Two divers found themselves in a precarious situation off the coast of Western Australia after their boat became detached while they were diving. Ryan Chapman and a friend were engaging in both free diving and scuba diving approximately 5 kilometers from Mindarie, a suburb located north of Perth, when they resurfaced to discover their boat was missing.
“We went out, anchored up, and originally things were all good for 45 minutes,” Chapman told Guardian Australia. He explained that while he was enjoying the dive, he neglected to pay attention to the boat’s anchoring. “I think the wind might have picked up, and I was overly eager to get into the water, so I didn’t tie my knot properly. When we resurfaced, the boat was completely out of sight.”
In footage captured on his GoPro, Chapman can be heard expressing his shock, exclaiming, “Where the hell is the boat?” and “Oi, the boat… it’s come off anchor.” Initially, he feared the vessel had sunk. “Originally, I thought the boat had sank,” he said. “So we were looking around for the presumed sunken boat, and then decided to swim to a boat we could see in the distance, about a kilometer away.”
After about an hour and a half of swimming, the two divers managed to attract the attention of a nearby vessel, which rescued them. Their rescuers had observed Chapman’s boat drifting out to sea and were concerned for their safety. Despite the circumstances, Chapman maintained a level of confidence. “I wasn’t too worried. I was pretty confident in our ability to make it back to shore if we needed to, but it would’ve taken a few hours and the boat would’ve been long gone,” he remarked.
Once they were safely aboard the rescuing boat, Chapman and his friend used their knowledge of the currents to locate their drifting vessel, which had moved about 2 kilometers from where it had been anchored. Upon returning to the boat, they decided to dive again, but with a revised plan. “We found the anchor, re-anchored, and had another dive,” Chapman said. “This time we had one person on the boat and one in the water.”
Reflecting on the incident, he acknowledged that they should have taken a moment to consider their decisions. “In hindsight, we probably should’ve taken a moment to reflect on the decision-making, but we figured we’d just continue to send it.”
Chapman is now sharing his experience and footage to promote safety awareness for divers. He emphasizes the importance of having a “decky,” or deckhand, on board to monitor the boat while diving, as well as double-checking the anchorage before entering the water. “I knew I was going to cop a lot of flak,” he admitted. “The reason I agreed to air it and own up to my stupidity was for awareness – it’s easy to get complacent and think everything’s all good.”
Reflecting on the potential dangers, Chapman noted, “But in hindsight, it could’ve been a lot worse. It takes courage to own up to your stupidity.” His story serves as a reminder of the critical importance of safety practices while engaging in water sports.
