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From:
RDC Board Of Directors
URGENT
Re: Peter Hughes Wave Dancer & Aggressor ANNOUNCEMENT
Posted:
Tuesday, October 9th, 2001, 04:00pm
Thirty members of the Richmond
Dive Club were involved in an accident in
Belize last night about 11:00 p.m. Two live aboard dive boats were
carrying
members of the Club, the MV Wave Dancer, owned and operated by Peter
Hughes
Diving, and the Belize Aggressor, owned and operated by The Aggressor
Fleet.
Seeking refuge from Hurricane Iris, both boats went two miles up the
Monkey
River outside Belize City and moored. A storm surge came up the river
and
lifted the MV Wave Dancer onto the dock breaking it apart. It then fell
off
the dock upside down in 12 feet of water.
As of 2:30 p.m., Peter Hughes Diving has confirmed to us that of the 30
dive
club members, 13 are alive, 10 are missing and 7 are dead.
Search and rescue efforts are being conducted by the British Royal
Navy, and
representatives from the American Consulate are on site. The phone
number
for the American Consulate is (202) 647-5226.
Further updates are available on the Richmond Dive Club website at
http://www.richmonddiveclub.com.
After
the capsizing of the Wave
Dancer, Tom Conlin, Executive Vice President of Peter Hughes Diving and
Patricia Rose, a PHD spokesperson begin issuing press
resleases:
Tuesday,
October 9
Peter Hughes Diving Inc issues statement that guests
were forced to remain onboard because no hotels were available. The
company says they did not know where hotel guests were sheltered
and had no emergency contingency plans to evacuate passengers. Peter
Hughes Diving Inc. issues statement about hurricane movement that
contradicts warnings issued by the National Hurricane Center.
Wednesday,
October 10
Peter Hughes Diving Inc issues statement that the
hurricane was expected to hit the northern part of Belize and suddenly
veered south, but National Hurricane Center warnings predicted movement
to the south, southwest as early as Sunday.
Peter
Hughes Diving Inc and its attorneys issue gag order forbidding staff
from answering questions about what actually happened at Big Creek.
Bart Stanley, dive master aboard the Wave Dancer, confirms that the
boat's owners and lawyers asked him not to discuss the incident.
The Wave Dancer's captain, Philip Martin originally jailed after the
accident, declines to discuss what happened. After Peter Hughes'
arrival in Belize, he is freed and flees to his native New Zealand.
Saturday, October 13
Belizeans and the diving public express shock and
anger after learning that Peter Hughes Diving threatened to fire
Belizean crew if they went ashore to emergency evacuation shelters.
Monday,
October 15
Amid increasing allegations of negligence, Peter Hughes
Diving angers its own customers by refusing to make full cash refunds
to those who booked trips aboard Wave Dancer. The company refuses
to comment on the 'NO REFUNDS' policy.
Tuesday,
October 16
Maritime Safety officials state that live-aboard
dive boats should never depart port when hurricanes are in the region
and moving in the general direction of offshore dive sites.
Wednesday,
October 17
A leading naval architect raises concerns about
inadequate passenger vessel certification procedures around the world,
specifically VCG (Vertical Center of Gravity) calculations that allow
for top-heavy, converted crew boats of the type common to the Peter
Hughes Diving fleet.
Thursday,
October 18
Investigators from Lloyd's of London, the Wave Dancer's insurance
carrier, claim a tornado may have spun off Hurricane Iris and ripped
the dive boat from its pier and rolled it underwater. Attorneys for
Peter Hughes claim that eyewitness accounts, physical evidence and
twisting damage in nearby wreckage led to the tornado conclusion.
January
9, 2002
"...Peter Hughes is pleased to announce that Sun Dancer II, presently
located in Palau, will leave for Belize at the end of Palau's high
season in May, 2002. Charters in Belize will begin August 17. Sun
Dancer II, the largest, most luxurious vessel and the flagship of
the Dancer Fleet, will bring a whole new dimension to live-aboard
diving in Belize. When asked why this particular boat was being moved,
Peter Hughes said "For a couple of reasons...one, we knew that we had
to put our 'biggest and best' in Belize to fill the shoes vacated by
M/V Wave Dancer; and two, we've been considering operating solely
during high season in Palau for a while now and this gives us that
opportunity. Fortunately, Palau's high season which is January through
April is Papua New Guinea's low season. Beginning in 2003, we will
relocate Star Dancer to Palau during this time period and so offer our
guests the ultimate dive experience, the best of both worlds in these
two world class dive destinations." Hughes added, "There was never any
doubt we would return to Belize, we are extremely excited to be going
back... we love the destination and it has always been one of our most
popular."
