British Diving Instructor Feared Drowned In Thailand After Failing To Return To Surface .

[Boater]

A British diving instructor is missing, presumed drowned, after failing to return to the surface following a deep-sea dive with a party of tourists on a Thai island.

Peter McCarthy, 47, disappeared following a dive to a depth of 80 metres at a submerged volcano on the island of Koh Tao.

Read more: http://www.dailymail...l#ixzz171l3I4am

Edited December 3, 2010 by Rooo
Removed excessive quote,"Fair quote" policy.

[SanukMahk]

What a shame.. But I must say that 80m is too deep. Even with some of the new techo stuff there just isn't enought data yet. Look, even the deep sea divers of the north sea are generating new problems often... 80m too deep

[gotlost]

What a shame.. But I must say that 80m is too deep. Even with some of the new techo stuff there just isn't enought data yet. Look, even the deep sea divers of the north sea are generating new problems often... 80m too deep

Sad. i hope its is not true, but 80m is not recreational diving and is to deep.

[richard_smith237]

Mr McCarthy, described by friends as a very experienced technical diver, practiced a specialised type of scuba diving that uses a mix of gases to allow divers to go deeper and longer.

It wasn't recreational diving in the sense of depth limitations when using compressed air.

[skippybangkok]

Sad.......

I have lived in this good land a long time, and can remember alot of expert techies end up in a similar predicament. Remember watching Fred ascending from an hour + on the vertical wreck, marvelling at the slow ascent speed, but at the same time thinking there is no way I would ever want a virtual barrier between me and the surface. At the end of the day, more complicated something gets, the higher the probability of something going wrong, and take such risks regularly, the more your exposing yourself.

Even after 1000+ dives, thinking your have seen it all.......... always come across new issues which sit and make you think ( i.e. getting pushed out of of the water during a mini-deco stop by a bunch of novice divers coming up the anhcor line when they weren't supposed to ( during high current on hardeep ) . Have been to 60m in my silly days, these days my comfort zone is about 15 - 20 meters .........

RIP.

[sbk]

Very sad and condolences to his friends and family, the not knowing must be the worst.

But I am a bit confused by the article from the newspaper, if he does a specialized kind of diving to 80 m then he wouldn't be diving with a group of tourists would he?

And what's the submerged volcano off Koh Tao?

[limbos]

Reading the article, I am left with questions, technical diving, which was apparently undertaken, needs high expertise, the group leader and the divers accompanying him should have special training. It seems that Peter had this and I would assume his fellow divers were either experienced or students on a training dive. I also have no idea what the submerged volcano is and they were definitely not diving on oxygen but either on air and at deeper depth special gases or travel gases.

RIP Peter

[H2oDunc]

AS Stiigy has said The article that is linked seems to have been written by J K Rawin. The only thing they got right was his name and age. Peter who was a very good friend of mine was lost doing something he loved. he was a very experienced technical and cave diver and his loss is still a mystery. This type of diving is inherently dangerous and all those of us who do it are very aware of this fact. I have spoken to his wife and brother today and they would like me to let people know that after the CCR divers search yesterday they have decided to call off the search.

Peter, formerly owner of Masterdivers and recently a partner in the Trident technical dive company will be sadly missed by those who knew him and our thoughts go out to his wife, his young son here and family back home.

RIP Pete. Koh Tao will not be the same without you !

The main search may have been called off but I for one will not stop looking till we have a body. I know that if it was me down there Peter would do the same for me.

Edited December 3, 2010 by H2oDunc

[BasementCat]

Could he still be alive, having made it onto the surface of the sea? Nobody saw him going deeper than 20-30 meters as Stiggy points out. (Sorry if this sounds ignorant, I am not a diver myself).

[H2oDunc]

Basement Hi. The sink hole he was diving was in the middle of the jungle. Midway between Krabi and Nakon Si Thamaret. It was a freshwater dive site. Sadly there is no chance of him being alive after so long. He was also a lot deeper than 20-30 metres.

