Five of a group of six scuba divers went missing from their dive-boat in Hawaii on 6 November – and according to the diver who had remained on the boat, its captain had not been in control of the situation.
The divers were rescued after being spotted about a mile south of Hawaii Kai, at the south-eastern tip of the island of Oahu, by a couple on their 13m yacht Hold Fast. Unable to bring the group onto the vessel safely they had alerted the Coast Guard, which then showed the captain where to find his clients.
The couple had heard calls for help and spotted the divers clinging to one another in the distance, they reported. When Camila Storchi and her husband Ryan motored closer the divers told them that they had drifted away from their charter-boat, Honey Ann, some 90 minutes earlier.
”It was stormy and the wind was blowing faster by the minute,” said Storchi. “Only one diver was in a critical situation – grey, hypothermia, throwing up – so we tried to get him on board first. He was too lethargic, with heavy equipment – I had personally prohibited them from taking their gear off.
“Our next choice would be using the halyard but risks would be taken so we all decided to wait for the Coast Guard.” The couple had thrown the divers a hang-line. “We circled them for 45 minutes, talking, offering water and keeping them in good spirits,” said Storchi.
In touch with the divers
The Coast Guard said that the couple’s emergency call had been the first report of the boat separation, said Storchi. Some 45 minutes later one of its helicopters arrived, followed by the Honey Ann, which picked up its divers and departed immediately.
Storchi, who was later in touch with the divers, said that the one who had elected to stay on the dive-boat after experiencing problems equalising had alleged that the captain had failed to maintain a proper look-out, and that his attention had needed to be drawn even to the arrival of the helicopter.
According to the Coast Guard, Honey Ann’s captain had got in touch only after overhearing Hold Fast’s requests for assistance. One of its helicopters had been diverted from a training flight and on arrival at the scene the pilot had relayed the divers’ position to the Honey Ann so that it could pick them up. No injuries had been reported.
The diving had been organised by Aaron’s Dive Shop, a PADI 5* IDC in Kailua that claims to be the oldest centre in Hawaii, having been in operation for more than 50 years. Honey Ann is one of the two boats that carry out most of its daily charters.
Aaron's later stated to local press that a last-minute decision had been made to change the group’s dive-site but that in making this change its “documented protocol” had not been followed.
The dive-leader had taken the correct measures in terms of use of SMBs and keeping the group together during the separation, it said, and a review of the incident was to be carried out. The Coast Guard has also stated that it is conducting an investigation.
Also on Divernet: SCUBA DIVER ENDURES 5HR DRIFT – THEN HIKES, DIVER ENDURES SEVEN-HOUR DRIFT AFTER SEPARATION, BOAT LEFT COUPLE AT SEA: $5M LAWSUIT BLAMES FLAWED HEADCOUNTS
