Remembering The Worst Diving Accident in U.S. History: What Really Happened On The Wave Dancer
On October 8, 2001, as the world continued to reel from the events of 9/11, another terrible tragedy struck a group of vacationing U.S. citizens. Twenty Richmond, Virginia divers were on the yacht Wave Dancer in Belize when Hurricane Iris ripped it from its moorings causing it to capsize. Only three of the divers would make it home alive. It was the worst accident in the history of the sport of scuba diving and a testament to the deadly danger posed by hurricanes.
(PRWEB) May 20, 2005 -- On October 8, 2001, as the world continued to reel
from the events of 9/11, another terrible tragedy struck a group of vacationing
U.S. citizens. Twenty Richmond, Virginia divers were on the yacht Wave Dancer in
Belize when Hurricane Iris ripped it from its moorings causing it to capsize.
Only three of the divers would make it home alive. It was the worst accident in
the history of the sport of scuba diving and a testament to the deadly danger
posed by hurricanes.
Last year was a record year for hurricanes with the
U.S. experiencing its most costly hurricane season ever, recording over $42
billion in damage. As another hurricane season looms, hurricane precautions are
being taken more seriously than ever. For many, each hurricane season is a
painful reminder of the Wave Dancer tragedy.
As an eyewitness to the
terrible accident and a survivor of Hurricane Iris, Joe Burnworth watched in
horror as twenty people lost their lives to the powerful storm. “As one of the
last people to see the Wave Dancer afloat, I felt it was time to set the record
straight,” says Burnworth, author of No Safe Harbor: The Tragedy of the Dive
Ship Wave Dancer. “I want to tell the story as a living tribute to those whose
lives were tragically lost and also in the hopes that lessons learned from the
accident will make hurricane safety more important to all of
us.”
Better precaution could have
possibly prevented the tragedy that ultimately befell seventeen members of the
Richmond Dive Club and three crewmembers. The novice captain of the Wave Dancer,
Captain Phillip Martin, disregarded the hurricane warnings and refused to listen
to the advice of more knowledgeable people. “It is never smart to underestimate
a hurricane,” says Burnworth. “In a matter of minutes, a dream vacation turned
into a horror-filled reality.”
Captain Martin, ignoring the advice of a
more seasoned boat captain at the dock, insufficiently tied up the Wave Dancer
leaving over half of the boat exposed to the fury of the storm. Hurricane Iris
violently ripped the yacht from the dock and tossed it 150 yards across a lagoon
where it capsized. Injured and disoriented, most of the victims were trapped
inside the disabled yacht. With the aid of a small penlight the three survivors
of the Richmond Dive Club managed to crawl and swim their way out of the now
submerged yacht.
In the tradition of The Perfect Storm and Shadow
Divers, No Safe Harbor describes the tragedy aboard the Wave Dancer in great
detail, walking you through the terrifying events step-by-step. Burnworth takes
you onboard the final days of the Wave Dancer and on a fascinating journey
through the diving world of Belize, culminating in the tragic loss that will
forever be remembered by divers all over the world.
For more information
or to set up an interview with Joe Burnworth for a story, please contact Jay
Wilke at 727-443-7115, ext. 223.
Books and photos
available.
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use this article as you see fit.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/5/prweb242080.htm