Email
to RDC Board of Directors following a week of funerals
All the captains and Peter Hughes are directly responsible for the murder of my friends. I have debriefed a number of victims and witnesses, and will be making the following statement to the national news.
The passengers should have been off-loaded for their safety. The vessel was not docked properly. The rigging was bogus. Our people were not properly briefed, equipped, or prepared for the conditions they were about to face in any way.
Captain Frank is as much a murderer as if he had lined my 17 friends up on the dock and shot them! It is up the Instructors to police our industry.
I will not stand down, fail, or give quarter to the enemy in my quest for justice. Everyone in the diving industry knows that converted crew boats are unstable. The Dancer will not pass a Coast Guard safety inspection, yet they put it in the direct path of a hurricane. It is the year 2001 not 1801. They knew where Iris was headed. Their decision not to unload was based on the cost, not the safety of the passengers.
Many of you will not like or agree with what I am about to do. I do not give a f---. It is now time to releases the hounds the justice. For everything there is a season. I have laid our friends to rest, and it is now time for the Truth to be told.
Friend of the Dead
Anonymous RDC Member
An emergency meeting of the RDC Board of Directors was called for 3:00 pm that afternoon. Ironically, most of the Club's officers had been lost in Belize. Friends of the victims filled in for them, in their absence.
The meeting was held in an office building in downtown Richmond. Jenny Chappell, RDC Membership Chairperson, reported that she had been notified of the capsizing by a representative of Peter Hughes at 2:00 am. She spent the rest of the night phoning the Emergency Contacts listed on the Club members' trip waivers to let them know there had been an accident. Family members were asked to attend the Dive Club meeting that night to receive more information on the status of their loved ones.
One of the chief concerns of the acting Board was for club members who were not from the Richmond area; Jimmy Topping from Plymouth, North Carolina and Ray Mars from Baltimore, Maryland. Calls were made to the Red Cross to ensure representatives were sent immediately to those family members' homes. Other topics discussed concerned the survivors and how to get them home, and the dead and how to get them home.
Everyone's cell phones were ringing off the hook. The story was big, especially for a normally quiet, southern town. Richmond, Virginia was experiencing its own personal World Trade Center.
Jenny Chappell gave attendees an overview of what had happened, as relayed by Peter Hughes' representatives. Those in attendance were asked not to give speculative information to the press, simply because the details of what happened were still sketchy; communication to and from Belize had been affected by the storm damage. Emergency Board members were, on the other hand, encouraged to talk about friendships and camaraderie. Finally, in confidentiality, the names of the dead were read. The list was too long; everyone knew all of the names on it.
A press conference was held that night at 6:00 pm before
the
regular monthly Dive Club meeting at 7:00 pm.The media had descended upon the restaurant where the dive club meetings are held earlier than expected. La Siesta was inundated with satellite dishes, microphones, cameras, lights, reporters with pens and pencils, all wanting to speak to whomever would to talk; they were desperate for a sound byte, a personal memory to expand upon, a photograph of anyone's grief.
Tricia Goodman, RDC secretary, Mike Carr, RDC Education Committee Chair, and Steve Glenn, RDC legal counsel spearheaded the press conference.
They confirmed that there had been an accident and that lives had been lost. They confirmed that Glenn Prillaman, the Club President, had been killed. They disclosed that initial reports from Peter Hughes suggested that the Wave Dancer had been picked up by the tidal surge from Hurricane Iris and slammed onto a submerged pier, breaking her in half. They emphasized that the Club was still trying to obtain factual information on the events of that night.
The press was asked to leave the restaurant when the meeting was called to order which, to their credit, they did. But they didn't leave the premises. They remained in the parking lot, waiting for another opportunity to record a willing victim's pain.
The meeting began at 7:00 pm. Red Cross volunteers were introduced. They led family members away from the crowd to a private room filled with grief counselors. The counselors, in turn, informed them that their loved ones were, indeed, dead. There were gasps and sobs as Mike Carr read off the names of the victims, one by one, along with their status: dead, or missing and presumed dead. Each name was another stab wound in the Club's heart.
At the end of the meeting, Club members were asked not to speak with the press about any details that had been discussed.
***
The survivors, Mary Lou Hayden, Rick Patterson, Dave DeBarger, and the Aggressor passengers returned to Richmond Wednesday night. October 11th.
A second Emergency Board meeting was held Friday. The survivors were there, and spent a long time describing their versions of what had happened down there. People were struck by their appearances, both physically and in demeanor. Dave DeBarger and Mary Lou Hayden seemed calm, practical and willing to talk to the family members in attendance Mary Lou's skin was bright red, burned by the diesel fuel that had spilled into the water of Big Creek lagoon when the boat rolled. Rick Patterson, more than anything, appeared to be in shock. His face was colorless, and he was withdrawn, seemingly unaware of the proceedings around him. Dave Mowrer, a passenger from the Aggressor, was angry. He wanted someone to listen to him. He needed to tell anyone who would listen to just how much had gone wrong during that storm. People flocked to him to hear his story.
***
All in all, there were eleven funerals in one week, eight in Richmond. Christy McNeil's family decided to have her remains cremated in Belize City, her ashes to be scattered across Lighthouse Reef, the site of her last dive. Good-byes for her came later at the Club-sponsored memorial service in November.
