All I want to say is with any dive accident, there is much to learn. We are all still processing what took place and they are still piecing together a ton of information. The processing is still going on both intellectually and emotionally. I can tell you that we have gone from tears to smiles and back to tears many times since yesterday. I know its easy to sit back and pass judgement and give your armchair quarterback reviews and observations but this can be a time of learning.
I had dinner with Kev and Scubadoc Wednesday night and knew they were all going over to do the bull shark dive. No one thought twice about it including me. As a matter of fact, they were razzing me to go with them but I had just returned from traveling and was still jet-lagged and tired. I want to say that I have made that crossing many times (diving off Playa del Carmen at sites such as Tortugas) in a smaller boat over the years. Last time I did a dive over in Playa, it was with a Playa dive op, in a boat much smaller and we started taking on water. We made it back all right. I am not sure, even with veteran Cozumel divers, that we were aware of any danger to go over from Cozumel. I cross on the ferry all the time and I am always seeing smaller boats making that crossing.
All I know is when a close friend called me yesterday to tell me that a distress call had gone out and the boat had sank and several of my dear and closest friends were in the water and could not be found - I simply can not express to you the feeling that washes over you as the blood drains to your feet and the horrible feeling of helplessness. It drops you to your knees.
I am sure there are many lessons on preparedness and safety that can be learned here. So PLEASE keep your negative, vitriolic comments to yourself. Thanks to your contribution, there's enough poo in this sandbox already so perhaps you should go play in another one. NO ONE needs to be subjected to them and you are not contributing a damn thing to this wonderful dive community here. I am absolutely fed up with this kind of mentality.
A few quick replies to some previous posts:
#5 - Darol - I don't know you and I've never met you. But to post the words karma? What a horrible thing to say. We have all been through enough. I hope I get the chance to sit down with you some time and speak face to face because you should be ashamed for that kind of comment. You have no idea and you are speaking about people that I LOVE and are near and dear to me. Certainly you must have someone in your life that you love and that gives a s**t about you? Perhaps you should take a step back and think about your words. I can only imagine how you would feel if someone you loved was involved in an accident. It is a life changing event. I am stunned that you had the nerve to post such a thing and I hope and pray that I am NEVER on a dive boat with you or even in the same city.
#46- Deepstops. No need to join the "pack-like" mentality. Thank you.
#11 - VooDooGasMan _Your comment was in very poor taste.
#20 -To Ron Lee - The captain of the yacht ICE showed us EXACTLY where they were found and what search coordinates they had mapped out. I am sure there are some misquotes about the coordinates but we did see the map and they were picked up north of Punta Maroma, basically, midway between Playa and Cancun.
#19 Underachiever - I would get on a dive boat with Scubadoc any place any time! She is a very experienced diver and she is one of three diver friends that I know that I would without a doubt be on a dive boat with her. She is smart, calm and reliable and if I had to choose who I was going to be on a sinking boat with it would be Kev and Scubadoc!! (P.S. I do realize that you were kidding! )
#27 - cardzard - I am here with scubadoc as she reads some of this and she sends thanks for the well wishes. Wish more could go in that direction instead of some of the previous comments. -- Put yourself in their place for a moment folks. You have NO idea what it's like to get that kind of phone call - especially after what we've all been through. Think about it from the survivor's perspective as well as the friends standing on the shore praying and crying for their safe return.
#36 -WSOP - I can guarantee that no one here on the island gets your sick sense of humor and irony.
#39 - Peter_C - Some good questions. The boat had a radio. The boat literally sank in 15 seconds and everyone went flying out of it. Scubadoc got entagled in one of the buoy lines and the captain of the boat jumped over and wrestled her out of it, as the boat was sinking. While in the water, she opened up her dry box, retrieved her cell phone and made the distress call. No exaggeration. Only a couple had wet suits. A LOT to think about about being suited up for a crosssing like that. They didn't have time to grab anything. Kev and Ben dove down while the boat's tip was still sticking up in the water and inflated and sent up their BCD's and then the boat was completely gone in a matter of minutes...It happend that fast. I thank you for giving everyone food for thought about preparedness.
Mike - Thanks for your comments - sensible and you make some very valid, level-headed points.
