Those Boat Propellers are Dangerous

Dustin McCabe, the captain of a Florida dive boat, Southern Comfort, was sentenced to more than eight years in jail in August, after the death of his dive guide, Mollie Ghiz-Flynn, in March 2020. He is said to have reversed his boat over her as she was attempting to reboard after a dive. Mollie was sucked into the turning propellers, was severely injured, and, unable to free herself, drowned. It was a gruesome way to go.

Divers know what it's like to dive in a strong current. Since you cannot fight it, you allow yourself to be drawn along with it. A vessel's turning propellers produce a powerful flow of water under the boat, so it's dangerous to attempt to board a boat when the propellers are turning; if the vessel is reversing, one might be irretrievably drawn onto the propellers.

It's a Page One rule that a good dive boat captain never reverses toward anyone in the water. But it happens. And divers must keep themselves far enough away so as not to risk being drawn in.

Advice for Keeping Safe

If the vessel is moored without engines running, a diver only has to contend with the boat's swing as it moves in an arc from the point at which it is attached. With large vessels and in windy weather, this can be considerable. If you miss grabbing the ladder or the line as it passes, you have to wait until it returns. If the vessel is on a two-point mooring, it might not move much at all.

If you are attempting to reach the stern of the vessel after a drift dive, when both you and the boat are at the mercy of wind and waves, things can be more hazardous.

Once those propellers stop turning, the captain is no longer in control. If you're close to the reef or pinnacles, watch for the crew signaling you to swim into mid-water. If they bring the boat close to the reef, they can't leave it without power, so you must ensure that the propellers have stopped turning. If they have, swim to the ladder, remove your fins quickly if you need to, and climb the ladder. Don't hang around chatting with another diver in the water.

If you're waiting at the surface to be picked up, display a visible surface marker. Keep an eye out for other boats and be ready to dive back down to avoid an emergency. It may be difficult to hear an approaching boat if you are wearing a hood.

Never swim under the hull towards the stern. The crew will not know you are there, and if the captain needs to maneuver the boat, when those propellers turn, you will be dragged toward them.

It's always safer to be picked up by a dinghy, even if, as some of us feel, it's undignified to need help to climb in. Hand up your weights (belt or pouches) before slipping out of your inflated BC with your tank attached. Be slick about it. If there is no ladder, keep your fins on until you are over the sponsons. Stay away from the stern where the outboard motor is.

When a Surface Marker Buoy Doesn't Save You

His unsafe DSMB practice, combined with a vessel lacking a look-out, led to the death of wreck-diver Paul Smith in Scapa Flow in 2023. It was avoidable, according to a recent detailed incident report issued on October 16 by the UK's Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB). Smith, 70, was struck by the propeller of the Orkney dive boat Karin, although he had been diving from another vessel, Jean Elaine.

After he and his buddy completed a decompression stop after diving the wreck of the German battleship SMS Markgraf, Smith deployed his DSMB, which he had attached to his BC. The crew of Jean Elaine saw the Karin pass over the DSMB as the vessel was maneuvered to compensate for wind and tide. Smith was helplessly wound into its propeller as it tangled with his DSMB and line, drawing him momentarily to the surface, before he was struck and disappeared. Smith's body, showing signs of severe blunt-force head injuries, was recovered during a sonar search three weeks later.

MAIB emphasized the need for detailed and frequent communication between dive boats operating in the same area. But they also place responsibility on divers to correctly handle their DSMBs. Do not attach a DSMB or its reel to you or your gear. Hold it in your hand so that you can let go if necessary.

Conflicting Data and Statistics

Putting aside surfacing divers killed in the water from irresponsibly driven fast boats, few statistics are available for diver deaths caused by boat propellers. The U.S. Coast Guard reports that 28 to 47 people in the water are killed annually in struck-by-boat-motor or propeller accidents (www.propellersafety.com). Though we haven't counted, it seems we report incidents of divers being dragged into props at least once a year. In 2022 off Cancun, two American scientists surfacing near their dive boat were killed when another company's dive boat sped over them.

So don't ignore the danger of the boat's propellers. Those meat grinders are potentially a horrible way to die. Make sure your buddy understands this, too.

John Bantin