Missing Divers - May 2008
#1
Posted 24 May 2008 - 07:12 AM
Two Scuba Divers Rescued After Nearly 24-Hours Adrift at Sea
Saturday , May 24, 2008
Two scuba divers were plucked from the open ocean almost 24 hours after they went missing on a pleasure dive on Austrailia’s Great Barrier Reef.
The divers, a 38-year-old British man and a 40-year-old American woman, were found shortly before 9 a.m. 7.8 nautical miles from where they had lost contact with their diving boat on Friday afternoon.
They were winched to safety after an 18 hour air rescue effort involving up to 12 aircraft and flown to a Queensland hospital where they are said to be in good spirits despite suffering from mild hypothermia.
Last night, police and emergency services used helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft equipped with search lights and infrared sensing equipment to search for the divers but were forced to call off the search.
At first light this morning the search continued with seven helicopters and three fixed wing aircraft. A rescue helicopter spotted the pair near the Whitsunday Islands off the Queensland's coast.
Police said the experienced divers surfaced yesterday afternoon around 650 feet from the dive boat but were unable to raise the crew.
They decided against fighting the strong current to conserve their energy, tying themselves to each other with a weight belt.
"They conserved energy throughout the evening and stayed as a pair awaiting rescue," Acting Superintendent Shane Chelepy of the Water Police said at a press conference in Brisbane today.
"From the debrief we have, these people said they did spot one of the search aircraft last night but were unable to attract its attention," Deputy Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said.
Following the search, attention has now turned to the dive boat operator, The Pacific Star, whose skipper was believed to have waited three hours until 5.30 p.m. to alert emergency services to the missing divers.
#2
Posted 24 May 2008 - 07:23 AM
#3
Posted 24 May 2008 - 07:27 AM
#4
Posted 24 May 2008 - 10:55 PM
(2) large Halcyon SMBs
(2) air-powered LOUD horns on my dual inflator hoses
(2) LED dive lights (presently Halcyon 'Scouts'...soon to be upgraded to Oxycheq Raider III's)
JOTRON AQ4 emergency signal strobe (visible for 6 miles/1000 ft. depth rating)
....and looking at a signal mirror from Oxycheq.
...I dive with ALL these items...on ALL dives, day or night.
Karl
#5
Posted 25 May 2008 - 07:14 AM
I've searched for people on the ocean. It is amazing how invisible you are.(2) large Halcyon SMBs
(2) air-powered LOUD horns on my dual inflator hoses
(2) LED dive lights (presently Halcyon 'Scouts'...soon to be upgraded to Oxycheq Raider III's)
JOTRON AQ4 emergency signal strobe (visible for 6 miles/1000 ft. depth rating)
....and looking at a signal mirror from Oxycheq.
...I dive with ALL these items...on ALL dives, day or night.
Good list Karl. I have to say that in the context of number of dives made annually, we shouldn't lose a lot of sleep worrying about this happening - BUT I agree with having these things with you. I'd make Karl's signal mirror part of your first purchases - the absolute best in signaling when there is any sun around - no batteries required and very inexpensive. Learn and practice how to use them.
I also went out and invested in a PLB with a dive-proof container. If you get one, I'd recommend spending the extra bucks for the types that have GPS built in. A definite must have if you go to remote areas.
Personal Locator Beacons
Edited by Capn Jack, 25 May 2008 - 07:26 AM.
Jacques Yves Cousteau
#6
Posted 25 May 2008 - 11:39 AM
...Scubaboard recently had a thread about a group of divers diving an advanced, remote site of Taiwan, losing the boat, and being adrift for a couple of days before rescue......they were 'saved' because they used their camera strobes to attract the attention of rescue planes....so after that, I rushed out and ordered a pair of JOTRON signal strobes for myself and Nurseshark.
Karl
Edited by scubafanatic, 25 May 2008 - 11:44 AM.
#7
Posted 25 May 2008 - 03:56 PM
A few reassurances -I've been concerned about the ramifications of somehow accidentally activating it, and being responsible for the resulting possible criminal/financial penalties.
1. There is a window every hour for testing
2. The test process is quite easy and I think it would be challenging to inadvertently activate - and once it's in the canister impossible comes to mind
3. The process involves contacting your emergency contacts when the signal is received
4. There are no penalties for accidental false alerts from a PLB, only deliberate misuse or hoaxes are a federal felony.
You register with NOAA every two years, and give them primary and backup contacts, purpose of the device and your address, as well as a bunch of contact phone numbers.
Edited by Capn Jack, 25 May 2008 - 04:04 PM.
Jacques Yves Cousteau
#8
Posted 25 May 2008 - 04:54 PM
#9
Posted 25 May 2008 - 05:30 PM
BTW, it was especially interesting because UE makes XS space available to marine researchers. We had 3 doctoral candidates on the boat, one a shark specialist, and they made for every interesting dive buddies. Having them aboard added an important dimension that I think I'll look for in future dive planning.
Happy (bubble) trails
"if to do were as easy as to know what were good to do,
chapels had been churches and poor men's cottages
princes' palaces"
#10
Posted 26 May 2008 - 03:59 PM
#11
Posted 26 May 2008 - 04:09 PM
#12
Posted 26 May 2008 - 08:16 PM
#13
Posted 27 May 2008 - 06:08 AM
I've searched for people on the ocean. It is amazing how invisible you are.(2) large Halcyon SMBs
(2) air-powered LOUD horns on my dual inflator hoses
(2) LED dive lights (presently Halcyon 'Scouts'...soon to be upgraded to Oxycheq Raider III's)
JOTRON AQ4 emergency signal strobe (visible for 6 miles/1000 ft. depth rating)
....and looking at a signal mirror from Oxycheq.
...I dive with ALL these items...on ALL dives, day or night.
I'd make Karl's signal mirror part of your first purchases - the absolute best in signaling when there is any sun around - no batteries required and very inexpensive. Learn and practice how to use them.
Personal Locator Beacons
Read the instuctions and practice using the mirror when you buy it not as the last search plane dissappears over the horizion!
Like all gear, check it over before trips, my mirror is from ARC and being stored wet so much it's lost some of the silvering on the mirror.
Do not trust your life to a free AOL CD!
By all that is wet, I do hereby swear, (politely), and attest, upon pain of never diving again, (real or imagined), that I understand and affirm, that I agree to the above.
_________________________________________(log in name signature)
Signed and Dated
#14
Posted 27 May 2008 - 06:31 AM
I had someone tell me about some type of "blanket" that would pop on radar??????
Most dive boats don't have radar and search aircraft with radar should see your tank. Boats with radar won't see you on radar because you disappear in the sea clutter, this circuit is designed to eliminate close and weak echoes that are slow or not moving. On military radar it can be adjusted but not on a lot of commercial gear. Back on 60's era radar I could track 155mm shells which are smaller than an AL80 with radar designed to track aircraft (slower sweeping).
And before someone says radar won't penetrate water, I've flown early AWACS around Cuba and shallow reefs show up as islands on scope.
By all that is wet, I do hereby swear, (politely), and attest, upon pain of never diving again, (real or imagined), that I understand and affirm, that I agree to the above.
_________________________________________(log in name signature)
Signed and Dated
#15
Posted 27 May 2008 - 10:23 AM
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