CDNN INTERVIEW - TERESA MARSHusband and wife
Teresa and Ray Mars |
On the afternoon of October 8, 2001, Peter Hughes decided not to evacuate passengers and non-essential crew from Wave Dancer despite National Hurricane Center warnings that Hurricane Iris would slam into Belize with deadly force. A few hours later, Ray Mars and 19 other passengers and crew were dead, trapped in the flooded cabins of a capsized Wave Dancer. Teresa Mars, Ray's widow, has steadfastly refused to sign a gag order as part of any settlement brokered by Hughes's attorneys, and is leading a courageous battle for justice and accountability on behalf of the relatives of Wave Dancer victims. Mrs. Mars was interviewed by CDNN Managing Editor, Freeman Washington. FREEMAN: When did you first become aware that something was wrong with the Wave Dancer trip - that your husband might be in some kind of danger? TERESA: I was watching television on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 7, at home in Maryland. The Emmy's were to be broadcast that day, and I always watch all the awards shows. Ray didn't like them, but since he was on the trip, I was being lazy and watching all the pre-shows and everything. All of a sudden, they began talking about the action in Afghanistan, so I switched to the news channels, from CNN to Fox News to MSNBC and so forth. The news bulletins were crawling across the bottom of the screen. This was no later than 3pm here on the East Coast, 2pm in Belize. I saw several bulletins about Hurricane Iris heading for the coast of Belize, and there were mandatory evacuations. I then switched to the Weather Channel, where I gathered even more information about the approaching storm. They indicated that it would be a very intense storm, with winds expected up to 145 mph, which is a category 4 hurricane. I knew this was very serious, and began to worry about Ray's safety. I had a very bad feeling from that time on, but didn't know what to do about it. So I began praying. On Monday morning, after a sleepless Sunday night, I received a call from Ray from the Wave Dancer on the boat's satellite phone. That really startled me, because he was not going to call unless something was wrong. At first, I thought something must have happened to him on a dive on Sunday, like maybe he got the bends or something, or was otherwise injured, and was calling to let me know. He told me about the approaching hurricane, and I said I knew about it. He said they were going to head to a port where they had ridden out storms before. He had a funny sound to his voice, which I knew so very well, after 33 years of marriage. I asked him if he was all right, and he said yes, but with kind of a nervous laughter. I then started asking him to get off the boat and come home, I must have asked that several times. By that time, I was really crying. He said he was not able to get off the boat, and that they had been told that everything would be all right. We said "I love you" several times, and I was sobbing by that time, because I just didn't feel that this was going to be all right. I can't explain my feelings, it just felt like I would never see or talk to my husband again. I finished getting ready to go to work, because I didn't know what else to do. When I got there, I told a very close friend that Ray had called, and she seemed surprised by that also. I told her that I was very worried, and she tried to calm me down. Later that evening, when I got home from work, I immediately turned on the Weather Channel, and saw that Hurricane Iris had hit Belize with winds of 140-145 mph. I was really terrified by that time, so I called the 24 hour emergency number that Peter Hughes had provided all the families of the divers. It was supposed to be monitored 24 hours a day. I was crying, begging for someone to call me back and tell me where my husband was. I waited all night for that call but it never came. FREEMAN: When did somebody finally contact you. At about 4:30am Tuesday morning the phone rang. I immediately thought that it was Ray calling to tell me he was safe. However, I heard an unfamiliar woman's voice on the phone identifying herself as from the Richmond Dive Club. I became even more terrified when I heard that, and then she said that Hurricane Iris had hit Belize and that the boat Ray was on had capsized. I asked her to repeat what she said, because I couldn't believe what I was hearing. She repeated the information, saying that three people were confirmed dead, and Ray was not in that group. She said there were eight survivors, and Ray was not in that group either. He was among the missing and search and rescue operations were underway. I can't even begin to describe what I was feeling at that time. I never expected to hear the words "search and rescue" in connection with my husband. No one does. She said she would keep me