Dive Mishap Key Largo 1/13/07

[deeper thoughts]

Yesterday I heard over the marine radio that a diver was injured and being rushed back to port. I havent heard much more but from the radio transmissions it sounded pretty bad. Has anyone heard anything else?

 

[wreckchick]

Any info on which boat it was?

R

 

[deeper thoughts]

I think Horizon Divers but the reception wasnt great

 

[wreckchick]

I hope everything turned out ok.

R

 

[deeper thoughts]

Woman critical after dive; instructor jailed
CITIZEN STAFF


A Canton, Ohio, woman was taken to Mariners Hospital in critical condition Saturday morning after losing consciousness toward the end of her dive with Horizon Divers in Key Largo.

During the investigation that followed, an employee of the dive charter company was arrested on charges of obstruction of a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest and destruction of evidence.

Kendra Motter, 40, was reportedly diving with her husband at the time of the incident, according to a Sheriff's Office press release. She was brought to the Horizon Divers boat, returned to shore and taken to Mariners Hospital in Tavernier, where she remained in critical condition Sunday night, Sheriff's spokeswoman Becky Herrin said in a written release.

As deputies were investigating the dive incident, Deputy Julie Smith was attempting to take Motter's dive equipment into custody — a standard procedure in the investigation of such incidents. Michael Ryan, 53, an employee of Horizon Divers who listed his occupation as dive instructor, offered to help by removing the equipment from the boat. Instead of giving the equipment to the deputy, he walked with it to a hose and began to hose it off, according to Sheriff's Office reports.

Smith ordered him to stop immediately, telling him the equipment was part of an investigation and could not be tampered with. Ryan reportedly ignored the deputy's orders and continued to rinse the equipment. He told her he was an ex-law enforcement officer and a diver and "knew what he was doing," according to Sheriff's Office reports.

He then picked up Motter's dive computer, attached to the equipment, and reportedly appeared to be attempting to alter it. Smith tried to take it from him, but he pushed her away, reports state.

The deputy called for backup and when other deputies arrived they arrested Ryan and took him to the Monroe County Detention Center.





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Published on Monday, January 15, 2007


This was in todays Key West citizen.

*** MOD NOTE ***

At this point I am splitting this thread, one on the mishap and another on the instructor/deputy and the subsequent arrest. This thread will continue with the mishap only. If you want to read comments, or contribute to the thread on the instructor/deputy/arrest, then go to this thread.

*** END MOD NOTE ***

 

[Walter]

Wow! .

 

[cerich]

I hope this lady fares well.

The "instructor" what a joke!

 

[Stevtt]

Wow, definately interested in hearing the rest of this story.

 

[Reef Man]

My....what in the world????

Our prayers are with this lady and her family!!!

 

[shakeybrainsurgeon]

Out of curiosity, can anyone speculate as to what sort of profile/data on a dive computer that would implicate the instructor criminally or expose him/her to liability? What would he be seeking to erase? Max depth? Ascent rate? Bottom time? I don't get it. Except for taking a student to extreme depth (difficult in Key Largo except on the wrecks), what data is incriminating? I can see hiding bad air, or hiding a bad reg, but rinsing off the equipment and fiddling with the computer? Sounds more like a male ex-cop just being an ********** with a female cop. Doesn't excuse it ... or, to give him the benefit of the doubt, he may have just lost it in some way after realizing he was about to lose a student and maybe his diving career. I've seen people react to emotional shock in weird ways.