BAD NEWS May 2025
Upcoming International Trips:
Belize Diver Killed by a Speeding Boat. Police have charged a 28-year-old American, Spenser Eisenberg, a Caye Caulker resident, with the death of 70-year-old U.S. tourist Jeffery Le Beau. While diving off Turneffe Atoll on March 6, Le Beau was struck by Eisenberg’s speeding boat in a marked designated diving zone. Eisenberg’s boat reportedly came by at high speed, striking Le Beau and killing him in front of several witnesses, including Le Beau’s daughter and son. Eisenberg was taken into custody and charged with manslaughter by negligence. Le Beau was a Long Beach, California, defense lawyer known for his work in manslaughter cases. (Belize News) Egyptian submarine Tourists Killed by Egyptian Idiocy. In the Red Sea, it seems no boat is safe. On March 27, six passengers were killed and 39 rescued when a tourist submarine sank about a mile from its home port of Hurghada. Among the passengers were Swedes, Norwegians, and Indians, but the six who died were Russian. A survivor said that after they took their reserved seats, water started pouring in. Two hatches were still open as it began its descent. Passengers scrambled to get out, but some didn’t make it. Authorities are investigating. Sinbad, the company operating the vessel, has canceled all upcoming trips. (BBC) Not Lost to a Down Current. Although Cozumel diving is known for its down currents, the dive area San Juan, where 74-year-old Greg Romes went missing (as we reported in our mid-March email), is not close to the wall. It’s a long series of rolling hills between 60 and 80 feet deep, and an Undercurrent member who dives frequently there says it is known for its fast to ripping horizontal currents. Romes used a side-mount system and was reported to have had some issues with it the day before he disappeared. DiveRACE Liveaboard Another Liveaboard Burns. In what is now becoming a regularly reported disaster for liveaboards, the Thai-operated DiveRACE caught fire in the early hours of April 12. The 113-foot steel-hulled luxury vessel that accommodated up to 20 guests was positioned over the Boonsung wreck dive site near Khao Lak in the Andaman Sea when the fire broke out. The cause has not been reported, but it is believed to have started in the engine room. Nobody was reported hurt, but the Thai coastguard took four hours to reach the stricken vessel. The day before, a small diving day boat, the Aor Subpiti, had burned when its engine caught fire. The 16-year-old helmsman, Manawat Bialy, sustained significant burns to his arms and face. Five Million Dollar Snorkel Death Lawsuit. A South Korean family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Pacific Islands Club resort in Tumon Bay, Guam, alleging its dive center’s negligence caused the death of 70-year-old Young Jae Chung during a snorkeling lesson in 2023. There was allegedly no attempt to train students to use their snorkels properly before they were quickly guided from the beach into deeper water. They allege Chung’s instructor had failed to notice that he had remained face-down for a prolonged period. The family is seeking $2 million for wrongful death, $1 million for loss of support for Chung’s wife, $300,000 each for loss of support for his two sons, and $300,000 each as compensation for emotional distress for the four relatives present at the scene. Sharks Break Their Silence. A team of researchers recently recorded sharks of one species making short, high-frequency clicks when handled underwater. The study’s results, published this week in Royal Society Open Science, represent the first known observations of sharks actively producing sound. It raises the possibility that sound production is an ancient trait widespread among sharks and their cartilaginous kin. (Scientific American) Cozumel Gets to Grips with Weed. So far this year, 51 people cleaning Cozumel’s beaches have removed 114 tons of sargassum weed, with the eastern side of Cozumel, specifically Punta Chiqueros Bay, the most affected. It is collected manually to avoid using heavy machinery and to protect the island’s coastal environment. The collected sargassum is transported to a collection site on the island's south side. (Riviera Maya News) Don’t Touch the Turtles. Five scuba divers and a Malaysian dive operator have been fined after a video of them harassing a turtle off Manuken Island in the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park went viral on social media. The Sabah Wildlife Enforcement Act permits only wardens to handle adult turtles, their eggs, or hatchlings. A related clip shows one of the divers holding onto a moving whale shark. The Tropical Research & Conservation Centre in Semporna had issued an appeal to trace the identities of the divers. The fine has not been disclosed, but it can be as much as US$10,000 equivalent.