A friend of mine sent me this article (I won't reproduce it because of potential copyright issues, but unfortunately I don't have a link to it):

"NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (April 29) - A recreational diver forgotten at sea by a boat crew drifted five hours and prayed for his life before a Boy Scout on an excursion aboard a century-old ship spotted him.

Dan Carlock, 45, was left by his diving group Sunday as he drifted for hours about seven miles offshore. He noted the time of day on his small, waterproof writing slate and took photographs of himself to document that he'd made it to the surface.

Carlock, a former Boy Scout, recalled his survival manual: Stay calm. Think methodically. Still, he worried about how his parents would react to his death.

He said he prayed "God, I don't want to die," and "I want to be saved. I need your help."

(remainder of story snipped).....

Pretty careless of the boat crew. (Carlock was saved after several hours in the water, when a 15-year old Boy Scout, Zack Mayberry, on a "Tall Ship" training sail spotted his head in the water. Apparently the boat crew didn't realise one of their customers was missing until they got to the second dive site; then compounded their error by assuming he'd gone missing on the second dive, not the first.

Do you think the dive company would have avoided, or at least mitigated, what's likely to be a very expensive lawsuit, by investing in a waterproof PLB for each customer? (Obviously, counting to four was a bit too technical for them.) <img src="images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />