Divers missing near Marsa Alam?
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6245699.stm
If thats to be believed the divers did not have lights or whistles.
Possibly didnt have other surface signalling equipment if thats the case. Wonder how many had DSMBs.
If thats to be believed the divers did not have lights or whistles.
Possibly didnt have other surface signalling equipment if thats the case. Wonder how many had DSMBs.
OP
gregorio:
No offense taken at all Gregorio, I was just trying to rationalise the mysterious ways this thread went through.
In the meantime, the same Dutch paper (De Volkskrant) that run the original story, claims that the Egyptian search was very slow to start and a helicopter didn't show up untill 24 hours after the initial alarm was rung, although this could be due to bad weather and the helicopter therefor could not take off.
According to an interview with the Russian survivor;
The dive group went away from the reef to follow a big shark. The current normally runs north to south but this day/moment the current was running south/north. They now drifted away from the reef and couldn't reach the boat anymore since the boat was waiting for them in a southern position.
He excludes the possibilty that they have been attacked by sharks.
The Dutch paper mentions Elphinstone reef as the location.
Very sad to know that the search has been stopped.
lynny_lynny
Guest
One of my Red Sea dives was a twilight zone dive as well.
The boat captain, that had an appendectomy 2 days prior, popped his stitches. I re-stitched him when i was called down, but he had a major fever, so we called for a replacement, and a boat to take him to the hospital before getting septic.
After waiting 2 hours for a boat to show, the captains switched and off he went.
We were doing a drift dive, and had a briefing. They anticipated the current one way and it was completely opposite. Lets just say it was the most difficult drift dive I have ever had. if you were slightly near the wall, the current slammed you into it, if you were slightly away, you were swept into the blue...too deep, and you were pushed low...fast, and too shallow, you were catapulted up. I was with 7 Danish divers and all of us had 200+ logged dives each at the time. After the dive, which was never aborted, 3 of the 8 of us came up crying...exhausted...even cut the dive short. The DM said "wow that was some current...I never expected that!"
Needless to say, some of these dives can be far from what one would call "safe for beginners" and I know some of the DM's are not DM's....so do your homework.
It is very unfortunate what happened, and I can see how it could, there.
The boat captain, that had an appendectomy 2 days prior, popped his stitches. I re-stitched him when i was called down, but he had a major fever, so we called for a replacement, and a boat to take him to the hospital before getting septic.
After waiting 2 hours for a boat to show, the captains switched and off he went.
We were doing a drift dive, and had a briefing. They anticipated the current one way and it was completely opposite. Lets just say it was the most difficult drift dive I have ever had. if you were slightly near the wall, the current slammed you into it, if you were slightly away, you were swept into the blue...too deep, and you were pushed low...fast, and too shallow, you were catapulted up. I was with 7 Danish divers and all of us had 200+ logged dives each at the time. After the dive, which was never aborted, 3 of the 8 of us came up crying...exhausted...even cut the dive short. The DM said "wow that was some current...I never expected that!"
Needless to say, some of these dives can be far from what one would call "safe for beginners" and I know some of the DM's are not DM's....so do your homework.
It is very unfortunate what happened, and I can see how it could, there.
larth
Registered
I was diving at the Elphinestone - which is were the missing divers went - the day after without anyone yet knowing about the missing persons. We saw some search helicopters while driving back to the to base and got the explanation when arriving there. We did not see any during the day before that.
The conditions were lot of waves (around a meter), chilly wind, 21 - 22°C in the water. The surface had strong currents near the reef, but below it it was really fine. Slow dives on both sides of the reef. No sharks around. Getting into zodiac after the dives was "intresting". On the first dive there was one other boat and on the second dive we were alone. To imagine that someone managed to swim to land in those conditions is truly amazing.
Always carrying a buoy and whistle I'll be getting lights for me and wife real quick. Even if dive is ok a zodiac with a motor problem will drift away real quick under such conditions.
