Diver hit by boat off Mellieha

[ninja5709]

Get well soon mate................as for the spereos..........always play safe and watch out for the machos we have driving powerfull boats close to the shore. I had tha scare of my life last week when a 30 foot 'boat' drove past me at high speed. We wer on an 11ft boat just outside the breakwater enjoying fishing..................may his boat sink at berth.............................

[nemo]

Get well soon d jien dak li nghum ma daniel

[suffrun]

speedy recovery and an unfortunate accident which happens every summer! I wonder where the police patrol are during the summer???

[mellieha]

I know this area quite well and unfortunately the two caves overthere pose a series proble to us fisherman. 

Guys as you may know I am now into spearfishing but following all these events I now have to take remedies.  I will only dive if I have a support boat and a buddy. 

From what was written over here our friend was very lucky.  May God help all people in the water.

[ggantno1]

Get well soon bob u take care 

[Granitu]

gws

[skip]

dear members, thanks 4 ur support.
believe me, the sight of your foot (gharqub) cut in half is not pleasurable at all. hopefully will recover in 6 weeks time.
DON'T REPEAT MY MISTAKE, ALWAYS SWIM WITH A BUDDY.
BAGHIRA, hadt jumej off spiccajt mater dei, damn the yellow boats...

Glad to hear you're okay and using the technology at the spiffing new Mater Dei Hospital....Internet Access and all

I wish you a speedy recovery, deep injuries especially to the legs and feet take a while to recover from.....if you need anything shout/post and I'm sure between us all we'll arrange

[shanook]

get well soon mate........

to other spearos i was with visa today and there was a guy near the sikka l' bajda we were coming from Gozo so the sun was behind us if we were going up to gozo it would have been hard to see a small float in the water with the sun in your eyes. One doesnt expect to see a diver out there. A bigger float with a higher flag would have been more noticeable.

[Gazzetta]

Gws buddy and speedy recovery !!!

Chris 

[EmicMalta]

get well soon D. You wrote some very good words

with this topic lets do something good. Just reading from both sides (spearos and fisherman) one can see some mistakes that can save our lives.

baghira: we can do it on the day of the alungi competition. We can both go in the morning and film them and put them on youtube.

gaffer: yes I believe that with this forum we can raise awerness at least with who log on here.

shanook: your right. I believe that the best way to go diving is to have 2 floats at a minimum, a torpedo one and a round one. Me and Giovanni we use to be either with 1 torpedo and 2 round ones, or with a surf board and 2 round ones. The board is good cos some times seeing a boat coming towers us, we just stand it vertically and one can see you better

robby017: last month I was buying a Divers Down  flag (blue/white) and a guy told me the same words you just said

[dunstan]

Hello guys its my first real post in this forum so first of all get well soon Clint.

I would like to address all the spearo`s beginners, amateurs  and pro never risk you life for a fish. I understand that seeing everyday boats at full speed coming direct on us it`s make us be very angry and wishing in that time to have a swat rifle to destroy those who where going to pass on us out there but lets be serous.Are we taking enough precautions while diving.. are we going diving in a safe place with less traffic possible.. are we using at all times the buoys and buddy at all times in shallow water and more and more in deep diving??

Another thing is did you ever tried to understand how good and how open is a forum, maybe sometimes too much i tell you why... some time ago i was reading a post in here from a member trying to teach most of the beginners what he learned from a book. He sad to to be prepared to dive you need to take tree or four deep breathes and go down!!! guess what no one stopped him and correct his stupid words. Obviously the book is made by professional instructors but saying it like that it`s very danger and this can cause very easily a samba (I guess not many people know what it is) ...or worst a blackout. So please before you write and giving advises be careful as you are being watched at all times! This was sad by Chris Borg Cardona before me in another post a master more than anyone else.

Another thing is i always wished to make something really helpful for all diver I mean going on a  TV program and explain our difficulties and teaching the few dangerous boat drivers how in danger we feel while they are passing close to us. I know some people who can help me, But one think always stopped me. How can i answer if I will be asked if we spear fishermans are obeying the rules? or the issue of the buoys or fishing in  reserved marine areas or scuba spearfishing or night spearfishing or under sized fishing like in some pictures showed in the forum ehhhhhhh how difficult will be to reply.....

My post was direct to all us including me because we have to do something very shortly  and that's why we need to be professional at all times because we reflect our sports and that is the only way than we can go a step forward.

I never wanted to be harsh or posted to offend someone! this was just my opinion with some experience and with a lot of thinking.

Congrats for the great forum and with the good people in it.
Wishing you a lot of fishing with less catching as possible  

Regards
Dunstan

[ggantno1]

Great post Dunstan Haqek proset ta veru!!!!

[kurtfalcon]

Get well soon D

[D]

Perhaps my accident took place just in time to warn beginners which during summer  start spearfishing for the first time.

I used to think that one would always have time re emerge once you listen to the engine noise, at my expense I learnt that this is not the case.  Boats which are powerful and drive close to shore pose a threat to divers and swimmers alike. I was hit some 15 mtrs   off the shore and I sincerely thought it was safe.

Now I m stuck here in hospital and cannot explain the sadness I feel when I remember that will have to stay away from sea for months.

ehh what to say, an accident which could have been avoided had both parties took more precautions....but its only ME who is suffering the consequences.

guys, our lives are at stake...

[Moonwalker]

Hope you get well soon D.
As from my part (and other sport fishermen) the only times I drive near shore is in the early morning and evening. In the morning I am always very carefull but in the evening I must confess that the concentration is much less after a day on the sea. So I do suggest to have a bouy as big as possible (2 are better) and with a high flag so we avoid such incidents.
Another thing- during the boat licence course I dont think there was enough enphasis about diver bouys although this was 4 years ago so dont know about the current one.
I do also suggest that all boat drivers (even jetskis) should have a license.