As recreational divers, we know that there are many risks involved with
SCUBA diving. We assume those risks, each time we suit up and 'get wet',
because the adventure of the underwater experiences are worth it. This
is why we keep our skills and conditioning current. This is why we take
responsibility for ourselves and those we dive with.
One risk that we shouldn't have to assume completely on our own is having the dive boat leave us at the dive site. We are Lynda and Michael Evans, typical divers, who just enjoy exploring the ocean. On February 22, 2000, we set out on what we thought would be an easy afternoon of SCUBA diving from Key Largo, Florida. In under two hours, we found ourselves 'abandoned', six miles off the Florida coast. What began as a fun adventure turned into a diver's worst nightmare and changed our lives forever.
There we were, unable to see land from our position. We climbed onto a light tower that (thankfully) was in the center of several dive sites at the location known as the Elbow Reef. There we sat, 15 feet off the water, for more than a day. (full story)