The conditions were lot of waves (around a meter), chilly wind, 21 - 22°C in the water. The surface had strong currents near the reef, but below it it was really fine. Slow dives on both sides of the reef. No sharks around. Getting into zodiac after the dives was "intresting". On the first dive there was one other boat and on the second dive we were alone. To imagine that someone managed to swim to land in those conditions is truly amazing.
Always carrying a buoy and whistle I'll be getting lights for me and wife real quick. Even if dive is ok a zodiac with a motor problem will drift away real quick under such conditions.
Dear All ,
I need to share the my personal Elphin stone dive experience. I dove Elphin stone 2 times in 2 different dates.
Elphin stone is like an elongated coral island about 250 meters long and 40 meters wide but the island doesn't reach the surface of the water. The surface of the island is about 2 meters deep. The coral colum is rising form 100+ meters with platues on both sides.
Elphin stone is a dive ranked as DIFFICULT and dive centeres require 50+ dives to assure the experience of divers. You also pay a special fee for Elphin stone to include it in your dive package.
Elphin stone is very Famous for spotting sharks ( white tips and hammer heads ) as they are Always around the coral formation. ( I have seen sharks both times I dove there )
The Dive :
To access the location , we have to go by boat ( Speed boat in my case ) it takes almost 45 minutes in the open sea.
The zodiac drops you at the outer side of the coral formation and you follow the current to the other side and if you have enough air you turn around to the other side.
The outter wall is very rich in soft coral ( the best I ever seen ) the palaues in the other sides also have large shcools of parracuda , spanners ....
Ending the dive :
The Zodaic follows our bubbles as we dive and keeps distance from the reef.
At the end of the dive , the guide takes us out in the bule and shoots his Surface bouy to siganl the zodiac.
During the safety stop ( which on perpose takes very long ) we start searching for Sharks. 2 Ocienic white tip sharks came very close and swimmed in circles a couple of times around us. Sharks are trottorial and they see who has invaded their area.
After assuring that we were no threat they just left in peace.
Elpin stone is a magnificent dive that requires a lot of control and diving skills to get the most out of it without risk.
Hundrers of divers come to Egypt just to dive the location.
Conclusion : Always have the right level of training. Always have a whistel , reclector & a Surface marker.
Have a safe dive.
I need to share the my personal Elphin stone dive experience. I dove Elphin stone 2 times in 2 different dates.
Elphin stone is like an elongated coral island about 250 meters long and 40 meters wide but the island doesn't reach the surface of the water. The surface of the island is about 2 meters deep. The coral colum is rising form 100+ meters with platues on both sides.
Elphin stone is a dive ranked as DIFFICULT and dive centeres require 50+ dives to assure the experience of divers. You also pay a special fee for Elphin stone to include it in your dive package.
Elphin stone is very Famous for spotting sharks ( white tips and hammer heads ) as they are Always around the coral formation. ( I have seen sharks both times I dove there )
The Dive :
To access the location , we have to go by boat ( Speed boat in my case ) it takes almost 45 minutes in the open sea.
The zodiac drops you at the outer side of the coral formation and you follow the current to the other side and if you have enough air you turn around to the other side.
The outter wall is very rich in soft coral ( the best I ever seen ) the palaues in the other sides also have large shcools of parracuda , spanners ....
Ending the dive :
The Zodaic follows our bubbles as we dive and keeps distance from the reef.
At the end of the dive , the guide takes us out in the bule and shoots his Surface bouy to siganl the zodiac.
During the safety stop ( which on perpose takes very long ) we start searching for Sharks. 2 Ocienic white tip sharks came very close and swimmed in circles a couple of times around us. Sharks are trottorial and they see who has invaded their area.
After assuring that we were no threat they just left in peace.
Elpin stone is a magnificent dive that requires a lot of control and diving skills to get the most out of it without risk.
Hundrers of divers come to Egypt just to dive the location.
Conclusion : Always have the right level of training. Always have a whistel , reclector & a Surface marker.
