A commercial shark dive client went missing on Sunday July 13 following a night dive. The diver, who was identified as John E. Petty, age 63, was part of a group diving from controversial shark diving outfitter Jim Abernathy’s yacht, the Shear Water. Abernathy has been criticized by the dive community in the past, accused of promoting dangerous dives with shark populations that are known to pose a threat to divers. Tiger sharks, the species known to frequent the area where Petty went missing, are among the most dangerous, accounting for a large percentage of the small number of shark attacks on humans. Abernathy has been bitten, and lost a diver in a 2008 shark attack.
Mask and Camera Found Following Shark Diving Accident
Petty had boarded the boat in Palm Beach, Florida, along with a group of eight other divers and a crew of four. They were headed for an eight-night shark diving expedition to Tiger Beach, a famous site located about 20 miles off the west end of Grand Bahamas. The goal was to spend time in 20 feet of water, enjoying encounters with a group of resident tiger sharks.
Although Abernathy was not answering phone calls shortly after the accident occurred, a representative said that “the exact location where we dive varies. It depends on currents and where the best action is.” There are several hypotheses concerning the cause of the accident. It is possible that Petty became disoriented; it’s also possible that he was swept away by a swift current before anyone noticed that he was missing.
“It was a night dive, so getting lost is an option, as is unintentionally swimming out to the Gulf Stream and being caught in the current,” said Andy Dehart, a shark adviser for the Discovery Chanel and himself a longtime Tiger Beach diver. Dehart also believes that a medical emergency such as a heart attack could be to blame.
The typical protocol for shark diving experiences like the one Petty was on involves keeping the boat’s motor idling while tossing chum overboard until the sharks arrive. Unlike many of the shark diving outfits that frequent waters like Tiger Beach, Abernathy’s Scuba Adventures does not use cages. The company advertises this trip as one for advanced open-water divers only, and Petty was a certified advanced open water diver.
The U.S. Coast Guard received the call for assistance at 8 pm, immediately deploying an air and sea search. The only clues they discovered lent little hope; Coast Guard spokesman Mark Barney said “they found a mask and camera on the seafloor one nautical mile from where the incident was called in.”
The search was suspended four days later, and although Royal Bahamas Police officials joined the U.S. Coast Guard in its efforts, no further clues were discovered. The search involved the Coast Guard Cutter Dolphin, C-130 Hercules aircraft, MH-60 Jayhawk rescue helicopters, and Royal Bahamas Police equipment. It lasted 64 hours and covered an area of more than 6,400 miles.