informed, and hung up. FREEMAN: You must have been terrified and in deep shock at that point. TERESA: For about an hour, I just lay in bed and stared at the ceiling. I really don't know what I was thinking. I didn't know what to do. Eventually, I got up, and began making calls. First, I called the Coast Guard, here in Maryland, asking them for information. They said they had heard about the capsizing of the Wave Dancer, but were not involved in the search and because Belize had not requested assistance. They could not get involved otherwise. Then, I called the American Embassy in Belize, again getting no information. I don't think they even answered the phone, but I'm not sure. I began to pace the house, gathering all the information Ray had on the Wave Dancer, trying to remember or figure out how many people had been aboard. I started figuring out how many people were missing. A few hours went by, and a couple of my friends from work called and said they wanted to come over so I would not be alone. At first I said no, I would be OK. One of my very close friends, Sandy, arrived at my house shortly after, saying she didn't care if I was mad, she wasn't going to let me sit this out by myself. She also said that another very close friend, Roberta, would be over shortly. (Roberta and I are pharmacists, so she could not just walk out without someone to take her place.) Hours went by, and we were desperately trying to search all the news channels and radio stations for information. All we got was what we already knew, that the Wave Dancer had capsized during Hurricane Iris. Late in the afternoon, one of the secretaries from Ray's office called, and asked me how I was doing. I said "not so good" and she started screaming, really screaming about whether Ray was really on that boat? I said yes, and she was crying. A few minutes later, a mutual friend from Ray's office, Denise, called and asked if she could come over. At that point, I was tired of saying that I could handle it myself, and said come on over. A couple of minutes after that, our neighbor, Doug, called and asked if I wanted him to come over, to come home from work. He told me that he had heard about the capsizing on the radio. At that point, I figured it was only a matter of time before everyone knew. I then began worrying about notifying family. Up till then, I didn't want to scare anyone just in case Ray was all right. However, with each passing hour, I really began to believe more and more that Ray must really be dead. He would have found a way to contact me, otherwise, because he would have known that I would be terrified at the news. Our son was vacationing in Florida with a few friends, and I didn't want to leave a message on his phone at home, because I knew that I could not make my voice sound normal to him. I had one of his friend's cell phone numbers, who was not with him, and I called him, telling him what I knew so far, to get him to leave a message for our son. I also called my parents in Michigan, and Ray's brother (I asked him to notify his parents). Everyone said that if anyone could have gotten out, Ray could. I told them that if he was missing, that meant he was in the boat or under the water, and was lost. No one wanted to hear that, and there was much praying going on. Our son called from Florida, and I had to tell him that his father was missing. He began to sob. I didn't know what to do. He is a 33-year-old man, and I hadn't seen him cry since he was a small child. He and his father were so close, only 20 years apart in age. He got a flight from Ft. Lauderdale to Philadelphia, to Baltimore. I continued to wait for news, calling Jenny Chappel from the Richmond Dive Club several times, but hours went by without anyone contacting me. Peter Hughes never called me that day, nor did anyone from his office. He later told people that he called me but someone else answered my phone and said I was unavailable. I jumped for the phone the few times it rang, not letting anyone else near it. We always called on our cell phones, to keep the main line free for news. He did not call. At about 6:30pm, Jenny Chappel called me, and said that I should contact the American Consulate here in Washington,DC, but to wait 10 minutes because she also had to call them. We all sat around waiting (friends and neighbors), and I called the Consulate about 6:40pm. I identified myself, and was put on hold. At 6:44pm (by the clock on the microwave), Ian Brownlee got on the phone and said "Oh, Mrs. Mars, I am so sorry." I asked him what he was sorry about, because no one had told me anything yet. After several seconds of silence, he confirmed that Ray had been found and positively identified, and that he was dead. My neighbor, also named Teresa, was dishing up food, while listening to my conversation. As soon as she heard me answer Ian Brownlee after he told me Ray was dead, she just started putting things away without skipping a beat. I got off the phone and told everyone that Ray was really dead. No one knew what to say, so I just went over and sat down. We were all very quiet. I was hoping that our son, Raymond, would not call me in between flights, so I could tell him in person, when he arrived in Baltimore, but of course, he did call, and I had to tell him the truth. It was awful. Thanks to my neighbor, Teresa's husband, Doug, who insisted on driving me to the airport to pick Raymond up, because he didn't think I was steady enough to drive. It was very much true. When Raymond landed, we both just stood and sobbed for several minutes. Then we went home, and everyone else left us alone. We sat up and talked most of the night, and early the next morning the phone started ringing. That's the next story. No, it wasn't Peter Hughes. He did call, however, on the Sunday, 2 weeks after the incident, when we were in Indianapolis for Ray's funeral. I still have his message on my answering machine, saying how sorry he was. I have no comment on that. The next morning, my first phone call came from the Red Cross Disaster Alert Mental Health Team. I was really surprised to hear from them, and didn't know quite what to say. They were very helpful, and actually came out to the house Thursday evening, and talked to several family members and friends. Getting Ray's body back from Belize was extremely difficult. At one point, a woman from the State Department, Ruth Branson, said that Ray had been identified, but that Belizean law required an autopsy, and there would be a delay in getting him back, since there was only one or maybe two people there who could do autopsies. That was changed later the same day, to Belize waiving the requirement for autopsies, because they could not handle so many bodies. It was an emotional roller coaster, to say the least. The bodies of all the victims were left piled up on the dock, or pier, whatever, for several days. It was hot and humid in Belize, so you can imagine what that, and the time spent underwater, did to our loved ones bodies. Finally, they were sent to Belize City, where they were to be embalmed. I found out later that was a very cursory procedure, not the way it should have been done, and that there was not enough refrigeration for all the bodies. The nightmare just kept growing. Finally an SOS chartered plane – a plane had to be chartered because there so many victims - brought the bodies back to America on Sunday, October 14, Ray's father's birthday. Yes, he's still alive. What a birthday present. We had found a funeral home here, and the bodies were returned to Richmond. Our funeral director drove down there, and waited several hours for the plane to land. He promised us he would call when he returned here to Maryland with Ray. We had been advised that the deterioration of his body was extensive. Our son and I wanted to see him, to say good-bye. But Tim, from the Slack Funeral Home here, called us that Sunday night and asked us not to do so. He said Ray was unrecognizable, bloated, and green. His skin was gangrenous, and coming apart. I had insisted he tell me exactly the condition, and he honored that request. I then asked him to identify a tatoo on Ray's arm, and he did so while we were on the phone, although he was barely able to see it. I decided that Ray's dignity and privacy had already been invaded enough, and that he would not want us to see him that way. He took good care of himself, he was in excellent shape and he was a very handsome man. So we - our son, Ray's best friend, and I - decided to accept Tim's suggestion, and ask him to seal the casket. I am very sorry we didn't get to say good-bye, but still feel that we made the right decision. That night was like hearing of his death all over again, very painful. It just seemed that the hits kept coming. FREEMAN: Were you able to attend the memorial service that was held in mid-November for all 17 of the Richmond Dive Club members who died aboard Wave Dancer and if so, did that help to bring you a sense of closure? TERESA: Yes, I attended the memorial service. I had intended to go alone, because our son was out of town, but one of my very dear friends from work insisted on driving me down there so that I would not be alone. I am very glad she insisted on that, because it turned out to be a much more difficult and painful day than I could have ever imagined. There were plans for each victim (or couple who died together) to have a table and a board to show photos and mementos. I took several pictures of Ray, including our wedding picture, from August 24, 1968. I also took a plaque that his colleagues made, including his FDA investigator badge (which was retired), and his credentials. I also took a special commendation from the FDA Commissioner