GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands (31 Jan 2008) — The body of another tourist who disappeared while scuba diving in the Cayman Islands has been recovered. At about 9:30am on Thursday, local fisherman Eddie Pars found the body floating in the ocean near 12-Mile Bank due west of George Town. Pars radioed police and "The Protector" patrol vessel brought the body back to shore. Among government agencies and local boats assisting in the missing diver search were the Cayman Aggressor, Don Fosters, Hakuna Matata, the Cayman Islands Port Authority, the Department of the Environment and the Marine Unit of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service. A commercial helicopter was also deployed to search for the missing tourist. Police said the victim entered the ocean with five other divers at Cracked Conch but experienced buoyancy problems while scuba diving off North West Point, resurfaced alone and started swimming back to shore. He never made it. Buddy system Police Constable Ian Porter of the Marine Unit speculated that the fatal scuba diving accident may have resulted from diver error because the victim's dive buddy continued diving rather than helping him to safely return to shore. During entry-level certification courses, scuba divers learn to utilize the "buddy system" to enhance diver safety. The "buddy system" requires divers to dive in pairs and assist a "buddy diver" to safety if they encounter problems while scuba diving. Police said the scuba diving accident is under investigation, however, authorities acknowledge that long delays of up to two years compromise the safety of tourists who scuba dive in the Cayman Islands. Pre-existing medical conditions Dive operators and tourism promoters in the Caymans dismiss such diver safety concerns comparing scuba diving to golf and arguing that tourists often die because of their own "pre-exising medical conditions" such as obesity and coronary disease. Once considered the best Caribbean scuba diving destination, the Cayman Islands is now synonymous with overdevelopment, exorbitant rates and lowest common denominator tourist trap gimmicks such as Stingray City where local dive boat operators harass marine wildlife to "entertain" cruise ship tourists. | | "You know, just because somebody was having a round of golf and they had a heart attack, it's not considered a golfing accident," said Steve Broadbelt, a strident local tourism promoter, liquor store owner and condo developer. Unlike golf, however, scuba diving involves inherent risks of decompression sickness, lung embolisms, drowning and potentially dangerous encounters with marine wildlife. Participation in scuba diving activities also requires a medical examination and liability releases to which people who ride around in golf carts are not subjected. The latest scuba diving fatality was the second in the Cayman Islands in a little over a week. On January 19, British tourist Tina Baxter drowned while scuba diving off Northwest Point with an unidentified local dive boat operator. In 2007 five tourists died while scuba diving in the Cayman Islands but investigations of those fatalities have still not been completed. © CDNN - CYBER DIVER NEWS NETWORKSCUBA FORUMDISCUSS THIS TOPIC - Dive in and have your say at Scuba ForumCDNN RELATED NEWSCAYMANS - Another tourist missing after scuba diving accidentCAYMANS - Autopsy: Nurse drowned in Caymans scuba accidentCAYMANS - British tourist dies while scuba divingCAYMANS - Red Sail Sports customer died from embolismCAYMANS - Diver-fed eel nearly bites off scuba diver's arm |
