BELIZE (16 Dec 2006) -- A Belize dive boat operator accused of negligence in the death of an American tourist has lost his license for at least another five years. The Belize Tourism Board announced that Vance Cabral, owner of Placencia-based Advanced Diving, will not be eligible to reapply for a dive boat operator license until at least 2011. The Tour Operators Licensing Committee of Belize concluded that Cabral was "grossly negligent" in failing to prevent divers from leaving his boat in October 2005. On October 22, 2005, four tourist divers attempted to swim to shore after the engine on Cabral's "Advanced One" dive boat failed and the vessel started drifting away from the Belize coast. The divers -- Abigail Brinkman, Nancy Masters, Yahuta Maedo and John Bain -- were lost at sea for three days. Masters, Maedo and Bain miraculously survived after being rescued and hospitalized in critical condition but Abby Brinkman, who was diving without a wetsuit, died. In late December 2004, CDNN reported that the same dive boat capsized in rough seas near South Water Caye with 10 divers onboard. © CDNN - CYBER DIVER NEWS NETWORK | 
