Missing Divers Found - a story of stupidity
Missing boat found off Ocean Reef
UPDATE 4.45pm: Two men have been found safe and well after a search was launched when their boat failed to return to Ocean Reef this afternoon.
The pair of divers had left the company of a second vessel to go cray diving about 1.5km offshore and found their boat had drifted away when they returned to the surface after a dive.
The men spend three hours in water awaiting rescue and were picked up by passing vessel Go Dolphin.
A search for the men was launched this afternoon after the occupants of the second boat called for help when they were unable to contact the pair.
A police helicopter, water police and two volunteer sea rescue boats were involved in the search.
The men were well aside from some sunburn.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I recieved the call at 3.10pm advising we had missing divers 5km of Ocean Reef.
By 4.45pm they had been picked up and all was well.
But what transpired before then begs belief and shows the hight of stupidity out there.
2 boats went out, one with one person on board (diver). the other boat had one diver and 3 passengers who are complete novices at boating. Second boat drop the anchors and the skipper transfers to the first boat. So now we have 2 divers on one boat and 3 passengers (novices) left on the other. The divers advise the novices they are going a bit further north for a dive.
After 2 1/2 hours the novices have not heard from the diver so they ring one of the divers wives who call us in a mad panick
Police chopper, police boat and 2 rescue vessels are tasked to search.
Divers found by yacht and Water police locate divers boat which had drfited from the dive sight (not sure why). They had been treading water for 3 hours
one of our vessels is dispatched the boat with 3 novices onboard as they do not know how to start the engine. They do not even know where they are. We are able to get them the turn on the GPS and give us the coordinates. We locate them and one of our crew is transfered to the boat to bring it home.
All is well.
1. why were 3 novices left on the vessel who knew nothing about boating, or even how to use the radio? luckily for the divers they had the sense to call one of the wife. If someone comes out on my boat one of the first things I teach them is how to start the boat and how to use the radio.
2. Why did the divers not log on with sea rescue before diving? If they had not call us back within 5 minutes of their advised return time we would have started the search earlier and they would have been found sooner. They did not even log on when they left the marina. Are they afraid people might hear the co-ordinates where they are diving and dive the same location????? I always log on before each dive. that give me peace of mind that if for any reason I surface and no boat the rescue boats will be out looking for by a certain time.
In this situation I believe the skippers of both boats should loose their skippers Licences as they endangered the live of the 3 novices.
It is these types of situations that frustrates the hell out of me as a rescue volunteer and some people should not be allowed out on the water.
Smartline Personal Mortgage Advisers - Level 1, 11 Hobsons Gate Currambine
0448122208
Swan River Fisher
Posts: 877
Date Joined: 03/05/11
how stupid are they? lucky
how stupid are they? lucky they were all found safe.
Batty
Posts: 348
Date Joined: 24/11/10
Lost Divers
I was at Mindarie when the Police brought the diver back to his boat, had a chat with him ha said the anchor rope had snapped !!! He didn't tell me the full story (probalby embarassed) Also said he had to let all his Crays go as the bag was to heavy. They didn't follow any of the basic safety rules but luckily all came out alive.
Not the conditions i would want to be stuck out there either.
Have a Good Christmas and a safe New Year.
Lifes a game but fishing is serious !!!
sea-kem
Posts: 14857
Date Joined: 30/11/09
There'll be more of these
There'll be more of these stories to come over the break.
Love the West!
Tony Halliday
Posts: 2500
Date Joined: 14/06/07
the sea is not to be played
the sea is not to be played with by fools and idiots!
when will they learn!
Tony Halliday: ~Meals on Reels ~
It takes a strong fish to swim against the current. Even a dead one can float with it
"It is always in season for old men to learn." Aeschylus (525-456 BC)
"In a mad world only the mad are sane." Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998)