Diverheadit's all in your head!

[ToastK]

Coast Guard Auxiliary Boat Endangers Divers
Dive flag and onlooker requests to shut off engines are ignored

Sunday, September 12, 2004
Diverhead.com Exclusive

FLORENCE, OR - Scuba divers on the Oregon Coast this weekend witnessed a most bizarre and unexpected event at the dive park on the North Jetty of the Siuslaw River in Florence, Oregon.



A small harbor patrol boat operated by the local United States Coast Guard Auxiliary developed engine problems while operating about 3/4 of a mile from the mouth of the Siuslaw River. The crippled craft initially dropped anchor on the outskirts of the well-known dive park, where a class of new divers was on the final dive of their open water certification. A dive float and flag were clearly established in the area.

The operators of the patrol boat repeatedly hoisted their anchor and tried starting their engine. But each time they just drifted closer to the submerged student divers and their instructors. Eventually, the boat was anchored within a few feet of the group's floating dive flag, which is often used by student divers as they surface from a dive.


The craft, anchored within a few feet of a dive float and flag, repeatedly started and ran its engine.

Incredulous observers on the nearby jetty rocks called out to the boat's operators and informed them that there were divers in the water nearby. One of the craft's operators responded that since the divers were underwater they were not in any danger. In addition, even though the craft was neither adrift nor in any immediate danger, onlookers' requests to shut off their engines until the remaining divers had exited the water were completely ignored. Dismayed divers watched anxiously from land as the bubbles from the last two divers in the water slowly approached the area.


With a diver's bubbles clearly visible less than a yard away, the patrol boat's operators continued to try to get their engine running despite requests to shut it off until the area was clear.

Fortunately, all of the divers exited the water safely. Shortly thereafter, an official U.S. Coast Guard craft -- a 47-foot motor lifeboat from Station Siuslaw River -- arrived to render assistance. Moments later, the helpless patrol boat and its crew were towed out of the area.


An official USCG lifeboat arrives, boards the vessel, and prepares to tow it back to port.


The crippled USCG Auxiliary patrol boat is towed out of the North Jetty dive park.

This event left divers disconcerted on many fronts, most notably by:

• the apparent lack of familiarity with the meaning of, and protocol surrounding, dive floats and flags;
  
• the complete lack of appreciation for how and why their craft posed a serious danger to submerged divers;
  
• the complete disregard for the safety-oriented requests made by those who were watching; and
  
• seeing a vessel representing the United States Coast Guard engage in such dangerous acts.

According to their website, the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary was "established... in 1939 to assist the Coast Guard in promoting boating safety.... [Members] receive special training so that they may be a functional part of Coast Guard Forces. Auxiliarists assist the Coast Guard in non-law enforcement programs such as public education, vessel safety checks, safety patrols, search and rescue, maritime security and environmental protection and Coast Guard Academy introduction programs for youth."

The Auxiliary operates on a volunteer basis, and it undoubtedly plays a valuable role in the greater mission of the U.S. Coast Guard. But in this case, the Coast Guard Auxiliary clearly created more problems than it solved for the U.S. Coast Guard. Furthermore, their willful disregard for the "diver down" flag and their refusal to heed the requests of those observing the situation leaves one wondering who really needs the boater education and safety training most.

Copyright 2004 by ToastK. All Rights Reserved. Reprint by permission only.

[MisterCompassion]

I really think you ought to post a complaint with the USCG and maybe send a copy of the link for your story to the Register Guard. Maybe you'll become a roving reporter. Turn your diverhead job into a day job.

MrC

[ToastK]

[deep6copdvr]

Hi ya,.

I forwarded the article to the happy folks at the Oregon State Marine Board. I hope you don't mind.

deep6copdvr

[ToastK]

I received a call back from the Coast Guard regarding the incident at the North Jetty with the Auxiliarist patrol boat. I'll try to report the gist of the conversation.

First, the Coast Guard has seen the article above. So, in addition to my original conversation with them, they are fully aware and appreciative of the diver's perspective in this issue.

Second, the Coast Guard had a lengthy "debrief" with the auxiliarists who were operating the patrol boat. Basically, the auxiliarists' point of view was that they didn't believe that their anchor was holding -- at least not until they were anchored adjacent to the dive float and flag. They knew they were in a dive site, but they were concerned with being swept into the jetty rocks. Avoiding the jetty rocks became the overriding motivator for their actions. The Coast Guard acknowledged that the preferred course of action -- especially knowing they were in an active dive site -- would have been to focus exclusively on securing the anchor and then to have called for help. This may have prevented them from drifting further and further into the dive site, thus reducing the threat to divers in the water.

Third, they claim that once their anchor was holding, they did not engage their engine. Yes, they repeatedly started it in an effort to burn off the fuel they believed was flooding the engine, but they did not engage their prop during that time.

Finally, the boat operators claimed that they could not understand what the people on shore were saying. While this may be consistent with them appearing to ignore requests to stop running their engines, it does not explain their initial response to being notified that there were divers in the water. (That would be where they said the divers were safe because they were under the water. As a good friend of mine retorted, "Where's your prop?")

Anyway, in response to all of this, I really just wanted to make sure that the Coast Guard understood that had all of this occurred just 10-15 minutes earlier, it would have been a much scarier situation. At that time, groups of student divers -- completely unaware that a boat was now anchored adjacent to the dive float -- were exiting the water, and they often use the rope attached to the dive float during their ascents. I also explained that there is an increased likelihood of a student diver experiencing an uncontrolled ascent in the vicinity of the dive flag and exit point. Even if the prop wasn't engaged, this could have easily resulted in a student diver colliding with the bottom of the patrol boat.

Fortunately, none of that happened. And hopefully, this can be a learning experience for all involved.

By way of feedback, the Coast Guard did offer two suggestions:

• Signage - They suggested that signs (i.e., with words on them) be placed on the jetty rocks, facing the water, whenever there are divers in the water. This might be an extra precaution that large groups/classes could take. (It is also basically an admission that only diver's know what a dive flag means! Signs might also attract attention and draw boaters in. On the other hand, if the signage could incorporate the "diver down" flag it might actually educate boaters in the area. A point for further discussion?)
  
• Dive Flags - They encouraged the continued use of dive flags and noted that they have observed divers in the area without them. (Ummm, yeah.)

I just want to say that in no way do I believe any of this should reflect poorly on the U.S. Coast Guard per se. To the contrary, they have been nothing but receptive to my comments and constructive in their responses. I think it really boils down to a series of bad decisions made in a stressful situation by two individuals. At this point, we can only hope that they have learned from their mistakes.
_________________
Steve H. -- d i v e r h e a d . c o m -- it's all in your head!