TOWNSVILLE, Australia (3 May 2006) -- Police are still hoping to find answers, more than two years after a Helena bride drowned on her honeymoon in Australia. Christina Watson, 26, died while scuba diving off Townsville, with her husband Gabe Watson. Watson says he almost drowned trying to save his new bride off the Great Barrier Reef. The two had taken the trip aboard the Spoil Sport. Watson's lawyer Bob Austin says his client complained about the swift currents on that October 22nd trip. Watson has since questioned the dive equipment they used. Today, Australian authorities still have possession of that equipment. The investigation into the death has been slow. In fact, this week, Australian investigators turned down a paid trip to come to the United States to finish their investigation. Now, a Helena Police investigator will take over the U.S. investigations. "My plan is to go ahead and take my investigator, we've already talked to the Justice Department and talked to the FBI and we're lined up with them so that I can fly my detective out of state and go ahead and finish up these interviews and get them back to the Australian authorities as quick as possible," said Helena Police Chief Douglas Jones. Helena Police will interview witnesses from the scuba trip who live in Florida, Illinois and Colorado. They hope to finish-up by late June. "We're going to go ahead and speed it up, we just don't want it to go much longer, we want to go ahead and let authorities decide what they're going to do down there," said Jones. Meanwhile, Watson's attorney says his client has done all he can to get answers. "Two and half years is an extraordinary time to carry on an investigation of any type, he has contacted officers in charge of the investigation offered to do whatever it took to help them in the investigation," said Austin. | | INVESTIGATION: Townsville police question passengers, crew onboard Mike Ball 'Spoil Sport' in 2003 after Tina Watson died on the Yongala wreck. Parents Tom and Cindy Thomas said they are disappointed the Australian investigators are not coming, but they are hopeful they will find answers before the third anniversary of Christina's death. "I've been assured by Bob Atkinson who is the police commissioner in Brisbane over Queensland that there will be a consistent monthly review of the information that they have and that they may actually determine that they do need to send the detectives over here," said Tommy Thomas. SOURCE - WIATSCUBA FORUMDISCUSS THIS TOPIC - Dive in and have your say at Scuba Forum |
