The Publisher
05-02-2009, 03:10 AM
We are getting word in that a crocodile has attacked a diver in Raja Ampat.
A British diver with technical experience was diving with a parnter and diver master at the edge of a mangrove ecosystem. When the two divers surface, the divemaster saw a crocodile enter the water and told both divers to get off the surface and descend to the bottom. Eyewitnesses said the crocodile was in the 10-12 foot length
One of the dive team descended along with the divermaster, but the other diver apparently did not hear the divermasters warning and remained on the surface. Word is the crocodile went straight for the diver on the surface, biting onto the divers neck and released the diver only to come right back and grab his arm and had and with a death spiral attempted to drag the diver below the surface. The divers partner immediately came to the divers aid, trying to pry the jaws off his arm and trying to poke the crocodiles eyes and the crocodile eventually released the diver.
First aid including cleaning, stitched and paoin killers were administered by an on board guest diver from Spain who is a physician, a Fernando Blanco, and the diver was evacuated to a hospital in Sorong via speedboat while the rest of the main group continued their diving. There it was determined that several tendons had been severed. Although prepared to performed the surgery at the Sorong hospital, the diver elected to have it cleaned and disinfected, and with his dive buddy , boarded a flight for Singapore.
In Singapore, 2 surgeries are reported to have been performed with a 3rd pending.
Reports coming in indicate that the divers were not feeding, interacting, luring or harassing the crocodile in any way.
The divers buddy elected to forgo the remainder of the trip and accompany his buddy to Singapore, also a commendable thing.
As we hear more, we will keep you informed.
A British diver with technical experience was diving with a parnter and diver master at the edge of a mangrove ecosystem. When the two divers surface, the divemaster saw a crocodile enter the water and told both divers to get off the surface and descend to the bottom. Eyewitnesses said the crocodile was in the 10-12 foot length
One of the dive team descended along with the divermaster, but the other diver apparently did not hear the divermasters warning and remained on the surface. Word is the crocodile went straight for the diver on the surface, biting onto the divers neck and released the diver only to come right back and grab his arm and had and with a death spiral attempted to drag the diver below the surface. The divers partner immediately came to the divers aid, trying to pry the jaws off his arm and trying to poke the crocodiles eyes and the crocodile eventually released the diver.
First aid including cleaning, stitched and paoin killers were administered by an on board guest diver from Spain who is a physician, a Fernando Blanco, and the diver was evacuated to a hospital in Sorong via speedboat while the rest of the main group continued their diving. There it was determined that several tendons had been severed. Although prepared to performed the surgery at the Sorong hospital, the diver elected to have it cleaned and disinfected, and with his dive buddy , boarded a flight for Singapore.
In Singapore, 2 surgeries are reported to have been performed with a 3rd pending.
Reports coming in indicate that the divers were not feeding, interacting, luring or harassing the crocodile in any way.
The divers buddy elected to forgo the remainder of the trip and accompany his buddy to Singapore, also a commendable thing.
As we hear more, we will keep you informed.