KIHEI, Maui (1 Oct 2006) -- A commercial dive boat carrying 15 tourists and crew suddenly sank off Maui after its captain erroneously removed an inspection hatch located below the vessel's waterline. The 32-ft 'Kai Anela' dive boat, which is owned and operated by Maui Dive Shop, started sinking off Molokini shortly after noon on Friday. At 12:17pm, the U.S. Coast Guard scrambled a HH-65C Dolphin helicopter from Barbers Point and a 47-ft rescue boat from Station Maui at Maalaea Bay after receiving a Mayday call from the boat's captain. The 'Pineapple Express' tour boat, which was in the same area, also responded to the Mayday call and arrived in time to rescue the passengers before the dive boat sank. Two passengers -- a pregnant woman and a young boy experiencing shortness of breath -- were transferred to the Coast Guard rescue boat after it arrived at the scene. All of the rescuees were taken to Kihei Boat Ramp where some were treated by paramedics for minor injuries. The 'Kai Anela' is an aluminum monohull dive boat powered by twin engines coupled to two waterjet propulsion units. Apparently one of the jet units failed due to debris entering the waterjet intake port and jamming the impeller. Although twin engine vessels are designed to safely return to port with one engine, the captain of the 'Kai Anela' attempted to repair the jet unit on the open ocean while the passengers were still aboard. According to Maui Dive Shop owner Bob Chambers, "...when the captain was attempting to make repairs, some portion of the engine popped open, and this allowed water to flow in," he said. "The crew couldn't get the water to stop, and they couldn't pump it out fast enough; so the boat was starting to go down." CDNN Dive Industry News editor Lamar Bennington described the accident as "extremely troubling" due to a series of fundamental errors made by "a boat captain who evidently has no mechanical aptitude and less common sense" and "a boat owner who has been fooling around with the facts." | | On the bottom: Maui Dive Shop's 'Kai Anela' filled with water and sank because the captain did not understand that the inspection hatch of the vessel's jet propulsion unit was located below the waterline. (photo by Dylan Matheson) Clich photo to enlarge image. "The owner's comments about things 'popping open' are conveniently vague and misleading," Bennington said. "The captain inadvertently sank his own boat and endangered the lives of his passengers and crew because he removed an inspection hatch that was below the vessel's waterline." "The captain failed to realize the hatch was below the waterline. He also failed to understand the simple solution to the problem which would have been to move everyone aboard to the bow of the vessel thus elevating the stern and the inspection hatch well above the waterline," Bennington added. "Of course the most prudent response to a failed engine scenario would be to utilize the other engine to immediately return the passengers to port and undertake repairs when the vessel is not actually in operation," Bennington said. "In this case it appears the boat owner failed to establish standard operating procedures and failed to ensure the captain and crew had a practical working knowledge of the vessel's machinery." © CDNN - CYBER DIVER NEWS NETWORKSCUBA FORUMDISCUSS THIS TOPIC - Dive in and have your say at Scuba Forum |
