A note from SDI-TDI-ERDI Pacific Rim

Forwarded from the Diving Accidents mail list.



To: divingaccidents@yahoogroups.com
From: "esnkeisj" <diver@caribebali.com>
Subject: [divingaccidents] A note from SDI-TDI-ERDI Pacific Rim

As we are receiving a lot of inquiries about dive professionals,
divers and the general situation, I am reprinting a note I have been
sending out. You may wish to look at of them

<http://staff.aist.go.jp/kenji.satake/animation.gif>

which is a very good graphic representation of the wave patterns.

Matt, I guess this will teach you not to come out those holes!!

Steve,

I am quite OK.....am now watching this from Singapore. It was a
brutal first 36 hours, trying to collect info, track down everyone
related to SDI/TDI/ERDI and judge how much assistance is needed and
I will be expected to donate. The last guy to check in was our
retailer in Khao Lak, just north of Phuket. This place was probably
hardest hit. He and his shop were OK, but he said there are dead
everywhere, and many missing, probably dragged out to sea from this
low lying area..

I am attaching a map of the affected area (see link above). Compare
to your map and you will see that Simon's operation in Lombok was
well out of danger. The wave did come down the Malacca Straits,
between Sumatra and Malaysia. And it hit India and west beyond to
Africa. The west coast of Thailand was hardest hit, but Sri Lanka
had more casualties, probably because there are more fishing
villages along the coast. Same with India.

These fotos do not show the full impact of destruction....but give
you an idea, especially the guy getting dragged out to sea.
<http://www.pbase.com/issels/phuket_tsunami&page=all>

The best sites at Thaivisa.com are down right now, but try later and
this will give you an idea of what it was like in Thailand...the
desperation and the heartaches. This is part of an interim email
that was sent out to all of our members yesterday.

2) TSUNAMI HITS SOUTHERN THAILAND AND THE AREAS OF THE BAY OF BENGAL

The news on this has now reached most of us. As many of us were out
partying on Boxing Day, I thank those who sent SMS to me to see if I
was OK. Luckily I was not in the area (scheduled to be there in
about 1 week's time), but began monitoring the situation immediately
through some local Thailand websites. Suggest you check, for
informal news and fotos....

<http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=23294>

<http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=23308>

To get to the heart of the matter, I have been checking with the
SDI/TDI/ERDI professionals in the area and have had pretty good
success getting thru to most. With the exception of damage to 2
facilities in Phuket, there has been no injury to any of our
instructors, nor was there any training on-going at the time of the
event. The area of damage for us was limited to Phuket/Phi Phi/Khao
Lak, as we do not have instructors in Krabi/Koh Lanta.
Unfortunately, we still have no news of the status of our retail
outlets in the area.
__________________________________________________ ___________________
__________________________________________________ _________

I have been receiving offers from contacts throughout the diving
industry around the world to lend assistance to those in need. We
are evaluating right now, and I will go to the sites next week, as I
am held up in Singapore right now awaiting some admin matters
relating to year-end closing.

Your concern is appreciated and will be passed along to all members.

Hopefully, the worst is over. Never thought I would see anything
worse or experience anything more emotionally draining than the
Jakarta riots of 1998. Now I have.

Best regards, Joe