Missing Diver incident

[Titletowndiver]

Scary Story! Makes me glad to have a buddy I can trust.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/West/04/29/forgotten.diver.ap/index.html

 

[pasley]

I do no tknow how strong the currents were that day, but I was wondering if he should have attempted to swim back to the boat. 400 fee or even yards is not that bad. According to the maps, the pinnacles at point dume, in Malibu are 548 yards from the beach and local divers dive it all the time, and there normally is a pretty good current there.

By the way the Today show picked up the story this moring.

 

[yak]

I just saw him being interviewed by Matt Lauer, along with the skipper of the sailboat. They reported that after the Boy Scouts picked him up, the Coast Guard took him from there and dropped him back onto the diveboat! I would love to have seen the look on the diveboat captain's face as he met Dan Carlock's again. I don't know what I'd have said or done if I were Dan, but I'll guarantee it wouldn't be pretty.

 

[crispos]

This has probably been posted, but it is on CNN today.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/West/04/29/forgotten.diver.ap/index.html

 

[dazedone]

I just saw him being interviewed by Matt Lauer, along with the skipper of the sailboat. They reported that after the Boy Scouts picked him up, the Coast Guard took him from there and dropped him back onto the diveboat! I would love to have seen the look on the diveboat captain's face as he met Dan Carlock's again. I don't know what I'd have said or done if I were Dan, but I'll guarantee it wouldn't be pretty.

I was surprised when the captain of the boat brought the boat to a full stop and a CG cutter pulled up along side and brought Dan back. I would have thought they would have wanted him at a hospital for observation, but what do I know?

He was amazingly calm when he got back on the boat. I would have told the CG to NOT bring me back to the boat unless they wanted to arrest me for assaulting the DM.

 

[drbill]

Although I have not dived with them, the boat and captain involved have a very good reputation. Keep in mind that this was a charter and that the dive shop chartering the boat was apparently using their own staff to do the counts, etc. Although some responsibility goes to the boat and captain, primary responsibility appears to rest with the dive shop and its staff.

At least their procedure used a roll call instead of a simple count (which has far more potential for error IMHO). It would be very interesting to learn who (if anyone) responded for the missing diver and how he was recorded as entering the water at the next dive site.

As for threesomes, I occasionally dive in such teams and have had no trouble with them. However the buddies are ones I dive with enough to know their level of attention and responsibility. As someone posted, it may not be appropriate for newer divers.

When I first heard the news reports, I was wondering how a diver drifted so far offshore. Then this AM I learned the dive site was an offshore oil rig. Now I understand!

I would dive with the boat and captain in the future knowing teir reputation. I would probably not dive with the dive shop though.

Dr. Bill

 

[billseamon]

From the Today show interview he said he was 300 to 400 feet away from the boat and it was foggy. I would think he could swim the 100 yards to get closer to the boat for a signal. If the current was that strong, what happen to the rest of the divers?

What was the dive shop chartering the boat?

 

[H2Andy]

the impression i got is that he was far away and decided not to swim towards the
boat, thinking that they would come to pick him up...

hmmm...

bad call?

 

[debdiver]

I've dove off the boat before. I was VERY VERY unimpressed. It was three years ago, so it could be a totally different Capt. and crew by now. But every aspect of that trip was an example of what NOT to do. (on the part of the crew) I'm surprised others that know this boat and captain say they are good; perhaps it's a different captain than three years ago. But from my experience with the boat then, this story seems consistent.

 

[aa777888]

Is that they system that DAN developed?

I'm not sure DAN can really claim this as a "development". Firefighters have been using this system for literally decades.

Good application for it, though. Good on DAN for promoting it.

aa