were to cover the boat and the losses the charter company incurred.

 

[kwesler]

I hope the families and friends of the divers involved find peace...

 

[LegoPacific]

Following a discussion on another board, I did a bit of scratching around on the net for more info on the Wave Dancer disaster and came across a few disturbing items:

Iris was a hurricane before the Wave Dancer even left the dock. According to http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/at200109.asp Iris was upgraded to a hurricane at 4pm local time. The Wave Dancer was scheduled to leave at 5pm.

One other item to note is the storm’s track and when the decision to head to port was made (Map http://www.scubabelize.com/images/maprad_large.jpg). According to Peter Hughes Diving Inc., on 10/8 at 6:30am the Wave Dancer was anchored at Lighthouse Reef—80 miles East of Belize City. At 9am, the decision was made to continue on to Big Creek. By 3pm the Wave Dancer was at Big Creek—more than 120 miles to the South East. PHDI says, “they were too far south to turn around and head for Belize City.”

However, this doesn’t make any sense. First PHDI claim that the boat moved 120 miles in 6 hours or 20 mph when the boats maximum speed is closer to 10 mph (considering the ocean conditions). Furthermore, the entire coast of Belize (and the northern part of Honduras) was under a hurricane warning before they even pulled the hook. Why not just return to Belize City?

Have a look at this and stop on frame 16. This is one hour before the Wave Dancer pulled up the anchor: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2001/IRIS_graphics.html

From an interview with Tom Stark (the father of a crewmember): “We know that the Wave Dancer did not weigh anchor until the arrival of a helicopter sent by the police and military authorities of Belize dragging a banner stating words to the effect "hurricane coming-return to port at once". “We know that this helicopter was sent because Captain Philip Martin at the direct orders of Peter Hughes had disconnected, terminated or allowed to become inoperable the normal communication equipment.”

Also, according to an interview with the husband of another crewmember “Those girls had no contact with the Aggressor, their sister ship, which was moored alongside, because the captain had removed the VHF radio from the dive deck and the one from Eloisa's kitchen" (Belize Reporter).

The local mayor repeatedly urged people to come ashore (http://www.usatoday.com/weather/hurricane/2001/atlantic/iris/2001-10-11-controversy.htm). I guess either this offer wasn’t passed along to the Wave Dancer or it was ignored.

“Nearly $1 million of the insurance money has been spent refloating the Wave Dancer and moving it.” “The money from the sale of the adventure boat - perhaps $200,000 or more - will be added to the settlement account.” (http://www.realestateva.com). The Wave Dancer was only worth $2.5 million before it sunk. (http://salvagesale.com/ShowOffer.asp?OfferID=10230)

Lastly, where is the report from the Belizean Maritime folks? Wasn’t this report supposed to be released back in February?

 

[MissAmberDiva]

I read the story and I find it extremely disturbing. I can't believe this operation is up and running again.

 

[Rick Murchison]

Just a few points to ponder before damning PHD and calling for a boycott.

Hindsight is always clear.
1. To go to sea when a hurricane is approaching the area isn't necessarily a bad idea - from sea one can (hopefully) move to avoid the storm, and pick the best port for riding it out should that be needed.
2. There were other boats anchored/tied in Big Creek, (notably the Belize Agressor) a time honored safe haven from hurricanes. In other words, Wave Dancer's captain wasn't the only one who made the decision to go there. Should everyone else who made the Big Creek decision be pilloried as well?
3. Iris' track and forecast was for Belize City - she made her jog to the south late in the game. Had the forecast been right Big Creek would have been on the "back side" of the storm and it would have been an easy ride.
4. By the time Iris made her southward jog in her track, the claim that it was "too late" to got to Belize City is more than a claim - it's a fact.
5. Lawyers always second guess everyone's motives and decisions after the fact, demanding purity and perfection (an ultimate irony) with the knowledge available after events have unfolded. Since they can't sue God, they go after those poor souls left alive. The facts in this case bear out that the Wave Dancer crew were not without fault - indeed, they made some bad decisions - but I can say that I, at least, who was watching events unfold at the time, and with no interest whatsoever in the financial side of things, could easily have been trapped into the same bad decisions by that storm had I been in the area with my own boat, and I note that Wave Dancer's crew was not alone in their thinking. Theirs were not the only bad decisions, either - but I won't go into that.
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When the weather kills people, we are loathe to admit it may have been beyond our control, and quick to condemn those "in charge" of the safety of those lost - sometimes, though, things do happen that are true disasters, and only hindsight can uncover the mistakes and chalk up the lessons learned. It is easy to feel anger towards those who made the bad decisions, especially when we are close to those who have died or suffered greivous injury - it is much more difficult to feel compassion.
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Money - that's what the initial post is all about - under the claim of the settlement being inadequate to care for the families (suppose it had been decided that this were a complete act of God, and zero award to the families was due from PHD? Those things do happen, and it's why we carry accidental death insurance) the real gripe surfaces... PHD wasn't hit hard enough in the pocketbook to be "satisfactory" - they still need to be punished more - so boycott 'em. I'm going to ask you a very hard question, and I want a straight answer. What would be satisfactory? There's nothing in this world that will bring your friends back. Do you want PHD bankrupt and out of business? Do you want the surviving crew in poverty, covered in festering pustules for all their days? Hanged at dawn? Your demand for a boycott is dripping in vengence - and it won't gain the families one red cent. Is that what you really, really want?
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I am deeply saddened by the loss of those who died aboard Wave Dancer. I did and I do pray for their families and friends, that they may find peace. I am also saddened that there is still ill will towards those who must live with decisions they now know were bad ones, that cost others their lives. I do not desire that they be further punished. I pray that they, too, may find peace.
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As for the finances surrounding the insurance policies, who got too little or too much money, whether the distribution of money serves justice.... well, my definition of a lawsuit may apply - "A lawsuit is a bunch of lawyers fighting over a pile of money. They will continue to fight until the entire pile is in their pockets, when the suit will end. Who wins and who loses is irrelevant."
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Rick

 

[landlocked]

Rick Murchison once bubbled...
As for the finances surrounding the insurance policies, who got too little or too much money, whether the distribution of money serves justice.... well, my definition of a lawsuit may apply - "A lawsuit is a bunch of lawyers fighting over a pile of money. They will continue to fight until the entire pile is in their pockets, when the suit will end. Who wins and who loses is irrelevant."
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Rick

I agree, in a lawsuit, the only winners are the lawyers.

 

[kwesler]

while in no way trying to diminish the tragedy and the pain that the victims are feeling. Your point about not creating additional victims is an important one. It is always easy to forget that companies are made up of people.

Ken