Mailing List Archive Mailing List Archive
Forwarded message: > From <@nervm.nerdc.ufl.edu:millerb@fr*.sc*.fs*.ed*> Mon Aug 28 21:46:16 1995 > From: Barry Miller <millerb@fr*.sc*.fs*.ed*> > > I just recieved a Letter from Steve Gerrard south of the border. The letter reads as follows> > A Senseless Tragedy > > A week ago on Thursday, Aug. 17th....... Three Open Water Divers > Drowned at the Cenote Temple of Dome. If there was ever a criminal act > performed in diving, this was it. It began through a divestore in > Cozumel called Echo Divers, owned by a Mexican couple from Mexico > City. For whatever reasons, they decided to organize a dive group to > go to the mainland and dive a few cenotes. The Cenotes of the > Akumal-Tulum area are becoming more and more popular. They hired an > independent OW instructor- a Mexican named Luis. He told the owners > that he knew the cenotes located near Tulum and would take them to two > of his favorites. So, a trip was formed taking with thme five diving > customers. Three Dutch people, one american girl and an Italian. They > took the ferry from Cozumel to Playa Del Carmen and hired "Taxi's" to > take them first to the Grand Cenote. There they performed their first > dive. The divestore owner - George and his wife were part of this > eight person group. The second dive they moved down the road 2 1/2 > kilometers to the Cenote Temple of Doom. Apparently, the instructor > Luis led the group of eight from the cavern zone into the popular cave > passage known as the Modonna Passage. Luis was first with George > taking the eight position. To enter this tunnel you pass TWO WARNING > SIGNS. The NACD STOP SIGN and the PADI GRIM REAPER SIGN which clearly > states "PRE surface. Luis continued leading the group without knowing > this. Apparently, he never looked behind to check on the fellow divers > for many, many minutes. When he did turnaround, he found half his team > missing. Swimming back to the cavern zone, he found two people out of > air and one very low. He found George at the surface and traded tanks > because Luis was very low. Luis went back into the cave passage and > found George"s wife "out of air" but still alive. Was able to get her > to the surface and begin CPR. The American girl was dead and one of > the Dutch men was dead in the cave passage. Luis pulled their bodies > to the surface. The got George's wife to the Red Cross station in > Tulum but she finally died. THREE DEAD PEOPLE. I'm sure there is more > to this and I will continue to gather FACTS. This was First Degree > Manslaughter. German Mendoza tried very hard to have Luis thrown in > jail. This tragedy caused a BIG uproar up & down the coast in Cozumel. > Last night we had a hugh meeting in Playa Del Carmen at the > Continental Hotel with representatives from all the divestores. An > Association is being formed with the Policies and Safty of diving the > Cenotes. > > The letter goes on to say a few other things, but I though I'd give > you the details. > > > BARRY > > -- > --
Navigate by Author:
[Previous]
[Next]
[Author Search Index]
Navigate by Subject:
[Previous]
[Next]
[Subject Search Index]
[Send Reply] [Send Message with New Topic]
[Search Selection] [Mailing List Home] [Home]