citing Ray's 29+ years of service. My friend, Roberta and I sat in the front row, middle, so we would not miss anything. The first speaker was Dave DeBarger, who is now the president of the Richmond Dive Club. He started by melodramatically squinting up at the ceiling of the church, and then turned slowly to look at all of us. He told the men they should take off their suit jackets and neckties because all of the people who had died would be laughing at us all dressed up. All the family members present were dressed appropriately for a solemn occasion, but solemnity was not what Dave DeBarger and the Richmond Dive Club had in mind. Dave made several casual and extremely inappropriate comments about our deceased loved ones, how they were off enjoying diving somewhere—I don't remember, I don't want to, it was awful. Then he read off all the victims' names, while another man lit a purple candle for each one. That was incredibly difficult, and when he said Ray's name, I thought I would die from sheer sorrow. The next to speak was Mike Carr, another member of the Richmond Dive Club. He was extremely irreverent and jovial, not at all befitting the occasion. I already felt sick listening to people who didn't want to acknowledge the pain and suffering we all felt, but when Carr concluded with the Richmond Dive Club promotional slogan: "Let's Go Diving", well, that was really awful, and I felt as though I had been punched in the stomach. The last thing any of us, any of the family members wanted to hear, were jovial comments about diving and promotional slogans for Richmond Dive Club scuba diving trips. The next to speak was Mary Lou Hayden, reciting some rambling poem I didn't understand. When she was finished, she sat back down with DeBarger and Carr, who were smiling, chatting and seemed to be having a good old time. And then it struck me that the entire memorial service was not for us, not for the families who had lost so much--it was a "Let's Go Diving" pep talk geared to the dive club members. It was a horrible experience, and I'm sorry I went. I felt even worse than before, but I went because I wanted to be sure Ray was represented. But what a joke it all was--a sad, pathetic joke that made us all feel miserable. The young 12-year-old son of Buddy Webb – Buddy also died on the Wave Dancer - was sobbing at the end of the service, and I felt so bad for him. He and his brother were there with Buddy's parents. I went to talk to them (Ray and Buddy were roommates on the Wave Dancer), to see if I could comfort this child. Buddy's father said it was the first time the kid had completely broken down. I felt helpless. I left soon after. The day was completely emotional and exhausting, and I was not pleased with the outcome. It was horrible, but I have come to expect nothing more from the Richmond Dive Club. There were so many wonderful people who were members of RDC, but I think all the good ones were killed on the Wave Dancer, and God knows what's left. So, to answer your question, the memorial service did not give me any sort of closure, it only upset me more. I still do not have closure. I don't expect ever to have closure. FREEMAN: What do you mean you have come to expect "nothing more from the Richmond Dive Club?" TERESA: I have been desperate for information about what actually happened the night of October 8, what the passengers were told, what they felt, were they afraid, etc. Did they feel the boat go over? They had absolutely no preparation, no life jackets were issued, nothing, but the captain and second captain ended up in a life raft. I asked both Dave DeBarger, who is now the president of the Richmond Dive Club, and Rick Patterson to help answer these questions for me, since I knew them from a previous trip. Rick came to my husband's wake, vowing to get to the bottom of what actually happened. He said they had pictures of the Wave Dancer trip, and promised to get me a set. He was crying, and seemed very moved. I told him at that time that I did not begrudge the fact that his life had been spared, and Ray's had not. A few short weeks after this, he stopped talking to me, and has since refused to answer questions. When I asked him to cooperate with the investigation in Belize, he accused me of blaming him for surviving and says that he refuses to let me make him feel guilty for that. I never mentioned anything about that, only asked for his help. It has been an incredibly painful time, only made worse by the lack of information I am so desperately seeking. FREEMAN: You mentioned that DeBarger is now the president of the RDC. According to documents we have received, he has filed a lawsuit against Hughes but refuses to cooperate with Belizean authorities investigating the tragedy. Why is DeBarger suing and why is he refusing to cooperate with authorities? TERESA: I don't know exactly