What are some stuff they could've done to get back to shore apart from following the boat during the beginning?
-
CountyLine491 — 10 years ago(April 19, 2015 04:51 PM)
I agree with wear a dive watch and stay with the group. But also know which direction the shoreline is before you get in the water and have a compass with you. Swimming towards the shore could have ran them into more boats.
-
mintshoelaces — 18 years ago(January 13, 2008 09:01 PM)
I was watching the movie last night and whenever the sharks sort of surrounded them i kept thinking "move away!!" but then i thought if i was in the same position i'd be too scared to move. It's easy enough to say you'd do something while at the safety of your computer i guess.
-
tohu — 18 years ago(January 14, 2008 03:29 PM)
If they had moved away the sharks would simply have followed them. Sharks are attracted to movement, remember, and can swim faster and further than humans. The sea is the sharks' environemnt, not the humans'
I agree with the person posting above who said people are just desperate to believe that there was SOME way out of this for these two. But there wasn't. With the exception of a ransom stroke of luck which was totally beyond their control, they were a-goner the moment the boat took off.
That's what makes the film so scary. Technically brilliant? No. But scary? Yes.
"Maybe I should go alone"
- Quint, Jaws.
-
Mandy_Whitsands — 14 years ago(August 06, 2011 07:05 PM)
One person even posted that there were "a thousand things" the couple could've done to get to safety. I dared her to list 10 for starters. She named a few things, none of which made any sense
where is that posting?? -
ctlfreak — 18 years ago(May 28, 2007 09:26 AM)
there are tons of things they could have done, if they had thought ahead that they might get left there. thats the problem, why bring a compass or gps or flare or anything like that when you are on a vacation where people are supposed to be watching for your safety. the people on the boat hold your lives in their hands and you think of it like that. you dont expect them to leave you or let soemthing bad happen. they are the pros they should know whats up.
the best comment i heard was swim, just pick a direction and start swimming. id rather try then wait for death, but swimming almost ensures death since the logical thing done if they realize you are gone is search the area you were in first. so your pretty screwed unless you know how to make a compass from something, and know the direction of land from your position.
IF and this is a big one, but if you happen to be close enough to shore watch for birds at dusk, they will be heading inland to nest for the night. alot of good that does after 4 hours in the water and sharks grabbing at you but its an idea. -
ryan-1099 — 18 years ago(May 30, 2007 08:37 AM)
Actually a large "Safety Sausage" is something every diver should have on them. it's extremely small, smaller than the camera, but opens up to about 6 feet and is super bright colors, any boat or helicopter could easily see it from a distance.
There are also whistles that are insanely loud that work off the power inflator as well. These 2 things almost totally insure you will be recovered.
Don't dive open water without at least a safety sausage $20 at any dive shop. -
tuttt — 18 years ago(May 31, 2007 06:06 PM)
I never leave shore without mine.
Teresa
http://MermaidLady.com -
arthurloveday — 18 years ago(June 01, 2007 11:20 AM)
"the best comment i heard was swim, just pick a direction and start swimming."
-which direction?
the sea has no reference points, so, (like the desert) you surely would just swim in random circles without getting any nearer to anywhere?
thats without the pull of the current they were inno, i think one of these sausage things is the answer, although at the risk of sounding rude i'd want mine to inflate bigger than 6ft -
GoodbyePorkPieHat — 18 years ago(June 04, 2007 04:57 AM)
I have ten year-old gear, but one of my three gauges is a compass. At least swimming toward shore would have had the illusion of a goal and perhaps given them some hope.
They also should have tied themselves together with their weight belts.
A lot of people have survived longer in warm water without the gear they had.
So it goes. -
mrvolvo — 18 years ago(June 05, 2007 03:54 AM)
GoodbyePorkPieHat wrote:
I have ten year-old gear, but one of my three gauges is a compass.
At least swimming toward shore would have had the illusion of a
goal and perhaps given them some hope.
The real incident which this movie is based on, took place on the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland, Australia, in 1998. The real people (Tom and Eileen Lonergan) were reportedly taken 40 miles off-shore to the dive site. What happened to them after the boat left, is purely conjecture. Some of the problems involved in swimming to shore are:- The distance of 40 miles.
- Open ocean currents in the area likely exceeded their swimming speed. (Olympic Gold Medalist Mark Spitz could only swim 4.3 mph for 100 meters.)
- Normal surface current maps of the Great Barrier Reef area indicate that they could have been swept Northward, Southward, or out to sea in circles.
- Since they were in the water and not on a boat, their visible horizon was less than 2 miles, assuming they could raise their eyes 2 feet above the water for a quick look. This prevented them from obtaining a visual reference from anything that wasn't very close to them.
- Aside from needing the correct magnetic declination dialed into their compasses for that area, they would need to remain very still for a few seconds to get an accurate bearing; difficult in anything but calm water. But without any stationary surface references to guide on, taking bearings would be almost useless.
- They were diving in January, which is the middle of the summer in Australia. At that latitude, the sun would be nearly overhead at mid-day, giving them no directional reference for much of the day.
- Actively swimming would likely attract more attention from sharks than just floating motionless.
The bottom line is that they were screwed. Their only hope was to be rescued, or that a swift current would sweep them into shore, while they were still intact.
They also should have tied themselves together with their weight belts.
There are some problems with doing that also:- Have you ever tried to swim while tied to another person?
- If one person panics, he/she is likely to drown the other.
- If either is attacked by a shark, the other will be pulled into the melee.
A lot of people have survived longer in warm water without the gear they had.
Some people may just be luckier than others. Weeks after their disappearance, their gear (tanks, BC's with their names, a female's wet suit) started washing up on Queensland beaches, but it gave no indication of a violent end. Some figure that the tropical heat and delirium from dehydration caused them to shed their gear and they just rant out of energy to stay afloat. It appears we'll never know.
One thing is for sure; events like this are entirely preventable, but errors will continue to happen. A little insurance in the form of an EPIRB for open ocean diving would be well worth the expense.