Snorkeler fatality in the Andaman Islands

[cappyjon431]

I realize this is a snorkeling fatality and not diving related, but since many of us have friends and family who snorkel while we go out diving, I think it raises an interesting point about snorkeling in very remote areas.

Apparently a young woman was snorkeling at a resort, which just happened to be less than 50 miles from a crocodile sanctuary. Apparently no warning signs were posted and the snorkeler was not warned by resort staff.

The link ot the article is:

Crocodile Kills NJ Woman Lauren Failla Snorkeling in Indian Ocean - AOL News

Deepest sympathy to the family and friends in this tragic incident.

 

[vladimir]

Yeah, I saw this. Crocodiles are scarier than anything else I'm likely to encounter underwater. I saw one in Belize, but neither he nor I was in the water at the time. We were warned to keep our eyes peeled for them at some sites in Papua New Guinea. Since I lived in Singapore a decade ago the Andamans have been on my list of places to go; they still are, but I'll probably leave the snorkel at home when I do go.

 

[Diver0001]

When I travelled through East Africa the only living thing that people feared more than crocodiles were hippos.... and these were countries full of big dangerous animals. Buffalo, lions, (and other large cats), hyena's, elephants... you name it... but when you asked people what they were afraid of.... it was hippos and crocks in that order.

R..

 

[maxdeeep]

I've made 5 diving trips to Havelock Island in The Andmans and done some serious and focused free-diving on Radhanagar beach. If the crocodile had come for me I'm sure the press would have described me as a snorkeler, so we don't really know she wasn't diving, as if that would create some impenetrable safety shield keeping this apex predator away. Never any reports or sightings to my knowledge of crocodiles near Havelock and I was certainly not aware of any sanctuary nearby. I'm sorry for the half dozen dive operators there since the Indian Gov't usually reacts to something like this by banning the activity in its entirety. If not the Gov't, then few people are going to go diving there in the future since a crocodile sanctuary nearby means the monsters are likely increasing and seeking to widen their range. And my sincerest condolences to the family of the victim.

 

[bsee65]

50 miles seems like an awful long distance to consider a need for warning signs. Now, if crocs were regularly sighted in the area, that would warrant a warning. It's a sad result, but I'm not sure the blaming is fair.

 

[tavarish]

I realize this is a snorkeling fatality and not diving related, but since many of us have friends and family who snorkel while we go out diving, I think it raises an interesting point about snorkeling in very remote areas.

Apparently a young woman was snorkeling at a resort, which just happened to be less than 50 miles from a crocodile sanctuary. Apparently no warning signs were posted and the snorkeler was not warned by resort staff.

It was a tragic incident that for most came out of the blue. Very few had thought of the possibility of a crocodile attach on Havelock Island.

The young lady was in fact snorkeling and not diving or skindiving. She went in the water together with her boyfriend. The water was unusually warm and there was a very low tide. The crocodile attached when she swam past it and the boyfriend was able to capture part of the incident with his camera.

A large search party went out to find the crocodile and the body. Both was found and the body was brought in for cremation. Foreign and Indian experts on salt water crocodiles came in to investigate what had happened and to help trace the crocodile who had left the place they saw it when the body was found. As salt water crocodiles are classed as endangered animals in India a permit to catch it had been applied for as well. It was granted and after a month it was caught and now have a new home in the Port Blair Zoo.

Everyone knew there were salt water crocodiles in Andaman Islands, but as none had ever been seen near or on Havelock Island no warning signs were put up. As now one have been there information will be given in some shape or form to tourists.

The incident was tragic, but statistically it is unclear if crocodiles or falling coconuts actually pose the largest threat to tourists on Havelock Island. Everyone who visit Andaman Islands should have the risk of crocodiles in mind, but it is not so that a visit to the islands went from no fear to all fear overnight here.

The number of crocodiles will now be kept under control by the Forest Department, and the outmost will be done to make sure attacks do not happen again. Experts say it was a freak but tragic accident, as it happened in daylight in more or less open sea. That is very unusual crocodile behavior.

It can be said that number of customers who went diving in the month after the incident was far higher than the same month a year before. The pre-bookings for next season are also far higher than the year before. The government have decided to support the dive business on Havelock Island so no banning have happened.

I work on Havelock Island in the season by the way.

It was a tragic accident and I my deepest sympathy to her family.

 

[drrich2]

From an article one of the links posted to:

Failla's extended family is demanding to know why tourists are not warned that Havelock Island's beaches lie just 45 miles from a crocodile sanctuary.

"How can this be a safe tourist destination?" Bernice Cook, Failla's aunt, wrote to Andaman Sheekha, an English-language newspaper in the Andamans. "Where are the signs alerting people to the potential dangers? A crocodile sanctuary and tourist destination cannot co-exist. This behavior is inexcusable and irresponsible on the part of the government."

"Such an unnecessary death. If there had been proper warnings and statements that there are in fact man-eating crocodiles nearby, I am sure Lauren would not have risked swimming," Gloria McLean Hiratsuka, Failla's cousin, told the Daily Record. "She thought she was safe. Her father made a point of saying she was not a big risk-taker, always a little reserved, all the more since her sister's untimely death four years ago.

With all due condolences to the family and friends for a very tragic loss, the blurb from the Aunt in particular shows an unrealistic attitude.

We do not live in a sterile world where everything has to pass government inspection. How many other predators could have nabbed a snorkeler on some one in millions chance? I'm not familiar with the Andamans; I assume some sort of potentially dangerous shark could conceivably attack someone. Is there no jelly fish a person could get tangled up in, have a bad reaction to and drown? Are there ever stingrays in the shallows? From what I understand, the kind of pain a stingray can inflict could lead to panic, thrashing and thus drowning.

Think of the threads on this forum where people talk about diving off the California coast and how some have probably been near great white sharks & didn't even know it.

I wonder in what percentage of the salt-water recreational dives most of us make there is some marine animal that could kill us known to occur within 45 miles?

Just what should these 'warning signs' list? Every species within a hundred miles known to've ever killed anybody?

Richard.

 

[EnronX]

This is especially tragic given the fact that her sister died in a freak accident just 4 years earlier.

When we were in Ambergris Caye in Belize, there were no signs that Crocodiles were around but sure enough in the lagoons back behind our hotel there were some big boys...we saw the local boys feeding them chickens for tips.

When I've been snorkeling along the Panhandle in Florida, I've often wondered if some of the bigger gators like coming out into brackish water and thank God I've never come across one but this will make me think twice before putting myself, or my kids in a situation like this.

Anyone know how much detail the boyfriends video camera picked up of the attack? God that must be awful to see

 

[tavarish]

Anyone know how much detail the boyfriends video camera picked up of the attack? God that must be awful to see

We are talking about seconds of video. Start by a few second as the boyfriend turn towards the scream he hear and even if it is at a little distance you can see what happens. Then the boyfriend drop the camera, the camera fall to the ocean floor while turning several times on the waybefore it lie to rest. On every turn there is a second or so of more video showing what happen. When the camera rest in the ocean floor no more is to be seen.

The video is detailed enough to see what is happening, but in matter of minutes. It show from when the crocodile hold her until he drag hers to the depths. Without I know for sure, based on the video it is most likely she dies from drowning or shock.

Hope this answer your question