why all three survivors - Dave DeBarger, Rick Patterson, and Mary Lou Hayden – are suing, nor do I know exactly why they have refused to cooperate with the authorities in Belize. Evidently, getting a piece of the financial settlement is more important to them than cooperating with an investigation that would help to make live-aboard diving safer for everyone in the future. FREEMAN: You and other relatives of those who died aboard Wave Dancer sent letters to DeBarger asking for Richmond Dive Club support of your campaign to pressure authorities in Belize to conduct a full and proper investigation of the tragedy. How did DeBarger respond to those letters? TERESA: He was nasty and uncooperative. But despite nasty replies from both DeBarger and Patterson, we kept pushing until finally they agreed to submit our request to the Richmond Dive Club board of directors. In the end, the RDC refused to support us and they also refused to explain why the club that organized the trip decided it couldn't be bothered to demand a full and proper investigation of the deaths of 17 of its members. Everything they – I mean Dave DeBarger, Rick Patterson and Mary Lou Haden – everything they've done since the tragedy tells me they don't give a damn about anything except the chance to line their pockets. Being angry, and I am, does not make my comments less true. As sure as DeBarger and the others are calculating their take from the insurance settlement, I can tell you that if the situation had been reversed, if Ray had survived and become president of the Richmond Dive Club, he would have insisted that the RDC campaign for accountability and justice for the friends we lost and their families. I lived with Ray for 33 years. I knew the man better than anyone. He would have fully cooperated with investigation authorities in Belize. He would have condemned anyone who dared to suggest that personal financial gain is more important than public safety. And he never would have said, as Dave DeBarger did, that those of us who lost our loved ones should just forget about it and go diving. FREEMAN: In the ongoing Scuba Forum discussion of the Wave Dancer tragedy, there has been strong criticism of the dive industry, and in particular, DAN's decision to launch a fund for the families in the name of Peter Hughes, even while authorities were investigating Hughes for criminal negligence. Some have described the fund as a publicity stunt cooked up by Hughes's lawyers to give credibility to the natural disaster spin Hughes put on the tragedy. How do you feel about the DAN/Hughes fund and the response of the dive industry to this tragedy? TERESA: You know, I really don't want to speculate on what motivates DAN and why Peter Bennett readily accommodates the requests of Peter Hughes while ignoring those that come from the families of people who died on one of Hughes's boats. What I can tell you is that neither I, nor as far as I am aware, any of the other family members has received one penny from that fund. Peter Bennett does not answer my letters. DAN did send one letter several months after Ray was killed. In so many words, it read, "Dear Ray, it's time to pay DAN…" I will let readers draw their own conclusions as to what motivates DAN. As for Peter Hughes and the dive industry, the campaign they cooked up to make an enormous story in PADI's Sport Diver and on the Peter Hughes website about the Sun Dancer II replacing the Wave Dancer in Belize, with a day-by-day account of the voyage from Palau to Belize, complete with jokes about what was in the survival kit, well, that was quite enough for me. FREEMAN: Immediately after the tragedy, Hughes issued a press release that appeared in all of the ad-driven, industry-controlled scuba magazines blaming the deaths on a "phantom tornado" that nobody could have anticipated. And in a recent television interview, Hughes stated "We do not feel we were negligent. We absolutely think that we acted in the best interest at the time..." yet in that same interview, he stated that guests should not be allowed to remain on live-aboard dive boats when hurricanes are in the area. How do you interpret such contradictory statements? TERESA: I think that if Hughes truly believes the decision to leave customers on the boat in a category 4 hurricane was not negligent, he would not be promising to make changes to an emergency response plan that was clearly designed to keep everybody on holiday. It speaks for itself. If Hughes had acted prudently, if he had developed an emergency response plan based on worst case scenarios rather than "let's party and hope the hurricane doesn't come this way", my husband would be here with me today. Anyone who reads the transcript of the television interview can see that Peter Hughes makes no sense at all. Apparently he thinks we are stupid. I can assure you we are not. | | |
