J.O. Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 Sounds like military survival training may have saved this guy's life. SYDNEY (Reuters) - A former New Zealand navy diver left adrift at sea for three days survived by eating crayfish and sea slugs after he became separated from friends while diving near an island off the country's coast. Robert Hewitt, 38, was suffering hypothermia and severe dehydration when he was found in mist and rain by former navy colleagues who joined police divers after an air search was called off, New Zealand Press Association reported. "This defies survivability, it's bloody awesome," said police search and rescue Senior Sergeant Bruce Johnson. Hewitt was found wearing only the bottom of his wetsuit and a yellow catch bag containing the remains of the crayfish and sea slugs that he had eaten during the ordeal, NZPA reported. Johnson said the diver may have been protected by the thickness of his navy-issue divesuit, and was alert and "talked non stop" when rescued. The alarm was raised Sunday when Hewitt, the older brother of a former All Black rugby player, failed to surface from a dive off Mana Island, north of Wellington on the country's North Island. Maybe they'll make a movie out of this one too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kip Powick Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 Obviously I don't have all the facts but the first thing that comes to mind is "stupidity". One always dives with a buddy and when one has to surface, no matter what the reason, the "buddy" goes up as well. Sometimes it can be annoying if you are having a great dive and your buddy has to go up because of low air, or sickness, or whatever, but the cardinal rule in recreational scuba is that you always stay with your buddy. I really don't understand why he only had half a wetsuit on when found.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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