June
2002
Channel
5 News Belize Interview with Peter Hughes
Wave
Dancer Owner Answers Critics
Twenty lives were lost when the diveboat Wave Dancer capsized in the
middle of Hurricane Iris in the waters of the Big Creek Port. Tonight,
the owner of the Wave Dancer is back in Belize and in his first
television interview since the accident, Peter Hughes offers his
company's version of the events that ended in Belize's biggest maritime
disaster.
Janelle Chanona
"Tell me about being back in Belize coming off the incident last year
with the Wavedancer in the Big Creek Port."
Peter Hughes, Diveboat Operator
"The Wave Dancer incident was obviously a tragic, tragic incident. And
I have been accused perhaps of being rather callous because of my
desire to come back to Belize and because of some of the statements I
made about looking forward to coming back to Belize. But what people
must realise, is the fact that while this may sound callous coming from
me, it's not. I have a lot of responsibilities that go far beyond
myself. There are seventy or eighty families around the world that make
their living from our companies and our related companies.
"Here in Belize we have the distinct pleasure and privilege of doing
business in your country for ten years. It was an incident-free ten
years, it was a very good ten years. Belize was good to me, I think I
was good to Belize. I think I gave back in kind what I received.
"After the tragic incident, there were a lot of heated emotions, which
one can expect, there was a tremendous amount of grief.
Over time grief turns to anger, anger turns to the need for revenge
etcetera, so I sympathise, I feel for those people. Everyday of my life
when I wake up I think of those people and I think of the people that
were left behind.
"So I feel remorseful, I feel tremendous sorrow and regret for what
happened, but I also feel a certain sense of optimism in the future. I
can't change what happened, but I can ensure it will never happen
again, and that I intend to do."
Janelle Chanona
"How do you intend to do so, make sure that never happens again?"
Peter Hughes
"Based on all of this, we have obviously adapted our hurricane plan.
And we deal with tourists, our job is dealing with tourists and our
crew of course, but primarily our job is to make sure that the tourists
that visit us here in Belize have a good time. There were certain
collective decisions made on the night of the tragedy that will
never again be collectively made. There will be mandatory evacuations
of the crew at least twenty-four hours prior to any possibility of a
hurricane striking us. We expected that hurricane as you know, to
strike right here. When we attempted to bring our vessel right here to
disembark our passengers, we were not allowed to do so. We were advised
that the hotel would not receive them and we were advised that the city
was being evacuated because the hurricane was scheduled, or projected,
forecasted to hit Belize City and Dangriga, so we went south.
Unfortunately, the hurricane followed us south." (The Wave Dancer
did not attempt to return to Belize, Peter Hughes' agent in Belize was
the person who advised Captain Martin that hotels weren't avaialble for
the passengers, and the hurricane absolutely was forecast to hit the
sountern part of Belize.)
"My captain made decisions that I support at this point, but in the
future, even though that is where the boat will go, I assure you, there
will be no passengers onboard and any crewmembers that are onboard will
be absolutely one hundred percent voluntary. They will have the right
to park the boat, secure it as you see it, but in Big Creek and leave."
Janelle Chanona
"As for the allegation made by one of your former employees, Miss
Angela Luk, that the captain told the Belizean crewmembers that if they
left they would be fired, how does your company respond to that?"
Peter Hughes
"You're a professional journalist, you know that anything somebody said
can be interpreted or misinterpreted deliberately or accidentally. I
think in the heat of the moment, that what the captain said was
misinterpreted. I was not there so I do not know what he said. Miss Luk
was there,but she was under a tremendous amount of emotional distress
at the time. What I have been told by several sources, that my captain
actually said was -- she was a temporary crewmember, not a full-time
crewmember -- and what I was told he said was, "Angie if you leave, you
understand you may not be able to step back onboard whenever you want
to." That's what he said. And the other two, who were so unfortunately
lost, have been on our vessels long enough. And one of them
in particular, a very dear friend, Eloisa Johnson, who I knew better
than Miss Brenda Wade, many, many times in the past when I would visit
the boat, if she had a problem with anything the captain would do,
would come right up to me and very vocally let me know what the problem
was. So I assure you, in my mind and in my conscience, I believe that
if they had really feared for their lives at the time, they would
have walked off of that boat, not been afraid that they had been fired.
Had they been fired, which would not have happened, I know they would
have called me to say hey guy, this isn't fair."
Janelle Chanona
"You mention that IMMARBE is doing an investigation. They have told
News 5 that their investigation will not come up with any sort of blame
laying. Does your company at this point accept any negligence or blame
in the deaths of those twenty people?"