The one thing that has upset me the most is the fact there were so many Thai onlookers there hoping to glimpse a dead body. Yesterday there were around 2000 people around the dive site which included TV, press and the general public. Now this is a place that is in the middle of nowhere. Just a lake in the middle of the jungle with nothing around it. The rescue divers had to force their way through the crowd to get into the water.

WHY?????

As much as I love this beautiful country and it's people I sometimes wonder why.

Again RIP Peter you will be sadly missed

[Eureka]

Basement Hi. The sink hole he was diving was in the middle of the jungle. Midway between Krabi and Nakon Si Thamaret. It was a freshwater dive site. Sadly there is no chance of him being alive after so long. He was also a lot deeper than 20-30 metres.

The one thing that has upset me the most is the fact there were so many Thai onlookers there hoping to glimpse a dead body. Yesterday there were around 2000 people around the dive site which included TV, press and the general public. Now this is a place that is in the middle of nowhere. Just a lake in the middle of the jungle with nothing around it. The rescue divers had to force their way through the crowd to get into the water.

WHY?????

As much as I love this beautiful country and it's people I sometimes wonder why.

Again RIP Peter you will be sadly missed

Dunc about all that you have left out is the vast technical diving knowledge and experience Peter had. Although I would like to know what happened I seriously doubt that he would have pushed past any safety issues or that his equipment was poorly serviced. I have known Pete for many years and his level of professional skill and attention to details concerning safety would leave me to ponder the unexpected.

I spoke with Peter in Chumphon on his way to the dive and he was looking forward to, in his words, "some good diving and a relaxing holiday".

RIP Pete and condolances to his family and friends.

[sbk]

Thank you for clearing it up, Dunc and Stiggy, a very poor piece of reporting on a story that deserves more respect than that.

My condolences to his family and friends.

[H2oDunc]

SBK maybe we could edit the topic title as there were no tourists involved in this and it gives a bad ring to the whole episode ?

Peter was one of the most experienced and safety concious divers I have ever met. He would not ever put students in any danger. The diving he lost his life on was something apart from his working life. Like Peter I have pushed my skills on certain dives and the type of diving he was doing is inherently dangerous and very unforgiving.

Sadly I think the true cause of his death will never be known.

His mother and sisters are arriving tonight and going to the lake and then heading for Koh Tao where we can hold some sort of wake.

RIP peter mate and I expect to see you at the gates making sure that people are on the list when I eventually get there.

[H2oDunc]

Another thing that gets my back up!

He is a British citizen but still holds an Irish passport. As he entered the country on his Irish passport the British embassy have totally ignored all calls for assistance and just told the family to contact the Irish embassy. What a bunch of tW@ts.

I'm sometimes ashamed to be British

[Rooo]

Heading edited.

[Rooo]

Whilst opinions & discussions are encouraged, some care is required in certain topics. Some posts & answers removed.

Please bear in mind the nature of the subject and it's sensitivity and exercise some restraint & common sense when posting.

Condolences to his family and friends.

RIP Peter.

[Eureka]

Whilst opinions & discussions are encouraged, some care is required in certain topics. Some posts & answers removed.

Please bear in mind the nature of the subject and it's sensitivity and exercise some restraint & common sense when posting.

Condolences to his family and friends.

RIP Peter.

Thanks for the removal.

Peter was far from a novice diver and highly experienced in many areas of diving from recreational to technical diving as well as thorough equipment knowledge.

He had a love for diving and life reflected in his passion of passing his knowledge and skills on to others.

[limbos]

Another thing that gets my back up!

He is a British citizen but still holds an Irish passport. As he entered the country on his Irish passport the British embassy have totally ignored all calls for assistance and just told the family to contact the Irish embassy. What a bunch of tW@ts.

I'm sometimes ashamed to be British

Better not open this can of worms on this thread Dunc, but being non British, with all due respect I can fully understand the British Embassies response.

[H2oDunc]

Cheers Roo the family appreciates it. As Eureka says Peter was very experienced and where customers and students were concerned safety was paramount.

