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Bali boat captain arrested for leaving Japanese divers

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I dont know but was it his fault?

2 ( +5 / -3 )

I dont know but was it his fault?

Was it his fault the weather changed, or was it his fault he left his station without reporting he also left 7 people behind?

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Shizue AndoFeb. 20, 2014 - 09:49PM JST

I dont know but was it his fault?

Most definitely. You do NOT sail off leaving divers stranded in the middle of the ocean. It is even worse than dropping someone naked in the middle of the desert.

It doesn't matter what anyone else said or recommended, because according to maritime law the captain of the boat has final authority on all decisions on his/her boat, and final responsibility as well.

I'd love to know what was going through this captain's head when he decided that it was a good idea to just sail off. I suspect he was more concerned about the storm damaging his precious boat then the lives of the divers.

As for the dive instructor being charged, that's just idiotic. The drive instructor cannot overrule the captain, and so the dive instructor isn't responsible. Short of knocking out the captain and taking command (not such a great idea unless you're strong enough to do it and know how to captain the boat) there's nothing she could have done.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

I'd love to know what was going through this captain's head when he decided that it was a good idea to just sail off. I suspect he was more concerned about the storm damaging his precious boat then the lives of the divers.

Actually there was some news that the police had information that the captain may have left the scene because the boat was running low on fuel. I am more interested in why they are investigating the instructor though. Perhaps it is standard procedure.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I’m with Frungy here - he left them behind, so yes, it’s his fault. Regardless of the circumstances, any right thinking person would not have done that without some kind of contingency for the 7 people underwater depending on them.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Earlier it was written that the boat went back to shore to be refueled. So it is negligence, captain could have done that before commencing the trip.

And after all the divers ascended after only 30min. Even there is a strong current the might only traveled 3-5km in this time and the boat could have followed even with low fuel as you go with the current not against it.

Glad the arrested him, harms the reputation of this industry and everyone who is doing diving and boating, like me, for a live.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

When this story first broke KEEP IN MIND the boat CAPTAIN said he drifted and was caught in a storm he also stated that he searched for the divers for "1 hour" the question is did he search for 1 hour prior to refueling or after. My logic tells me he searched after he refueled and this is where all hell broke loose because the women said "they “dived for 30 minutes and came to the surface but the Ocean Express was not there”, he said, referring to the boa"t. That tells me he searched after refueling because it probably took him 30 minutes to go refuel and 30 minutes to get back to the dive site in between time the women had already surfaced and he was not there, prompting him to frantically search and the women to panic helplessly and fight for their survival. IS THE BOAT CAPTAIN GUILTY HELL YES, regardless you never leave divers underwater under any circumstances. The boat captain said he went to go refuel I think he used that as an excuse he saw the weather changing and this guy knows the ocean he was only looking out for his best interest and that was to get out of the storm so he high tailed it back once the storm blew over he then refueled. If I could ask the boat captain a question I would ask him how many times he has taken divers out to dive and how many times did he have to refuel. Why go out knowing you are low on fuel. GUILTY GUILTY GUILTY AS HELL!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

"Bali Boat Capyain Arrested" - THANK YOU!

You Never EVER leave a Dive Team below for any reason whatsoever UNLESS you drop a Buoy marking the spot where the dive team is at.

Besides, this idiot Dive Captains story changed so many times and I felt from the get go: Why did he leave the Team below? To get Gas? Gas? Your supposed to get gas BEFORE the expedition dive and not after you get to the dive site and figure 'Hmm, think I need to go get some gas...be right back..never mind that big storm approaching...'

Word to the wise: Please do not ever put your life in the hands of 3rd World Idiots ESPECIALLY Hazardous Recreational Sport Activities like Hot Air Ballooning, Sky Diving, Para Sailing, and now Scuba Diving.

Thoughts and prayers to the families.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Yeah, well, what a fine kettle of fish this is! The captain of the nots should have been aware of changing weather conditions and should have cancelled the your. But, the divers should also have been aware and should not have ventured out in the dive.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

@ Disillusioned

Yeah, well, what a fine kettle of fish this is! The captain of the nots should have been aware of changing weather conditions and should have cancelled the your. But, the divers should also have been aware and should not have ventured out in the dive.

IF you have been keeping up with this story you would know! The divers and the boat captain said the sea was calm they had already made two dives the seas changed quickly while out in open water Duh!!!!

2 ( +4 / -2 )

@Disillusioned

"the divers should also have been aware and should not have ventured out in the dive."

Everyone said the sea was calm when they started diving. Your tendency to blame the Japanese and Japan on anything and everything is pathetic.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Good.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

What a terrible story. The captain should be tried and convicted of Murder. He is an out and out pirate and murdering theif. He should have fully fueled the boat before departing the dock or never left. Those poor women. I hope they get therapy it will be a terrible ordeal that will stay with them all their lives. and I am so sorry for the one who lost her life. it was totally unnecessary. If there was no buoy that is even worse. What a terrible terrible fool that man is. And the instructor is also responsible they should have prevented this, and reported it to the coast guard and police as soon as they landed. She or he is also a criminal. wow. what a story. I would recomend that so called captain lose his license and his boat as well.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

@Kaimycahl

The divers and the boat captain said the sea was calm they had already made two dives the seas changed quickly while out in open water Duh!!!!