Peter Hughes
"No. We do not feel we were negligent. We absolutely think that we
acted in the best interest at the time with the information we had
available to us. It was impossible, it was only a matter of a few hours
prior to the hurricane striking us head-on that we knew that hurricane
would not be north of Dangriga. Had that hurricane been north of
Dangriga, you and I would not be having this interview now, we'd be
talking of something much more pleasant." (Incorrect.
Hurricane warnings issued by NEMO and the NHC out of Miami clearly
showed Hurricane Iris tracking west-southwest, toward Dangriga.)
Yanis Gibson, Crewmember,
SUNDANCER II
"It was sad, but we can't do nothing."
Janelle Chanona
"Did you know any of the girls, Brenda or Eloisa?"
Yanis Gibson
"Yes. We all grow up together."
Janelle Chanona
"So you noh have any qualms about working now?"
Yanis Gibson
"No. I enjoy it."
Janelle Chanona
"If during the season, this outing and you have a hurricane coming,
what will be your hurricane plan?"
Yanis Gibson
"Stay with the boat."
Janelle Chanona
"You'd stay onboard?"
Yanis Gibson
"Yes. It's my job and I take it seriously, so I will stay. Weh fi
happen, happen, so I will stay."
According to Hughes, Phillip Martin, the captain of the Wavedancer at
the time of the sinking, resigned from his post shortly after the
tragedy.
From
the Peter Hughes Website 10/25/01:
“It’s an absolute miracle that any person survived the fury of
Hurricane Iris,” said Peter Hughes, President of Peter Hughes Diving,
Inc.
(In fact, the only deaths in Belize due to Hurricane Iris were the
passengers and crew of the Wave Dancer)
“I know our crew did all they could to protect each and
every
individual. They sought shelter in accordance with our hurricane
response plan, but there was simply no way for them to predict that
Iris would change directions and head straight for Big Creek or that
the vessel, crew and passengers would be faced with the rage of the
suspected tornado contained within this already devastating hurricane”,
said Peter Hughes.
“Our heartfelt condolences go out to the families and friends of the
victims of this tragedy. All of us at Peter Hughes Diving are in a
state of grieving disbelief and shock. Nothing like this has ever
happened to our diving family during our 30 years in the charter
business.”
The following is an overview in chronological order of the events that
transpired on October 8:
Warnings were issued that stated
Hurricane Iris would make landfall in Belize City, where the M/V Wave
Dancer was based, by Monday evening. Belize City was being
evacuated.
The captain, consulting with M/V Wave Dancer’s land agent and the
National Hurricane Center , decided to head south to Big Creek, a
well-known safe harbor for boaters during times of dangerous weather.
By early afternoon, while traveling to the safe harbor, the Hurricane
changed direction and headed towards the Big Creek area. Due to the
speed of the hurricane as compared to the speed of the vessel it was
determined that the boat was too far south to turn back.
By 3 p.m., the vessel was secured alongside the pier in Big Creek. The
captains of both the M/V Wave Dancer and the M/V Belize Aggressor III,
the second boat chartered by The Richmond Dive Club, inspected and
approved each boat’s storm securements to the dock.
At 7:30 p.m., the category IV and fast moving storm slashed through the
Big Creek area. In compliance with the vessel’s hurricane
response
plan, the main engines were started so pressure on the docklines could
be relieved if necessary. As the M/V Wave Dancer was ripped
violently
from her securement, the vessel’s 2nd Captain attempted to control the
M/V Wave Dancer against winds reaching in excess of 140 knots and tidal
surges reaching 15 feet. Within seconds, the M/V Wave Dancer was swept
approximately 400 feet across the harbor where it capsized against the
mangroves on the far side.
Captain Philip Martin, attempted to save lives and aided survivors. The
Captain then swam across the channel to seek assistance from the M/V
Belize Aggressor III. Accompanied by others from the M/V Belize
Aggressor III, he then headed back toward the M/V Wave Dancer to once
again try and rescue those inside the vessel. Tragically, no
additional survivors were found.
The 120-foot Wave Dancer is part of the Dancer Fleet of liveaboard dive
vessels. The M/V Wave Dancer had been in operation in Belize for
nine
years without incident prior to Hurricane Iris.
DATELINE: October 10, 2001 Big
Creek, Belize, C.A.
