Diver dies after Boat Propeller hits her

There was a fatal accident in Pulau Tioman on Saturday.

A female scuba diver (Padi Advanced Cert) was struck by the propeller blades of the boat - she died from massive shoulder and head injuries.

Terrible.

According to the Singapore NewPaper (10th March page 4)- she had already got back onboard the boat and had removed the gear. It seems she was the first diver onboard.

If this is correct, she probably moved forward to the bow (front) of the ship and waited for the other divers to be recovered. After awhile, it would have got hot - and its likely she may have jumped into the water to cool herself off. It gets rather warm in the wet suit. It was a calm day so there were no clouds in the sky and the sun would have been strong. Hot day. Inviting cool water.

No one may have seen her get off. Its a plausible scenario.

Usually everyone is busy helping to recover the divers - and the attention is focused on the stern (back) of the boat where they are getting up. Its time consuming - the divers are busy hauling up their fins, weight belts, cameras or other equipment before getting onto the boat - and the boat men are busy assisting them. Usually there are only two boat men, the Captain/quartermaster and his assistant.
The propellers are turned off during the diver recovery stage.

Its a hive of activity at the stern. Crowded and congested as the divers scramble onboard and secure their dive tanks and BCDs (dive vests). The divers who are get on board first, after securing their tanks, invariably move to the front of the boat to get out of the way. Its also common for divers to jump back into the sea to cool off or to take a leak.

It was a calm day. The sun was hot. The sea was probably mirror clear. Everyone was having a great time. People are thinking about their next dive, the next meal, that strange fish they saw underwater. What else could go wrong? Minds wander...

After awhile at the bow of the ship - or down in the stinky cabin hold - she probably decided to take a quick 10 second swim in the sea. It was hot. Clear day. Cool water.
 
She jumped into the water. Noone noticed her get in, or if one of the other divers did, didn't think too much of it. Remember everyone is having fun. People are chatting, smoking, relaxing. What else could go wrong?

In the sea, she could have been on the portside of the boat, and the recovery rope was on the starboard side. She probably thought it'd be easy to just swim under the hull and cut across. Just three seconds.

But she wasn't wearing her scuba goggles- they've been secured to the dive vest. Its hard to see underwater without them and easy to be disorientated.

With the last diver, the divemaster, back on board, and everyone it seems accounted for - the boatmen not realizing she's under the hull - started up the engine and the boat went forward. And tragically she got struck by the propeller.

This is of course just speculation based upon my limited experiences of diving and the behavior of divers. I'm no expert on the matter.

Scuba diving is an inherently hazardous sport like most "extreme" sports - like skiing, mountain climbing, boating, car racing, even daily driving. A lot of shit can happen. Personal Responsibility and Awareness is crucial; the divemaster(s) and boatmen can only do so much. Everyone should be aware of this and whilst its great fun and all - at the back of your mind - you should retain an element of careful thoughtfulness (without being too self-conscious which can also be counterproductive).