There will be a wake for Peter when the family get to Koh Tao and I will post where it is to be held when we know. Thanks to all who have shown support during this hard time. Peters wife and family have found it all very assuring.

[crusty]

Cheers Roo the family appreciates it. As Eureka says Peter was very experienced and where customers and students were concerned safety was paramount.

There will be a wake for Peter when the family get to Koh Tao and I will post where it is to be held when we know. Thanks to all who have shown support during this hard time. Peters wife and family have found it all very assuring.

Very sad to hear the loss of your friend Dunc, but one has to ask why Peter was diving in a lake at the height of the rainy season, in an area where floods and landslides were occurring daily ? A few years ago eight people were trapped in a cave and died in a flash flood in a nearby area. Almost every year one reads of Thais being swept away by a flash flood while playing at a waterfall in the rainy season. Questions .....?

[BigC]

I don't know much about diving but i can not do it because i suffer from epeilepsy. i was told that if i have any sorte od serizure of get sick inder the water then it could be very dangerous. it is just a complete rough guess.

and i feel sad to hear this story . R.I.P :jap:

Topic edited. Off topic remarks or discussion removed.

Edited December 5, 2010 by Rooo
Off topic remarks removed.

[limbos]

Maybe this topic should be discussed in a different thread.

[Rooo]

Maybe this topic should be discussed in a different thread.

Edited certain post.Trying to keep this topic on track & not being hijacked.

[stander]

Cheers Roo the family appreciates it. As Eureka says Peter was very experienced and where customers and students were concerned safety was paramount.

There will be a wake for Peter when the family get to Koh Tao and I will post where it is to be held when we know. Thanks to all who have shown support during this hard time. Peters wife and family have found it all very assuring.

Very sad to hear the loss of your friend Dunc, but one has to ask why Peter was diving in a lake at the height of the rainy season, in an area where floods and landslides were occurring daily ? A few years ago eight people were trapped in a cave and died in a flash flood in a nearby area. Almost every year one reads of Thais being swept away by a flash flood while playing at a waterfall in the rainy season. Questions .....?

Yes it does seem a bit rash, but the guy was obviously a thrillseeker and fair play to him.

RIP Irish dude

[H2oDunc]

Crusty, Stander. The people who drown in caves do so because the are exploring the caves without diving equipment. Sometimes there are flash floods which trap them and they drown. This cave system is flooded all the time. Rainy season would make no difference to diving it. Peters death could be the result of a number of things. Sadly we will probably never know. Doing the type of diving he was doing is inherently dangerous. When something small goes wrong it can escalate to become a major problem.

The family is back from the scene of the accident and is heading to Koh Tao.

He leaves a devastated Thai wife and small son here and a teenage daughter back in the UK. My thoughts go out to them.

I will miss him calling me up at 2 in the morning to tell me I'm big and ugly and can I go to Tesco for him

[BigC]

Crusty, Stander. The people who drown in caves do so because the are exploring the caves without diving equipment. Sometimes there are flash floods which trap them and they drown. This cave system is flooded all the time. Rainy season would make no difference to diving it. Peters death could be the result of a number of things. Sadly we will probably never know. Doing the type of diving he was doing is inherently dangerous. When something small goes wrong it can escalate to become a major problem.

The family is back from the scene of the accident and is heading to Koh Tao.

He leaves a devastated Thai wife and small son here and a teenage daughter back in the UK. My thoughts go out to them.

I will miss him calling me up at 2 in the morning to tell me I'm big and ugly and can I go to Tesco for him

sorry not good with word with these situations. all i can can is a small consolation is that at least he died doing what he seemed to love to do.

R.I.P best wishes to family and friends.

[H2oDunc]

Cheers Big C. That is the one thing that is keeping the family going. Knowing that he died doing what he loved doing. Finally got the family onto the ferry to Tao this morning so they can go and see where he lived and worked and to meet some of his many friends and colleagues.