At 6:30AM on Monday Oct.8th the Wave Dancer was at Lighthouse Reef,
approximately 80 miles E of Belize City. At this time all reports
indicated that Hurricane Iris was going to hit Belize City between 10
and 11PM. Between 8:30 and 9AM our agent in Belize City informed us
that the city was being evacuated and their was no place to take the
passengers to sit out the storm in Belize City. In the afternoon
Hurricane Iris changed course, and was now heading between them and
Belize City. It was decided that they were too far south to turn around
and head for Belize City with the Hurricane traveling at 22 miles per
hour and the Wave Dancer at best (considering sea conditions) moving at
9 knots would not make it back to Belize City in time to miss Hurricane
Iris. At approximately 3PM the Wave Dancer was secure at dock in Big
Creek, windows covered, decks clear, hatches secure, lines reinforced
and passengers prepped. Prior to the heart of the hurricane hitting the
area crew members from both the Aggressor and Wave Dancer collectively
checked each others mooring lines and returned to each others vessels
satisfied that they were each secure. When it hit, no one moved lines
or went outside whatsoever. Wind, swells and flying debris made it to
dangerous for anyone to leave the vessels. Unfortunately, the Wave
Dancer was positioned in front of other vessels and took the brunt of
everything that Iris threw at them. Even with her engines on and
propelling into the storm she couldn't withstand the force thrown at
her and the bollard was torn off the stern. A tug boat was blown free
forward of the Wave Dancer and it has not yet been determined whether
or not it collided with the ship helping to break it away from the
dock. After snapping the remaining lines she began to spin in circles
capsizing in the middle of the river. The Aggressor was behind the Wave
Dancer, protected by a building and the larger size of the Wave
Dancer.
Two passengers are still missing and are believed to be within the Wave
Dancer. By Thursday AM rescue workers will continue to search the
vessel for the two remaining victims.
DATELINE: October 9, 2001 Big
Creek, Belize
Hurricane Iris, packing 140 mph winds, made landfall in the southern
(Placencia) region of the Central American Country of Belize during the
evening of October 8, 2001, capsizing the liveaboard dive vessel M/V
Wave Dancer with all twenty-eight passengers and crew onboard. As
of
Tuesday afternoon, the bodies of eighteen victims had been
recovered.
Eight survivors had been accounted for as of Tuesday morning, and
search and recovery operations are ongoing. Two members of the
passengers/crew are still missing.
The liveaboard dive vessel M/V Wave Dancer of the Peter Hughes Diving
DANCER FLEET was capsized by a combination of strong wind and surging
water while moored in Big Creek, an area of Southern Belize well known
to boaters for its protection from storms. Big Creek is
approximately
80 miles south of Belize City, the site of Belize’s international
airport and the point of embarkation for Wave Dancer cruises. No
hotel
rooms were available in Belize City to offload the passengers because
this area of Belize was evacuated. Large portions of Belize City
were
destroyed by Hurricane Hattie in 1961.
The Wave Dancer was moored to a pier with other commercial vessels that
routinely use this area as a refuge from storms and hurricanes.
This
area and a similar procedure was used in 1998 to avoid Hurricane Mitch.
Despite following all procedures for securing the vessel during a
hurricane, an unusually strong surge of water apparently lifted the
vessel dramatically right at the pier, snapping all of the stern lines
and allowing the wind to rip the vessel from the pier and capsize it in
the middle of the creek. This occurred during the evening hours,
and
rescue efforts from neighboring boats began immediately during
the
“eye” of the hurricane in late evening. As the storm resumed rescue
efforts were halted for a few hours and commenced early Tuesday morning
when conditions permitted.
According to PHD spokesperson and Executive Vice President Tom
Conlin:
“Our first responsibility in this tragedy is to continue all search and
recovery efforts. Peter Hughes, President of the company, left
for
Belize as soon as we received word of the accident, and will personally
participate in all ongoing efforts. Helicopters and search boats
have
been deployed to the area and are searching all areas of the mangrove
system. All of the families have been contacted to keep them
informed
about all details of both victims and survivors. We will provide
further information and a list of passengers and crew once all these
facts are confirmed and the families are notified.”
The l20 foot Wave Dancer is part of the Peter Hughes Diving Fleet of
liveaboard dive vessels. The M/V Wave Dancer had been in operation in
Belize for nine years without incident prior to Hurricane Iris.
The
vessel had been chartered by the Richmond Dive Club of Richmond, VA.
According to British military sources on station in Belize, the most
concentrated force of Hurricane Iris hit an area of the Belize coast 15
miles wide. This path, featuring the most intense wind and water
movement, was centered directly on the Placencia/Big Creek area.
A beautiful Memorial Poem
has been written by Cathy Scott-Nixon. Please click here to read
the poem.
For information about Wave Dancer's crew members click
here.
For additional information concerning the victims of the
Richmond Dive Club click here
© 1999 - 2001 PETER
HUGHES DIVING, INC. All rights reserved.
This page was updated on
10/25/2001
Sources:
Associated Press
CDNN
Channel 5 Belize
Peter
Hughes Diving
Richmond Times Dispatch
Washington Times
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