Have a safe dive.
almitywife
Vegemite Mod
i saw this today
http://en.rian.ru/world/20070110/58830595.html
The owner and employees of a diving center in Egypt which organized an underwater excursion for Russian and Dutch tourists are not to blame for their disappearance, Egyptian state news agency MENA said Wednesday.
On January 6, one Dutch and three Russian tourists went diving with an Egyptian instructor in the Red Sea resort of Marsa Alam. The divers swam to a depth of 50 meters when the instructor warned them of sharks, and told them to surface. None of the five returned to their vessel, and a search began.
Several hours later, one of the Russian divers, Alexander Lukyanchenko, was found alive 15 km from the site, and was later hospitalized. He said he had swum away from the area after the warning, but did not know what had happened to the other divers.
A local prosecutor, who questioned employees of the Beach Safari diving center and the captain of the vessel that carried the tourists out to sea, and examined reports of the special commission investigating the incident, said the staff were not guilty, and should be released.
An inspection showed that the diving center had all necessary licenses, and that its equipment was in good condition, he said.
"Bad weather conditions, large waves, and the fact that the current swept the tourists away from the vessel were the main causes of the accident," the prosecutor said in his ruling.
Questioning of the surviving diver also showed that the vessel had been powerless to help the divers.
incredibley sad... i feel for their families that have right now nothing...no answers and loved ones
http://en.rian.ru/world/20070110/58830595.html
The owner and employees of a diving center in Egypt which organized an underwater excursion for Russian and Dutch tourists are not to blame for their disappearance, Egyptian state news agency MENA said Wednesday.
On January 6, one Dutch and three Russian tourists went diving with an Egyptian instructor in the Red Sea resort of Marsa Alam. The divers swam to a depth of 50 meters when the instructor warned them of sharks, and told them to surface. None of the five returned to their vessel, and a search began.
Several hours later, one of the Russian divers, Alexander Lukyanchenko, was found alive 15 km from the site, and was later hospitalized. He said he had swum away from the area after the warning, but did not know what had happened to the other divers.
A local prosecutor, who questioned employees of the Beach Safari diving center and the captain of the vessel that carried the tourists out to sea, and examined reports of the special commission investigating the incident, said the staff were not guilty, and should be released.
An inspection showed that the diving center had all necessary licenses, and that its equipment was in good condition, he said.
"Bad weather conditions, large waves, and the fact that the current swept the tourists away from the vessel were the main causes of the accident," the prosecutor said in his ruling.
Questioning of the surviving diver also showed that the vessel had been powerless to help the divers.
incredibley sad... i feel for their families that have right now nothing...no answers and loved ones
OP
Search by helicopter has resumed after requests from relatives of the Dutch diver after initial search was suspended/stopped.
Relatives of the Dutch diver have offered a reward of 10,000.-USD for finding him.
Relatives of the Dutch diver have offered a reward of 10,000.-USD for finding him.
"The divers swam to a depth of 50 meters ..." Did i read that right? Major red flags if that is correct.
Could well be correct there is an archway on Elphinstone down at 56m or so and experienced (and sometimes those without experience!) often go deep to swim through the archway and see the coral formation inside it, which is 'supposed' to be a lost Pharoahs casket.
I've dived Elphinstone numerous times and yes, when the current is kicking, it can get quite exciting, but on all occasions, I have always seen divers on single cylinders waaaaaayyyyy down below me, and often I was at 30-40m.
Unfortunately, given the current Red Sea conditions (water temperature, night time surface temperatures, etc), I don't see a happy conclusion to this...
Mark
I've dived Elphinstone numerous times and yes, when the current is kicking, it can get quite exciting, but on all occasions, I have always seen divers on single cylinders waaaaaayyyyy down below me, and often I was at 30-40m.
Unfortunately, given the current Red Sea conditions (water temperature, night time surface temperatures, etc), I don't see a happy conclusion to this...
Mark
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