http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Headlines/frtHEAD03100106.htm
Prayers to this diver and his family...............
Prayers to this diver and his family...............
Search on for lost diver... New Smyrna Beach, FL
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DaytonaDave
Contributor
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Headlines/frtHEAD03100106.htm
By SETH ROBBINS
Staff Writer
Daytona Beach News-Journal
The calm, clear ocean water could not have foretold the disaster that would strike a diver from New Smyrna Beach on Saturday 22 miles off the Volusia County coast.
The Coast Guard searched for a man who disappeared while diving east of Ponce de Leon Inlet near a popular fishing spot known as the Party Grounds. As of 10 p.m., the man, who authorities did not identify because family members had not been contacted, was still not found, authorities said.
He was diving with friends from a boat called the Restless Native about 11 a.m. when he surfaced and signaled to a man and woman he was with that he was in distress. He waved his arms twice and then slipped below the water's surface and was not seen again, said U.S. Coast Guard spokesman Donnie Brzuska and petty officer Paul Chandler.
His friends called authorities requesting help and the Coast Guard launched a rescue boat and a helicopter to search for him. A second boat, an 87-foot patrol boat from Port Canaveral, also was launched. Several local vessels aided the Coast Guard in their search including a boat manned by the man's diving buddies. They stopped scouring the ocean for their friend when darkness fell.
After 10 hours of searching, the boats were called back to port. But, two helicopters equipped with infrared technology were expected to remain in the air all night searching for the missing diver.
"We won't suspend the search," Brzuska said, "until we've done everything in our power to find someone alive."
Local divers and boat captains said the ocean was calm and relatively clear Saturday near the popular fishing spot, and that conditions were not likely a factor in the man's disappearance. The Party Grounds is an 8-mile stretch of artificial and natural reefs, described as an ideal place for divers to stalk lobsters and hunt fish with spear guns.
"There are usually a lot of boats working that ledge," said Keith Sterner, manager at Sea Dogs Dive Center in New Smyrna Beach. "And I'm sure there were boats all around." He described the dive as relatively easy and one the diver had probably made hundreds of times.
Still, Sterner knows there are always dangers when diving, and even the most experienced divers can panic and make mistakes. In a separate incident Saturday in St. Augustine, a diver died after being picked up by rescuers, the Coast Guard said.
"It's like driving a car," Sterner said. "We can get complacent how safe things are, but any given time something can go wrong."
He is praying for his fellow diver.
"I would like to think that he is on the surface," he said, "and it's simply a matter of finding him."
seth.robbins@news-jrnl.com
-- Photojournalist David Massey contributed to this report.
By SETH ROBBINS
Staff Writer
Daytona Beach News-Journal
The calm, clear ocean water could not have foretold the disaster that would strike a diver from New Smyrna Beach on Saturday 22 miles off the Volusia County coast.
The Coast Guard searched for a man who disappeared while diving east of Ponce de Leon Inlet near a popular fishing spot known as the Party Grounds. As of 10 p.m., the man, who authorities did not identify because family members had not been contacted, was still not found, authorities said.
He was diving with friends from a boat called the Restless Native about 11 a.m. when he surfaced and signaled to a man and woman he was with that he was in distress. He waved his arms twice and then slipped below the water's surface and was not seen again, said U.S. Coast Guard spokesman Donnie Brzuska and petty officer Paul Chandler.
His friends called authorities requesting help and the Coast Guard launched a rescue boat and a helicopter to search for him. A second boat, an 87-foot patrol boat from Port Canaveral, also was launched. Several local vessels aided the Coast Guard in their search including a boat manned by the man's diving buddies. They stopped scouring the ocean for their friend when darkness fell.
After 10 hours of searching, the boats were called back to port. But, two helicopters equipped with infrared technology were expected to remain in the air all night searching for the missing diver.
"We won't suspend the search," Brzuska said, "until we've done everything in our power to find someone alive."
Local divers and boat captains said the ocean was calm and relatively clear Saturday near the popular fishing spot, and that conditions were not likely a factor in the man's disappearance. The Party Grounds is an 8-mile stretch of artificial and natural reefs, described as an ideal place for divers to stalk lobsters and hunt fish with spear guns.
