December 4, 2005
The ordeal
What was supposed to be a pleasure jaunt turned out to be a grueling experience for three European tourists. Perhaps, it was misscommunication or perhaps it was negligence on both parties. Since there are no set rules to follow except plain common sense, anything can happen. After this ordeal, a new set of rule will be written so no further accidents will be happen.
Two European tourists, Philipp Baumgartner, german nationality and resident of Belgium and a german Jürgen Lindemeier with another german Holger "Holly" Klöpper, pro diver of Abyss Divers at FloWer Beach Resort decided to observe pelagie fishes in their environment for a change in the Bohol Sea instead of scuba diving in popular dive spots. Bohol Sea is noted for its tuna highway, Schools of Pacific mackerel, bonito and striped tuna pass through that sea lane followed by big game fishes like sailfish, marlin and broadbill swordfish along with dolphin. At certain times of the year, giant manta and whale sharks make theirappearance.
They set out on a boat manned by Cirilo Licong at 6:00 in the morning of November 25 of this year. Reaching blue waters the three dove. Cruising at a hundred feet (Anm.: exakt 40m) below the surface, they searched for the fast moving fishes after instructing the boatman Licong to keep UP with them by following their bubbles. For reasons only known by Licong, he went home for a while and when he came back, he could no longer locate the divers.
The three were caught by the >SUG habagat< the flow of the season the southwest current. The direction of the flow was toward >Limaswa< where it was to join the Kurosiwo once past the Surigao strait. To add to their distress, the prevailing winds was the northcast monsoon and the conflicting flows created choppy seas. Luckily, the divers had a complete outfit on; face masks, scuba tanks and regulators, wet suits, buoyancy vests, lead weights, flippers and emergency lights. They discarded only their lead weights.
When the boatman could not find them, he went home and notified the owners of FloWer Beach Resort. An alarm went out. The Coast Guard, Anda Police, personnel of Bituon Beach Resort, Blue Star Dive Resort and Panglaos new Sea View Hills conducted a search and rescue operation. Governor Erico Aumentado and Cong Edgar Chatto once informed sent two helicopters. Harald Mittrich coordinated the search while Kurt Bibelmann went on the second helicopter. Meanwhile bad luck hounded the three.
A freighter passed them during the day. The officer on watch was not able to see Holly though his head would stand out like a beacon. That night, a ferry passed them but though they signaled SOS -three short, three long and again three sort flashes - the ferry simply veered away of them thinking of them that they were drift net fishers. The present day navigators because of computerization no longer understand Morse.
They neared >Limasawa<, so near that they could see the lights and hear music. They thought of swimming to it but came the brown out (Anm.: Stromausfall) the island could no longer be seen. Then the tidal current this time swept them back to Bohol. To keep their sanity, they dreamed of doing things to the boatman who caused their misfortune. One was for cutting his head off and mounting it in a trophy room. The other was for cutting the other head, the lower one and mount it in a gay bar. The third reserved a long and painfull death for him.
Despite the massive search, the divers could not be found. It is like looking for a Peso coin in a parade ground. People in Anda gave them UP. No one could survive at sea for more than a day with nothing to cling on. However, on the next day, luck changed for them. A motor banca JRG with a Limasawa registry owned and skippered by Renato Galvez from Triana spotted them. They were brought back to rousing welcome in FloWer Beach. The boatman? He disappeared.
Written by Joe Espiritu, Bohol Sunday Post
posthum; postwendend; da war doch ein Unterschied?!?!?!... Na nichts für ungut!
