Two divers lost around Mikomoto...

[jagfish]

Was just on the news...

A group of seven (?) divers went down in 25 meters, and two did not come back up.

That all the detail I could glean...

JAG

 

[Hugh]

Does anyone have any more details of the tragedy at Mikomoto? News coverage seems thin.

 

[TJO]

This is what I could find. Nori may have better information.

10:20 on Sep 11two Japanese divers from Kanagawa (28 and 31) were separated and swept away. The local fishermen association reported this to the coast guard...

Thomas

 

[dcpac]

Are the dives in Mikomoto done from a fishing boat with some 86 year old fisher man that had to resort to taking divers out after he over fished his area?

 

[nori1841]

Shimoda coast guard report is the best as of today.

This group is a shop tour guided by a instructor of Pro-shop which name is Weather Report in Shinjyuku. There were total six divers with a instructor/guide in the group.
The two missing live in Yokohama. It seems to be no local guide with them. The boat was Fukumaru(290).
-The accident occurred at the first dive in Sep/11 morning.
-The point is 3-500m south-east from Kamene. It is famous Hammerheads encounter point.
-After a sign of rise, two divers didn't come up on surface with the group then searach-and-rescue immediately started focusing on surface.
-Strong down current was reported by a diver who was on the same boat at that time.
-All dive services(centers) have been suspended for seeking so far.
-I have been informed that Mikomoto will be closed tomorrow to search the
underwater by local guide divers because I was going to stay there tonight to dive in
Mikomoto from Monday.

 

[TJO]

Thanks Nori. I hope you could find another nice place to dive.

Steve. Fishermen; yes. 86; don't know. Over-fished; probably - just like all other places in the world.

 

[sunfish]

Another diver died in Izu today, this time in Osezaki. A 33 year-old woman was diving with professional guides. She began feeling unwell during the start of the dive, panicked during her ascent, swallowed and aspirated water, and drowned. This is NOT a good weekend for Izu.

My husband went diving in Izu today (Izu-san). I'm glad he got home safely. Now if I could only wake him long enough to deal with the gear he has left soaking in the bathtub...

 

[iflylow]

Rough weekend up there. What a shame to have this type of thing happen.

 

[TJO]

It would be interesting to hear about their training and experience. Osezaki shouldn't be a difficult site, Mikomoto is.

 

[Henryville]

It would be interesting to hear about their training and experience. Osezaki shouldn't be a difficult site, Mikomoto is.

Truly sorry to hear about this. Having done a 45+ minute float with Nori-san in 5 -7 ft waves and wind (made the safety sausages fairly useless) finally to be spotted by a fishing boat that radioed the boat, which was way over by Mikomoto-jima, I agree this is a site you don't want to do without experience and (warranted) confidence.

The boat carries a large number of divers, some are blue water drift diving, some are hanging around the rocks, people are everywhere. Add wind, unpredictable current, haze, low light, inexperience, etc. and you can see this could be a tricky spot.

To paraphrase Harry Callahan, "A good diver knows his/her limitations" ...and doesn't dive past them.