Two Divers Rescued

[Fossilbabe]

Just wanted to say a big thanks to Capt Jamie and the Aristakat & Jessy,Nitrogen Narcosis & Robert,Knot Bent Yet /Captain Karl. Big hand of applause to you guys for keeping your eyes,and ears open. You guys are the bomb and always on the ball. Not sure where those three divers would have ended up if you werent there. Some where in the gulf!!!! I would even bet it would of been an over night trip!!!!! I cant tell you how much of a great feeling knowing you guys are always watching. Looking out for other fellow divers even if they are not your charters. Great job, those guys really dont know how lucky they are. Thanks for being so observant,and always aware of your sounding's. I want everyone to know what great bunch of guys you are. I know their familys are very happy they are home safe. Great Job!!!!:cool3:

 

[Glock Diver]

Can you give any details of the rescue, Fossilbabe? It's always good to know we have consciencous dive operators out there. I hope to dive with Aristikat someday soon.

It got a little dicey in the afternoon off Venice beach, so I'm not surprised to hear there was a rescue (in fact, when I surfaced, the rain had deteriorated the top-side visibility so much that I couldn't see the shore). Add that to a strong current, and I'm glad *I* wasn't the one who had to be rescued!

 

[gsxr1997]

As the captain of Nitrogen Narcosis - I will post later the entire event because there was three divers involved and two separate rescues for the same boat- My hats are off to Knot Bent Yet /Captain Karl and Aristakat/Capt Jamie as they were the ones who physically recovered the divers. My involvement was identifying the fact that the boat had broke loose , keeping watch for the divers in the area i knew the boat had been,and of coordinating the rescues as I had customers in the water so I was not able to retrieve the divers in need of rescue myself.

 

[gsxr1997]

and I welcome Jamie and Karl to post their first hand accounts of the incident as well.

 

[Aristakat]

The Captain of Nitrogen Narcosis (Gary)was spot on he noticed a Bright green saftey sauage west of him with what looked to be two divers offshore with no boat around them. He was very alert and called to see if their person on boat would respond on VHFand when they didn't he saw me to the North of him and radioed me to see if I could see them and asked if I had my customers all up to help. I was almost ready to move so we were happy to help improve two divers day . I am sure they learned a valueable lesson of the meaning "scope on anchor rode " , Last time was a Kayak blowing away those things happen just glad we were able to help. At least diver had a mosnter green saftey sauage that made a big difference. There are some very experienced Capts in that area makes it that much safer .

The one crazy thing was when we got divers back to their boat the third diver was sitting on bow with a amazed look ? Not sure why he didn't go look for other two divers just glad was a good outcome.

 

[thegulfer]

Wow..good job guys. You all deserve a lot of credit for keeping your eyes open. I'm sure they were some happy divers when you picked them up.

FWIW, I carry (or let my dive buddy carry) one of these:

McMurdo Fastfind Max-G

(or newer/cheaper model since I bought mine):

McMurdo FastFind 210 PLB

and put it in my BC pocket in one of these:

McMurdo Dive Canister-Dive Canister for McMurdo FastFind

They are not cheap but you just never know what can happen out there.

 

[Fossilbabe]

After talking to Capt Jamie I learned that three divers were saved that day. Three Capt's and crew working together. I hope on there next adventure they will invest in a DIVE FLAG.

 

[sglake]

WOW.... Good job guys!!!! This is why I love the sport of diving... Captains and crew, dive ops and divers are a great , friendly and helpful bunch of people!

 

[gsxr1997]

Ok here is the story from my vantage point(literally). @1400 on sunday ,I had 4 clients down , Robert was escorting one of the clients and I was attending to a client who was having a case of the nerves. I noticed that boat which was previously anchored @500-600 yards to my southwest was drifting eastward about 200 yards to my south with anchor and flag deployed. I commented to my client that someone would be very unhappy when they came back to the surface. I then began scanning the waters where i had last seen the boat at anchor and after 10 or so minutes , a lone diver surfaced and resubmerged several times before finally staying on the surface- I yelled for him to stay on the surface and took a bearing on his location. Capt Karl of the Knot Bent Yet was to my north about 200 yards so I called him by cell and asked him if he was done with his dive and had all onboard- he confirmed that he had so I filled him in of the situation and gave him a bearing to intercept the diver and return him to his boat. Karl picked up the lone diver and returned him to his boat which was now 2-300 yards to the east of my location as the anchor had apparently reset on the reef. Karl then called me by cell and informed me that the diver had started his dive with 500 psi , ended with close to 0 and there were two other divers in his party that had began their dive with 2000 psi.( both of which had not surfaced yet). Karl asked the diver if he was capable of operating the boat and the gps to return to the original point of anchorage. the diver assured Karl that he could operate the boat but he would wait at the boat's current position until the other divers surfaced. Karl advised him that staying put was not the best idea given that he was the better part of 1/2 mile from where the boat was originally anchored. the diver thanked Karl for his help but declined his advise.
Given this info, I told Karl I would keep watch and relieved him of any further involvement. The skies began to darken and I began scanning the horizon with binoculars as a divers head in a black bc with 2-3 ft sea state would be hard to locate in those conditions with the naked eye. (bear in mind ,all of my divers are still down).
Approximately 20 minutes after I began scanning the horizon, i heard a signalling whistle blow - it started as a single blow but then began to become more rapid. I swung to my due west and saw a single green safety sausage and two heads barely discernable in the darkening waters. I make a note of the bearing and then attempted to hail the first diver by VHF but at this point I am thinking that either he does not have one,its not on , or he doesnt know how to operate it or the boat for that matter. To my northwest is Aristakat/Capt Jamie. I see that he is putting his divers back on the boat so I hail him and inform him of the situation and he immediately heads for the other two divers and recovers them . Capt Jamie delivers them to their boat and about 20 minutes later the boat heads back towards the inlet.

 

[H2Andy]

very nicely done all around

(well ... ahem ... on the rescuers' part )