Krazy Kiwi wrote"

> Boy! How did they manage to keep this so quiet internationally.
> What it the off-season? ie not many boats in the area which is why they
> were not spotted for such a long time.
> Did the divers carry any safety gear at all?

It wasn't all that quite, I guess you just weren't looking in the right
place for it.  We've probably had half a dozen "divers abandoned" events
over the last few years, maybe more.  Ours rarely get as much or as harsh
publicity because the victims are almost always recovered in good health.

It surprises me that they could not signal help too, particularly since it's
in what I'd call a high traffic area.

Regarding safety gear, it's not unusual for divers in this area to lack much
in the way of rescue equipment.  It's rare to see even a safety sausage, let
alone strobes, reflective devices and the like.  I didn't even own a safety
sausage before our trip to Coz (I now have a larger than average one that
goes on all dives with me), only carry a sound device on dives that require
one and still don't have a reflective device.  I do carry at least two
lights on every dive.  The Keys specialize in resort type diving and the
site mentioned is a resort type site, pretty, but shallow with little or no
current.  Typically, the boat hooks to a permanent mooring, the divers hit
the water for about an hour and the boat moves to the next, equally shallow,
equally easy site.  It's quite likely that these divers exceeded a stated
time limit, setting themselves up for an operator demonstrating less than
adequate procedures for ensuring all his customers are present and accounted
for.

Lee