BONAIRE (30 Jan 2002) -- Twelve sport divers out for a tropical holiday got more (or less) than they bargained for last Friday when their moored dive boat took on water and rapidly sank with little warning in about 120 ft. of water. "Pretty scary" was the one guest's characterization of the incident, which took place just as the divers were suiting up for their first dive of the day on board "Antonia", a day charter dive boat operated by Bon Bini Divers (Lions Dive Resort). While everyone aboard made it to shore without serious injury, the foundering vessel very nearly took one unfortunate guest - whose gear had become entangled on one of the boat's lines - all the way to the bottom. Only the quick thinking heroics of the trip's videographer prevented a tragedy. According to reports from those on the scene, "When he saw the diver (who was unable to reach his own regulator) going down, Heinrick followed and managed to cut the diver free at 40 - 50'. The diver survived but suffered barotrauma to the middle ear." The crew of the Antonia appeared to have been fully unaware - and unconcerned - that anything was amiss, despite early warnings from guest divers that "there was water coming up onto the dive platform". After that, according to one eyewitness, "things happened fairly quickly. The boat continued to take on water and within minutes, the boat rolled onto its side tossing several divers overboard. Once on its side it was not much more then another minute before Antonia started for the bottom." | | Happier times at Bonaire's Bon Boni Divers Divers and crew were picked up by nearby boats, with guest repercussions (other than the rescued diver's middle ear injury) limited to a few cuts and bruises, lost personal articles, and a good scare. The Antonia was raised within hours and now sits in dry-dock as the boats owners - and authorities - try to piece together the cause of the mishap. Susan Davis, Managing Director of Bon Bini Divers, had no comment on the sinking, other than to acknowledge, "Yes, we did have an incident on Friday…the boat has been put into dry-dock and an investigation is underway to ascertain the cause." It was likely more than "an incident" to the twelve vacationing divers who came closer than any of them would have liked to a quick trip to Davy Jones locker. As one summed up his feelings, "Next time in Bonaire I might stick to the shore diving." © CDNN - CYBER DIVER NEWS NETWORK |
