Well, was hoping to not have to respond, but as someone on the boat in question that sank, you all need facts, fine, here are the facts. 1st let me say, I met many of you in the past, I have more dives in cozumel than likely any of you, and am an intelligent person who tries NOT to risk my life needlessly. So, here goes:
This boat was loaded with 8 divers, headed in calm waters with a good weather forecast to the mainland to see dive the "other side". Have done this crossing many times in the past with no trepidation. We came into rough waters, nothing we have not seen in the past. Still not really sure what happened, but suddenly we went down in the stern and took in a huge wave and honestly that was it. Someone tried to bale, we had seconds, kevin hollered to grab anything that floats and the boat sank by the stern in almost the middle of the channel. I could not lift my tank as we were perpendicular to the water, so grabbed my dry box and bag hoping to float on them
The boat went down , bobbing with about 2 feet of the bow above water for about 8 min. Kevin disappeared, free dived down , put on MY tank and proceded to inflate all bcd's less one and tanks and wetsuits and whatever he could find. He watched the boat sink, and only shared with us later that the bottom was way, way beyond his site line. So we geared up with wetsuits, tanks, bcd's. Held onto the fuel tank (what else do you do with it?? don't want another boat to hit it, ), had water in the cooler (also and excellent flotation device) and waited. FOrtunately, I had my mex cell phone in my dry box and managed to call the boat's owner who clearly understood and stated "Kathy, I am sending help, I promise"
The next 4 1/2 hours are very personal to all of us. Unless you've been in this situation, you have NO idea!!!! Planes, helicopters were few and far between and just out of site line, no one's fault, that's how it goes. We survived by singing, dancing and kicking/finning constantly but never to the point of exhaustion!! I am incredibly proud of the whole group (1/2 mexican 1/2 canadian), and especially of my buddy Kevin for really saving the day.
Yes, we were finally rescued by the ICE yacht, docked in coz for the past 4 weeks, trained in search and rescue. We owe our lives both the the ICE crew and the mexican navy/marines. Also our personal friends who sent out boats, got in planes and searched!! We are all OK and alive because of their efforts.
We were picked up between puerta marema (ithink that's how it's spelled) and cancun, with a current of 3 knots, we were just over an hour from open ocean!!!
Those are the facts. With respect to the comments about who you would not want to be in a boat with that sinks YOU HAVE NO IDEA!! I sang songs, (gilligan's island, Don't stop believing, I will survive) told jokes etc etc to calm both myself and those around me. We supported each other and are alive because we never, never panicked.
THe lessons I learned from this are: I'm getting a personal gps, always have a strobe, and sausages are useless in the open water. BUt more important, I recognize that I was never really in danger, I placed the call that alerted others of our situation, and they would NEVER have stopped looking for us. The people in cozumel are beautiful!! We (kevin and I ) have been called the true king and queen of carnaval!! People , whatever their walk in life, banded together with whatever resources they had and saved us!! They are the true heros!!
So, these are the facts, they are true, I was there. I cannot bear to even read scubaboard anymore, people spouting off what they have no knowledge of, hurting people with no conscience at all.
That's it. Please think twice (or three times) how your negative comments hurt both the industry, mexico and those of us who are dealing with the incredible emotions of whaat we have survived.