"the seas changed quickly" was a valid excuse for boat captains back in the early 20th century before satellite-assisted weather forecasting became a reality. Today there's no excuse for not getting the forecast for the entire duration of the cruise BEFORE you leave port. Seas don't suddenly decide to "change" on a whim. It takes surface winds to do that, and countries have gotten VERY GOOD at predicting maritime wind forecasts over a 24-hour period in their regions. DUH!!!

@Hide Suzuki,

Everyone said the sea was calm when they started diving. Your tendency to blame the Japanese and Japan on anything and everything is pathetic.

Maybe I've gone selectively blind. I didn't see the words "Japanese", "Japan", "Nippon", "Nihonjin", or any other variation of those words in his post. His post appears to be directed at what their responsibilities as DIVERS should have included, not their responsibilities as residents of Japan. I seem to recall these women were supposedly experienced divers, so you'd think at least ONE of them must have noted the weather forecast prior to boarding the vessel. (Who's going to want to go diving when seas are expected to worsen to sea state 4 or 5?) Or maybe they weren't so experienced after all? Regardless, you're the only one making a big deal that these divers were Japanese. Disillusioned certainly wasn't.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Funny... I read Disilliusioned's post and came to the same conclusion as Hide.

Anyway, the fact remains that the boat should never have left the scene. On my last dive, I got into trouble and my instructor took me back to the surface and the boat picked me up. I dread to think what would have happened if he wasn't there.

You never know what will happen underwater and even in the most serene conditions (and it seems that this area, with it's strong currents, isn't at all serene) the unexpected can and does happen.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

This story doesn't mention the captain leaving to get gas or leaving the scene. An earlier story quoted him as saying that the bad weather ruined the visibility and thus he wasn't able to see the divers. Let's remember, the Coast Guard launched its own search with ships and helicopters and couldn't spot them .

Anyway, whoever decided to dive in such bad weather is certainly culpable. The monsoons are bad around Bali this time of year, and that's a fact.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

"Actually there was some news that the police had information that the captain may have left the scene because the boat was running low on fuel."

But who knows for sure if he really needed fuel or came up with that explanation later.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Jeff,

You should read the other reports. All have said it wasn't bad weather when they entered the water. And it's also been reported that they drifted 20 km so it's hardly surprising that the coast guard didn't find them as they were looking in the wrong area.

It seems apparent to me that when they surfaced the boat wasn't there. Now that may be to the current taking them away from their expected surfacing point but that does not excuse the captain of the boat leaving whilst people were underwater.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Negligence, for sure. After only 30 minutes he left them - that's completely inexcusable and negligent.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

“We apologise for causing tremendous worries and trouble,” -- They almost died, but still, they managed to offer an apology. Hoping for your fast recovery. RIP to those who died.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@Fadamor

Read Disillusioned's other posts. You will see that he goes out of his way to blame Japan and the Japanese every chance he gets,

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Why was the boat low on fuel in the first place?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Ha ha ha! All the armchair seamen have come out to diss me and tell me I am pathetic cos I dissed on the Japanese. I never mentioned anything about Japanese. I said, divers! Just for all you armchair seamen, there is this wonderful thing called, weather radar, that is updated every five minutes and can be accessed by your phone. It covers every area of the world. There is also something called a 'weather report'. Perhaps you've heard of it. The captain and the divers should have been aware of the changing conditions. Yeah, the main responsibility lies with the captain, but the divers also have to share responsibility for not checking weather conditions for themselves. I've owned many boats and have done a lot of deep sea fishing. The rule is: if in doubt, don't go out!

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

The rule is: if in doubt, don't go out!

Except that you are forgetting the fact that storms can suddenly appear out at sea. So, weather reports and weather radar do not help in those situations. Do you have some information to indicate they would have helped in this particular situation?

Yeah, the main responsibility lies with the captain

No, from what we know right now, all of the responsibility lay on the captain. It was his choice alone to abandon those divers.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Fadamor, Duh!! The comment i made came directly from the divers quote! Read the past articles if you could if not i can send them to you in braille, if not KMA!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Disillusioned

"There is also something called a 'weather report'"

Oh that's right. Something called "weather report" has never been wrong right ? LOL

talk about armchair expert LOL

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

@ Disillusioned if your read your own post you admit to "diss on the japanese" read what you wrote your own words where you admit your guilt "all the armchair seamen come out and tell me I am pathetic because i dissed on the Japanese" right there is your admission of guilt and @ Fadamor you are selectively blind because you didnt read the post correctly! All of your statement were assumptions or should have etc.... Regardless of forecast do you think these women would have went diving knowing the conditions they got caught in? I dont think so Duhhhhhh

0 ( +1 / -1 )

What an SOB

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Is he being arrested for leaving them or for not reporting when and where he'd left them. I can see how if the weather took a sudden violent turn and he couldn't find them he'd leave the area rather than risk the life of his crew, but if he didn't report the exact location where he was when he left the area, then yeah. That should definitely be a crime.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Hope he gets the ax.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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