"McCoy recieved CPR on the way to the Coast Guard Station". As we were watching the boat race in the harbor, we noted the Coast Guard craft winding its way thru Tank and Wisteria Islands and the moored spectator boats and finally to the station. When minutes matter, wouldn't it have been quicker to take the injured diver directly to Stock Island and transfer him to an ambulance to the hospital?

The captain of the Spree, his DM/wife, and all those aboard run a VERY tight ship. They take all safety measures possible to ensure that divers have safe dives. And yes, he will judge the current and weather accordingly before putting the divers and crew at risk. I have personally witnessed the Captain refunding thousands of dollars to groups that were blown out due to the weather. I have no vested interest in Key West charters. I have no boat. I am not a scuba instructor or close friend of the deceased diver or or the crew aboard the Spree. I am simply a diver who travels to Key West from out-of-state and I've used the Spree's services. I can guarantee that Captain Frank would NEVER willingly put someone in harms way, nor would he abide by an unskilled or untrained divers doing a dive from his ship if he didn't think the divers was prepared for. Anyone who has ever dove with this outfit knows the cardinal rule aboard the Spree- DON'T DO STUPID. Anyone who is saying otherwise about the MV Spree and her crew obviously has 1) never been a guest diving from the ship, or 2) are using this poor man's tragic accident to stir up business for the competition. I wasn't there at the time of the incident but I can say without a doubt that Cap't Frank and his crew responded in a timely manner to the best of their ability given all the circumstances involved. I don't know what happened to Mr. McCoy at 95fsw but I do know that rebreathers (the equipment he was using) are relatively new technology and can be finicky. It requires the diver to be much more diligent in the preparation and much more attentive to the sensors throughout the dive than a traditional OC (open circuit/ "air" tank) diver. This is just a very unfortunate accident that has people blame storming and name calling. Out of respect for Mr. McCoy's family and the rescuers involved, please stop slinging the mud around and try to collectively gain knowledge from the incident to help prevent another. D.B. Houston

We were diving from Bonsai about 50 yds from Spree at the time of the accident. We were tied into the superstructure, Spree tied into the bow. Spree is about a 150 ft boat with about a ten foot dinghy "chase boat" which appeared inadequate for supporting the dive operation. Prior to the accident we witnessed another Spree diver come up in a free ascent away from Spree, and it took way too long to recover the diver. First they threw in a line which did not reach the diver about 50 yds behind their boat. Then a diver jumped overboard with tanks aparently to get the diver, but the diver quickly realized that was a bad idea and got back on Spree. Then they finally launched the dinghy, and it took over 5 minutes to get the small outboard started. The girl in the dinghy did not appear to have a handheld radio and definitely did not have a lifejacket on. All in all it took over 15 min to recover the first diver who was not in distress. I was down below on the wreck when the accident occured and did not witness the accident or see the diver in distress. Three others in our group who were on Bonsai at the time saw a safety sausage on the surface for a few minutes before the three divers surfaced, and they were quite a ways from Spree. When I came up I saw the CG boat departing. Apparently there was another fishing boat in the area who came to assistance, and we thought it was the fishing boat that called the CG. We did not know there was an accident till we got home and read it in the paper. That's all I know.

This is in response to the anonymous writer criticizing the "Big Blue Boat" and management in the "booth". Since you hide behind anonymity, the source of your information and your credentials to offer any opinion are put in doubt. Perhaps my being a scuba instructor with several agencies allows some authority to a differning opinion. As the survivor of the Spiegel Grove accident 2-1/2 years ago, a member of the Vandenberg sinking committee, and a regular rebreather diver on the Vandenberg, I offer rebuttal. Oh, by the way, did I mention that I dive virtually exclusively on the Sea Eagle with Captain's Corner? As such, I have personally seen money refunded to divers who were not able to "make the grade". I have also seen the captains and crew firsthand conduct all activities with utmost safety and to allow the divers to have a good experience. Unfortunately, some divers are not truthful with their own experience or limitations and thus they put themselves in harms way (that cannot be the fault of any dive operator). The sea conditions are best determined by the boat captains when they are able to personally observe them (unless the Coast Guard has already advised explicitly otherwise). There has been no directive in my observations to "batten down the hatches, full steam ahead" to the detriment of safety. Quite frankly, the converse has been my personal experience. I close by offering condolences to the family and friends of the deceased diver; and solace to his instructors, the crew of the Spree and all involved medical personnel. We all need to learn from incidents such as these to make diving as safe as it can be. If you truly believe in your sentiments, then do not hide behind an anonymous mask but step in to the light of day with your facts to make every dive operator in Key West the best that can be offered. I expect to be diving after Thanksgiving and into the beginning of December with Captains Corner. Come out and say hello to me. Howard Spialter

A few years back i did some diving in Cuba and was pleasantly surprised when a doctor, part of the dive crew, tested everyones blood pressure before leaving the dock. My dive buddy had borderline high blood pressure so we visited shallow 40' reefs. The moral of the story is make sure you are in good shape before you dive shallow or deep. You can test your own blood pressure free at many Key West pharmacys, a good practice to get in to.