What are some stuff they could've done to get back to shore apart from following the boat during the beginning?
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jobunney — 16 years ago(August 02, 2009 02:06 PM)
The regulator on their dive most likely had a compass. I am pretty certain that all regulators come with a compass. You are techincally supposed to set your compass to a landmark when you get in the water (in case you get lost).
I dont about you but I am not relying on the dive crew to keep me safe. I am going to keep me safe. -
pikeopike — 18 years ago(February 15, 2008 03:11 AM)
There's might have been a few things could have done, but would require an unreasonable amount of skeptisism or paranoia towards the divers ("the divers" being the people taking the group out)
One thing for certain they could have done was to make sure the divers had a reliable roll call. I would not go if I knew their roll call was just a head count with NO NAMES <(wtf). No, it wasn't even a head count, it was a
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damasiorodrigues — 18 years ago(March 14, 2008 03:04 PM)
"move away" from the sharks is the last thing they should have done. they had to wait for the sun or the Southern Cross to tell them west/east directions and then swim with minimum splash and pray to not meet a shark. sharks are attracted by movement. once the guy got bit once, they were dead. sharks are attracted by blood too. that's why there were about 6 or 7 sharks around her in the end.
one thing they could have tried was separating themselves a little bit after he got bit. (though that probably wouldn't work too). but imagine yourself there! the guy was in panic and the girl was just trying to remain positive.
some people have survived in similar situations, but there is just a matter of whether you'll run over a shark or not. that film was very realistic regardind one possibility of what happened. -
embracing_silence — 16 years ago(October 14, 2009 05:47 PM)
That's what I was thinking. They made tally marks, even though people kept coming and going from the boat. They should have written down all of their names, and called roll to make sure everyone was there.
Not to mention two of the oxygen tanks weren't on the boat. You would think they wouldn't want their expensive equipment lost. -
tuttt — 18 years ago(June 04, 2007 05:07 AM)
The current had already carried them too far away by the time they realized that they were abandoned.
Teresa
http://MermaidLady.com -
Mccadoo — 18 years ago(June 04, 2007 11:15 AM)
Everyone knows that this movie is based on a true story, the Lonergans, and they didn't survive, but you may not know that this happens more often than you'd think it would.
I was on a dive a year ago in the Gulf of Mexico and they did so many head counts that it became annoying after awhile because it just seemed excessive. When I asked the divemaster about it he said that a boat in the gulf had left some people behind the previous season so they had stepped up the safety precautions. Those people were never found either.
A lot of people I know carry flares on them, and now the new GPS tech stuff is coming out, but honestly, I never really thought about it until the Lonergan's story got so much play in the media from the resulting law suits. Before that I never carried anything that would help in this type of situation. Now I do. It's an awful way to go. -
tuttt — 18 years ago(June 07, 2007 08:19 PM)
I have heard of people being left behind out at the Flower Gardens too.
I freedive a lot out at the rigs, and I have a special belt (seperate from my weight belt) that holds my signal device kit. Normally it stows in a pouch in the small of my back, very streamlined, but after practice I am able to deploy it in about 30 seconds or less.
Teresa
http://MermaidLady.com -
stevereno — 18 years ago(June 09, 2007 02:00 PM)
Just chiming in here as a diver of over 35 yearsIf the dive boat capt/crew had any brains, they would've: A) counted heads before they left and B) eventually noticed or some other divers would've said 'weren't there two other divers'? On all the recreational dive boats I've been on around the world, people talk on the ride out to the site.
The boat would've had GPS or at least LoranC wayoints marking the dive site (+/- 60 feet) and could've easilt returned.
You should never leave the group when using a dive boat.
Someone else said you couldn't drown yourself, but if your tanks empty, you still have your weight belt on, deflate your BC, have been in the water for days, and with sharks in a feeding frenzy, I think it's plausible.
I probably would've headed for land, no matter how far away, swimming on my back with long slow kicks. I always know what direction I would need to go because I use my compass on the way to the site
Final Analysis: they could've been saved if they had a signal device (as mentioned), but that's not usually an item 'tourist' divers think about.