Three scuba divers were hit by a fishing boat in the Houbi Lake intertidal zone in Pingtung County, with two hospitalized for critical injuries. An investigation is currently underway.
A delayed surface marker buoy (DSMB) is a brightly colored safety device that scuba divers are trained to deploy before they surface to warn vessels of their presence. The buoy is also what a dive operation boat is looking for, alerting them to pick divers up after they’ve completed their fun underwater excursion.
Unfortunately, even with their DSMB visible, three divers were injured by a fishing boat driving through the Houbi Lake intertidal zone at high speed on Saturday. According to witnesses, the fishing boat, suspected to be from Wushi Port in Yilan, seemed not to notice the divers and their DSMB, which led to the accident. Two suffered multiple serious fractures and lacerations and are currently in critical care at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital.
Kenting National Park Management Office Deputy Director Chen Jun-shan (陳俊山) says that the dive operator was in a legally recognized dive location, and abiding by all current safety regulations. However, he added that foreign fishing boats are not familiar with the local waters and might not be aware that they should be watching for divers. An ongoing Coast Guard Administration investigation has confirmed that the accident happened at the intersection of the diving activities area and the channel.
Boat propeller injuries are usually severe or fatal, as in a 2011 accident in the same area when a scuba diver was struck by a fishing boat and lost his life.
Local fishermen say that they usually pay special attention when driving, as many water sports enthusiasts visit the area. They have stated that they hope relevant authorities can establish clearer regulations for overlapping areas to avoid these kinds of accidents in the future.