Diver is missing ... 3 hours ago

[Andy M]

Just wanted to point something out.

The Kyarra is a very high profile wreck, everyone knows about it, and many new divers qualified abroad, opt to dive this for one of their first UK dives. It is the skippers job just to take the divers there, what happens after they jump off the boat is not the skippers problem and is outside their control.

Unfortunately there have been many incidents on the Kyarra over the years, and I think it is because new divers are not planning their air/deco, going too far inside etc. All the stuff that we take for granted when diving UK wrecks. The Kyarra is deceptively deep, and needs to be treated accordingly, with strict air management, redundancy etc.

I think that all this points to the Kyarra taking more than its fair share of casualties, compared to other UK wrecks

Please note I am not casting aspersions on the experience or otherwise of the missing diver, I'm simply pointing out that the general statistics are against the Kyarra because of its profile, and the number of people who dive it, many newbies to UK diving.

[resting rifleman]

[Mr T.]

Originally Posted by Andy the Commie

Hope they like my E:Mail

It's your spelling mate - the BBC thought you'd accused them of being a cult...

[Keith L]

Originally Posted by jamesp

The year before I started diving, my club suffered a fatal incident. Some twat heard the shout on a scanner, with the result that a reporter was at the victims parents house with or before the police managed to get there.

Which is EXACTLY why such information should not be made public until official information is available, all that you do is give the gutter scum something to poke around in.

Originally Posted by jamesp

My opinion of reporters is about the same as my opinion of KL.

Now I'm insulted even I can't stoop as low as the gutter scum

Keith L

[Andy Phillips]

Hmm,

A couple of things to bear in mind;

1) the Kyarra is one of the most dived wrecks around the UK, with that many divers you will get some incidents

2) more than that, the dive is "considered" to be an easy dive, relatively shallow, and usually has reasonable viz. But, the current can run fairly hard through there, if the shot is put into the middle of the wreck you get a fair number of people who, since they are put in on slack swim in one direction, hit the end of the wreck turn and swim the other way, slack ends and they are then working hard. It is very tiring

3) I will echo the thoughts about Mike, I have only dived with him once but he is a cracking bloke and smokes roll-ups which makes him a star in my book.

I have dived the Kyarra many times and can say with out any hesitation it was the scene of my worst moment diving in the UK, it has also been the place where I have had many of the most relaxing dives I have had in the UK, but because of the currents, she deserves the greatest of respect.

Andrew

[resting rifleman]

Originally Posted by Adrian Kelland

I agree regarding the unnecessary naming of boats. However this may well be sourced from the MCGA press releases, they usually name names, which the ignorant will take to imply fault.

Perhaps the MCGA should keep names anonymous until they make any prosecutions? Although the Freedom of Information Act might get in the way here. Care to comment Mr. Humber CG?

Adrian

the cg didnt post the incident untill 1600ish, the bbc were carrying a pic from the search before midday.
they, the cg, have been extremely supportive to me and i am once again indebted to them and the lifeboat crews (6 lifeboats were involved), the heli crew,who all once again showed thier proffesionalism.
potters, angling boats, passing yachts , the seacat and truckline ferries and of course pete and crew on swanage diver! all turned out to help search.
THANK YOU ALL! and also those c/s unknown to me who gave thier time and best efforts in this forlorn task.
andy, i cant green you till i've spread some around, thanks for your post, and your time this morning, it helped! (thats one in the bank of green)
to all who have pm'd and posted the kind words on these boards cheers!

my thoughts and condolences are of course with the family, friends, and dive buddies, of the lost diver, "there are no words"
i hope he's found peace, i won't forget him.
mike.

edit, that was actually 7 lifeboats and 2 heli's (wb+va) also the local coastguard team were still searching the shoreline at 2130 as were swanage ilb

[Alan]

I had the pleasure of meeting Mike some weeks ago when I and a few divers went down to Swanage from my club to get some diving in. I was unaware until a week later (when a diver went missing) that I had met Mike, and recognised the boat from his signature url. It was unfortunate situation to identify a fellow YD'r and I reframed from introducing myself at the time given the circumstances.

I was the one you helped untangle from the SMB line on the Inspiration!

What I remember most was he warned us when the weather was going to turn bad and was'nt going to take us out beyond that.

He got it spot on, when we came back that afternoon, the other divers were performing tows under the Pier and they could'nt even see each other when holding hands.

I was impressed with his approach to safety on the boat and would dive with him anytime and trust to his judgement.

I hope you are bearing up mate and look forward to having a beer next time I am down that way.

[Allan Carr]

My deepest sympathies to the family of the missing diver and to Mike for having to suffer a second tragic event.

