Two Scuba divers killed by a speedboat

[Hillmorton Scubie]

Reports are coming in of two divers being run down and killed yesterday (12th April 08) by a speedboat, down in world famous diving destination Sharm-el-Sheikh.

 

[spectrum]

So they are.....CDNN :: Speedboat Kills Two Tourists Scuba Diving in Red Sea

It's not uncommon to have boat traffic at some of our spots and we're careful but this underscores the need to stay keen.

Condolences to all.

Pete

 

[james croft]

I have had too many bad experiences with boats almost getting me. I am surprised it has not happened more often. Any details how this happened. Was a dive flag up, etc ?

 

[Busdiver]

Boat traffic continues to be my greatest fear when diving in the St. Clair River in Michigan. The usually situation on the river consists of alcohol, a boat, and curiosity. When we dive the river we treat it as if we are diving in a confined or over head experience where surfacing could lead to injury.

 

[Splitlip]

Boat traffic is my ONLY "fear".
A buddy and I were struck by a speeding boat 20 some years ago. Luckily neither of sustained serious injury. Changed my diving habits for ever.

 

[drbill]

We've even had boats enter our Casino Point Dive Park, which is ringed by buoys with warning signs and roped off. I once had two of them go right over my head in 10 ft of water. It would be nice if they required a person to actually have brains if they are going to drive a boat... and to keep off the mind alterants. Yesterday we had a jet skier heading full bore toward the boat. He stopped about 25 ft away. Many people have no clue what an alpha or dive flag means.

 

[fisherdvm]

I think even if you towed a surface marker the size of a small car, jetskis and pleasure boats still would not stay away from it. Problem is that half of the people on the water are drunk, and the other half never took boat safety course.

 

[james croft]

I have been hit but not hurt once by a boat being propelled by an electric motor. Just shook me up a bit. Had a couple of brushes being driven over by my dive boat on the Cooper River. Very close call with a prop. The prop wash blew off my mask it came by me so close.

Last summer I had a guy in a 23 ' Grady White buzz me . I was in a boat displaying a dive flag with one diver still in the water near my boat. He came about 20 feet from my boat and I yelled to him to stay away as I had a diver in the water. We were in about 10 feet of water at the time. VA state law is to stay 75 feet away from a dive flag and divers are required to have a flag when diving is underway. He hollered back that the diver needed to carry the flag. I advised him he was too close and that my flag was properly displayed and to stay clear. This guy went down about 100 yards and turned around and came past me again, this time coming within about 10 feet of my boat. He yelled at me and said I did not know the law.

I was getting pretty tired of this guys antics so I then produced my state LE badge and told him I was the law. He replied that he did not give a F#*&! who I was as he drove past. I took my knife and scratched his registration numbers into the gunnel of my boat. It took me a couple of trips to his apartment before I caught him at home. I can happily report he is now fully aware of the responsibilities of a boat operator to steer clear of a dive flag. Who says there is never a cop around when you need one?

 

[Splitlip]

I have been hit but not hurt once by a boat being propelled by an electric motor. Just shook me up a bit. Had a couple of brushes being driven over by my dive boat on the Cooper River. Very close call with a prop. The prop wash blew off my mask it came by me so close.

Last summer I had a guy in a 23 ' Grady White buzz me . I was in a boat displaying a dive flag with one diver still in the water near my boat. He came about 20 feet from my boat and I yelled to him to stay away as I had a diver in the water. We were in about 10 feet of water at the time. VA state law is to stay 75 feet away from a dive flag and divers are required to have a flag when diving is underway. He hollered back that the diver needed to carry the flag. I advised him he was too close and that my flag was properly displayed and to stay clear. This guy went down about 100 yards and turned around and came past me again, this time coming within about 10 feet of my boat. He yelled at me and said I did not know the law.

I was getting pretty tired of this guys antics so I then produced my state LE badge and told him I was the law. He replied that he did not give a F#*&! who I was as he drove past. I took my knife and scratched his registration numbers into the gunnel of my boat. It took me a couple of trips to his apartment before I caught him at home. I can happily report he is now fully aware of the responsibilities of a boat operator to steer clear of a dive flag. Who says there is never a cop around when you need one?

Good show! The shield trumps a Mossberg.

 

[shurite7]

When I lived in Cayman I took several resort course students our for their dive. Ten minutes into the dive tourist on jet ski's buzzed right over us. Later I found out the hotel was not informing the tourist about the alpha and dive flag.

When I first moved to MT I inquired about the law in reference to the dive flag. Unanimously every shop corrected me; up the dive flag is a "target" for boaters. Sure enough I learned what they meant. During an open water dive (I was on shore with my students while another instructor was in the wate with theirs) two boats drove up to the flag took a look at it and then proceeded to the shore where they hopped out and used the restrooms.

C