from CH7TV-

And the succession of bad news for visitors in Belize continues. Tonight, police have confirmed that a 68-year-old snorkeler went missing today off Caye Caulker.

The man is a cruise visitor traveling with his wife and brother. They arrived on the Norwegian Dream Cruise Ship this morning and went out on a local catamaran to go snorkeling near the reef southeast of Caye Caulker. Somehow he got disconnected from the group of snorkelers and up to newstime, despite intensive searches, he has not been found and is feared drowned.

ST. BARBARA ANYONE?? LET'S PRAY FOR HIS SURVIVAL. NO BAIT FOR ME BUT YOU CAN BET I'LL BE WATCHING DG

from a friend...

the missing man's brother claims current was very strong, water deeper than they were told it would be and that he himself starting floating away and members of the crew had to go get him, moments before his brother vanished. Jackie Woods talking to captain of another catamaran that was in the area at the same time, who pulled his people after ten minutes. He completely contradicts Discovery's claim that conditions were "ideal."
Body still not recovered. Bad weather coming so not sure how much searching they will be able to do.
Met office says we will get some serious rain/winds here. This is one to watch. As stormed out as I am. I am watch

ing.

The current is very strong if you're in the water around any of the cuts in the reef. It will suck you through if you're too close and not watching yourself.

"The current is very strong if you're in the water around any of the cuts in the reef. It will suck you through if you're too close and not watching yourself."

I have noticed this also. Does anyone know if it is like that all the time or just when the tide is going out. outing tide= suck you out to see, incoming tide=push you closer to land away from the reef towards shore. Is this correct?

Wind, waves, tides - all have an impact on the currents in the cuts.

For SimonB and other local AC folks:

When we snorkeled in April, the current was moderate in mid-morning and mid-afternoon for 4 days straight. It would carry us if we drifted, but we had no problems maintaining speed. True, near the cut in 30" depth, it was stronger, but manageable. So my questions are...

Should tourists monitor tidal highs and lows each day (maybe sticking to excursions which coincide with incoming)?

Are these recent reports of lost divers and a snorkeler due to nearby storms or does it happen frequently?

Are there (should there be) restrictions in place for guides such as wind speed or current velocities?

Is the best response to an outflowing "cut current" pulling one out similar to that of a rip current? Let it pull you out then swim parralel to shore to try and cross the reef at another point? Is it even possible to swim back over the reef with waves breaking across it?

"Is the best response to an outflowing "cut current" pulling one out similar to that of a rip current? Let it pull you out then swim parralel to shore to try and cross the reef at another point? Is it even possible to swim back over the reef with waves breaking across it? "

When i was there in july, i(experienced surfer) went out surfing with a local,and found that the current was very strong, and it was sucking me out to sea(i had to constantly keep paddling), it was just like a rip current in that it would suck you out,i think it would take alot of enery to swim parrell to it and try and cross it to get back to the reef(allmost impossible if you don't have any energy left). i think once you got going far enough out than it would be to late to even try to make it,(with the right conditions =outgoing tide) then your out in the deep blue and that can be pretty scary.

TOURISTS SHOULD BE WARNED OF BOTH CURRENT AND WATER CONDITIONS BEFORE THEY ENTER THE WATER. AFTER THAT THE TOUR GUIDE SHOULD BE RELIEVED OF ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR SOMEONE'S MISHAP. ANTHING CAN HAPPEN..MAYBE THE OL GUY HAD A HEART ATTACK...WHO KNOWS.

Cruise ship tourists are of a special stripe in that they have never done some of the stuff they're trying out. It's just one great experiment and no worries because someone is watching out for them. Yeah, cruisers are the newlywed, the overfed and the nearly dead.

It needs to be forcefully told to them that open water anything is tricky and to be aware of your surroundings if nothing else.

Nobody di tol me noting - but it was pretty easy to see and instinctively to realize what was happening. We were on a guided trip back in the simpler days of AC to Hol Chan and surrounds on a lovely day in December for the first time once upon a time.