Unfortunately, the 'Gentlemen' of the press will try and make a sensational story whatever the truth. I was involved in an incident some 39 years ago off Swanage whilst at University. The university club had hired a clinker built dinghy with a 4HP seagull outboard. We followed advice to keep well to the east of the pier due to the impending Peveril Race. Those days, we used to anchor and go up and down the anchor line. As one of the last pair, we came back to the anchor line and saw a huge furrow across the bottom where the anchor was dragging. We started the outboard and even with the mighty 4HP going flat out and still anchored, we were moving rapidly astern. At this point, we were still well east of the pier. Two boats came out to assist in response to our distress signals and took three of the party off before conditions became too rough. One of the boats with a 20HP only just got out.

We got dragged into the confused water of the race and the boat disappeared from underneath us. The Swanage lifeboat, a Watson at that time, came to our rescue and was unable to make progress back against the current with its maximum speed of 7 knots so had to go with the current and work its way around it it to return. The coxswain said that he had never experienced a current like it - totally freak conditions and that we had no way of predicting the situation.

Now what were the newspaper reports - 'Irresponsible students ignore instructions and put lives of brave lifeboatmen at grave risk'. We had apparently set off in exactly the opposite direction to the instructions we had been given in order to dive in the middle of the Peveril Race at full flow.

I'm afraid that following that incident, I am very sceptical of newspaper reports and knowing that such information was likely to be in the public domain almost immediately, I think that Andy made the right decision in reporting it here.

[Keith L]

When dealing with the press you have to remember the two fundamental rules of journalism -

Rule #1 : Never let the truth get in the way of a good story

Rule #2 : Some things are just TGTC (Too Good To Check)

It is nothing whatsoever to do with informing people reporting facts, it's all about filling column inches and selling your paper/website.

Which I why I felt that Andy was wrong to say anything until there was a confirmed and known source. He actually said nothing that was of any use whatsoever anyway, all his post would have done is worry people and send the gutter scum into a feeding frenzy where they started harrassing everyone they had numbers for in an effort to get their exclusive angle on it.

I have the greatest respect for both Andy and for Mike who are well known and respected dive boat skippers who you can trust to do the right thing in an emergency situation. I do understand just part of what they are going through having experienced and had to deal with press harrassment myself.

All that I am saying to people is be careful what you say and don't feed the gutter scum.

Keith L

[Andy the Coastie]

Originally Posted by Allan Carr

I think that Andy made the right decision in reporting it here.

Cheers, Alan , mate.... but after I posted and got a red blob and read KL's comments ( who i respect from his experience from the BSAC forums ) I was wondering wether i had done the right thing , which then couldn't be sorted as the damage was done so to speak. However, it was first hand info from Mike himself, who i FELT from his voice, that he wouldn't be on YD for a bit to comment. Like Saturday, it took me ages to even think about coming on YD.

Originally Posted by Keith L

When dealing with the press you have to remember the two fundamental rules of journalism -

Rule #1 : Never let the truth get in the way of a good story

Rule #2 : Some things are just TGTC (Too Good To Check)

It is nothing whatsoever to do with informing people reporting facts, it's all about filling column inches and selling your paper/website.

And i'm getting to know that now. Having had 2 TV news companies at the boat for interviews on Sunday, both wanted to film a short & long version of events, so that the film editor can cut out which bits of tape to make it look as possiable on the news.

Originally Posted by Keith L

Which I why I felt that Andy was wrong to say anything until there was a confirmed and known source. He actually said nothing that was of any use whatsoever anyway, all his post would have done is worry people and send the gutter scum into a feeding frenzy where they started harrassing everyone they had numbers for in an effort to get their exclusive angle on it.

The confirmed source in my post was from Mike himself who i had on the phone for about 5 minutes before i posted. My post was not out to upset or worry anyone, it wasn't meant to be a ' I know this before you lot ' post. Just merely a incident had happen and searching was still underway.

Going back to the diver that died on the seabed last year from the Taurus, People were ringing me up before the Taurus and Lifeboat were back in Dover alongside as it was displayed on TELETEXT, and the facts were all wrong on there.
GUTTER PRESS, not only get basic info from the likes of the coastguard on thier hourly / morning phone up's to see whats been happening , but a sad fact is that they now sit around listening to VHF SCANNERS and can listen to events unfolding and convo's bewteen the rescue units and casulity.

Originally Posted by Keith L

I have the greatest respect for both Andy and for Mike who are well known and respected dive boat skippers who you can trust to do the right thing in an emergency situation. I do understand just part of what they are going through having experienced and had to deal with press harrassment myself.

Thanks for that Keith,,, means a lot.

Twice this morning i have had the press on the phone and they both got the same message
" Hello this is Taurus Diving, "
" Press # 1 for Diving enquiries ".
" Press # 2 for Work boat enquiries "
" Press # 3 to speak to our press officer ".

Key pad 3 is pressed.
" Press # 1 to hear a recorded message from our press officer "
" Press # 2 to speak to our press officer. "
" Press # 3 to interview our press officer this afternoon. "

Key pad 3 is pressed.
" Sorry by Keith our press officer is away diving until September the 3rd and is unavailable to comment.................. Thank you for calling Taurus Diving "


" Press # 1 if you wish to select another menu. "
" Press # 2 to leave a message "