"There are usually a lot of boats working that ledge," said Keith Sterner, manager at Sea Dogs Dive Center in New Smyrna Beach. "And I'm sure there were boats all around." He described the dive as relatively easy and one the diver had probably made hundreds of times.
Still, Sterner knows there are always dangers when diving, and even the most experienced divers can panic and make mistakes. In a separate incident Saturday in St. Augustine, a diver died after being picked up by rescuers, the Coast Guard said.
"It's like driving a car," Sterner said. "We can get complacent how safe things are, but any given time something can go wrong."
He is praying for his fellow diver.
"I would like to think that he is on the surface," he said, "and it's simply a matter of finding him."
seth.robbins@news-jrnl.com
-- Photojournalist David Massey contributed to this report.
wilkie
Contributor
This boesn't sound good, I wish this diver the best of luck.
OP
Read an early post on another board from the boat captain for this incident (deleted now) - sounded like he did everything right in the situation, but still taking it hard...........whenever there's a situation/incident like this, the ones topside are deeply affected - even if they had no role in what happened - just being close to the situation has its own trauma attached to it 
My heart goes out to the families of all involved - I hope they find some closure soon. I hope its good news, but I fear the worst......
My heart goes out to the families of all involved - I hope they find some closure soon. I hope its good news, but I fear the worst......
harleyxx
Contributor
My daughter and I are scheduled to take our last 2 dives this weekend to get our open water certificate. We live in Port Orange, just south of Daytona & north of New Symrna. After hearing about what happened my wife is scared to death that something like this will happen to us. I must admit I am a little concerned too. What would cause him to sink after he already surfaced? Is it possible that he ran out of air, made it to the surface but then was unable to manually inflate his BCD before he sank? My heartfelt condolences to his family.
OP
Diver indicated distress at surface, which usually either means panic or health condition, or both. If I had to venture a guess - perhaps he didn't think to inflate his bc or drop weights. When stressed, many people forget simple things because in tunnel-vision panic mode.
Really hope they find this diver soon.........
Really hope they find this diver soon.........
JEScholz
Contributor
My condolences to the family. Chances are we will never know what caused the incident but we can all learn from it. Instructors can't drill it enough, when in trouble, dump your weights!
Condolences to the family and friends of this diver. I did some diving in New Smyrna Beach last year with Sea Dogs. Real nice folks down that way. So sorry to hear this.
Ironhed
Contributor
I know the boat owner that bobby was diving with and after talking last night for over an hour, there was nothing he could have done. This was an accident simple as that. with no body being recovered we may never know what happened but only be able to speculate. I know all the particulars of the whole situation and let me say this, the boat owner was absoloutely not responsible one bit and it was quite unfortunate for him and his wife to have this happen on his boat. They both feel aweful about it but realize it was not thier fault. Diving is inherintly dangerous and when you add hunting to the mix it excallated the danger factor. The diver did not however have a speargun in his hands so I can safely assume that a shark was not the issue. I was diving this same area that same day and the diving was about as good as it gets. the conditions in this area as far as bugs and fish was epic to say the least and it was hard to leave the bottom. I myself normally never push it as far as I did that day. I carry a pony bottle / deco bottle so my air is fine but if you don't do this and you hunt your asking for it one day in my opinion. I also feel this diver was severely over weighted and I think he paniced and did not ditch his weight. I also feel he most likely ran out of air on his ascent and most likely was kicking with all that weight to reach the surface. like I said this is all speculation at this point. It is a sad situation all the way around for all involved. My guess is he is sitting firmly planted on the bottom right where he went down. The boat owner spent his remaining 3 tanks of nitrox trying to find him. coast guard never sent divers to this area but sent a cutter and a helicopter to search for a floating diver. he was not floating I can assure you that he sank. if he had floated you would have seen him for a mile away or so that day it was really flat out.
REII
Contributor
My heart goes out to the family. It has got to be hard to find closure when they can't bury their loved one.
TOM
TOM
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