Bart Stanley, a Wave Dancer crew member, attended Jim and Kimberly Garrison's funeral. Wave Dancer 2nd Captain Frank Wouters attended the memorial service for Buddy Webb. Peter Hughes attended the Club memorial in November. The prevailing attitude toward their appearances at these services was one of disbelief. They could not have felt welcome there.
Both Peter Hughes employees were immediately surrounded by dive club members after the services. RDC members were desperate for answers, and frustrated by the lack of information from Peter Hughes or the officials in Belize. In the case of Frank Wouters, the situation nearly became physical.
What the RDC didn't know was how quickly the Peter Hughes spin machine had mobilized. The wagons had circled, the ranks had been closed. Wave Dancer employees had already been instructed not to answer the inevitable questions from friends, family and the media. The truth wasn't going to be told at the funerals or by the press. And, if Peter Hughes Diving, Inc. had any say in the matter, it wasn't going to be told, ever.
Source:
Personal Account
Milly Armao
Personal Account
Milly Armao
- The Richmond Dive Club is scheduled to have its annual meeting and election of officers on the evening of Tuesday, October 9th, but the election had already been postponed because so many club officers were on the Belize trip. Instead, the meeting becomes a venue for grief and mourning.
- Mike Carr, Education Chair, Jenny Chappell, Membership Chair, Steve Glenn, Legal Counsel, and Tricia Goodman, Secretary, none of whom were on the Belize trip, are the only other surviving club officers. They emerge as leaders during the period immediately following the accident. Other club members are called on to support their efforts.
- The Red Cross chapter in Richmond, Virginia is contacted by the RDC and offers assistance with grief counseling and fielding requests from the media.
- An email from the son of two of the Wave Dancer victims echoes the chaos and confusion of the initial days following the accident:
Date:
Sun, 14 Oct. 2001 13:01:25 -0400
Subject: Re: [RDC-News] News Media
To: rdcnews@richmonddiveclub.com
Hello,
My name is Scott Kelley. I am Bill's and Sheila's Son/Stepson. I could not make it to the meeting last night but I would like someone to contact me and confirm or deny the many rumors I have heard.
I am currently at my Dad's home. His number is 804-xxx-xxxx, please leave
a message if I do not answer. I will try to check back on his email when I can.
Thank you,
Scott K.
Subject: Re: [RDC-News] News Media
To: rdcnews@richmonddiveclub.com
Hello,
My name is Scott Kelley. I am Bill's and Sheila's Son/Stepson. I could not make it to the meeting last night but I would like someone to contact me and confirm or deny the many rumors I have heard.
I am currently at my Dad's home. His number is 804-xxx-xxxx, please leave
a message if I do not answer. I will try to check back on his email when I can.
Thank you,
Scott K.
- The survivors and other members of the RDC return home on Wednesday, October 10th. They are met at the Norfolk International Airport by a group of RDC members who are there not only to comfort them, but to shield them from the press.
- Emergency Board meetings are held to discuss how to support the survivors, the victims' families, and members of the club who are stunned by the loss, and the media. There are many details to address. One of them is to assign volunteers to find extra sets of car keys and move the victims' cars from the TourTime bus company parking lot back to their homes.
Subject:
[RDC-News] Organizational Meeting
Date:
12 Oct. 2001 11:06:00
We
need to gather and focus our
approach in forming a support structure for the families of our lost
friends. A meeting will be held at the Grove Ave. Baptist Church today
12-October, 6 PM. A sign will be posted at both church entrances, with
directions to the meeting room.
Mark
Genkins suggests that
people wishing to be a part of the family support structure be at the
meeting. People willing to be a contact for individual families, and
people who are already contacts for families should attend. A contact's
responsibility will be to provide comfort, accurate information, gather
requested information by the family and any thing else they might need.
The current structure is in confusion and there is much repetition
occurring. This will only add stress to the families, and we wish to
avoid this. The American Red Cross will be at the meeting to help guide
designated family contacts.
Please
call anyone that does
not have email access, who you think would want to be involved. We will
also be discussing arrangements for a memorial service.
- Dave DeBarger, one of the survivors, is also the Club's vice president. Now, in addition to dealing with his own grief and trauma, he must steer the RDC through the aftermath of the crisis.
A
Letter from the President
My Dear Friends:
With this letter I address you
for the first time as your President, having reluctantly assumed that
office following the death of Glenn Prillaman in the tragic capsizing
of the M/V Wave Dancer in Belize on October 8th. No one could ever
replace Glenn, and I will not attempt to do so. What I will do is
accept the responsibilities conveyed to me under our Bylaws, and try to
bring us together as we rediscover the reasons we all joined the
Richmond Dive Club. There is still much grieving to do, and many tears
to be shed for our lost buddies. Those of us who remain face difficult
decisions: whether or not to continue diving, a sport that we love, and
whether or not to continue our involvement with the Richmond Dive Club,
an organization that has provided us with many happy times and which
may now be a reminder of the pain we have experienced at the loss of
our friends.
The Board of Directors met
recently and affirmed their belief that the Richmond Dive Club must
continue, and must grow. We know that Glenn, Christy and our other lost
buddies would be furious if we were to abandon the group to which they
gave so unsparingly of their time and talents. The Board was emphatic
that the regular schedule of monthly meetings continue without
interruption, and in as normal a fashion as possible. To that end, I
urge you to attend the regular meeting on Tuesday, November 13, at La
Siesta. We have a full program planned, and we will be asking for your
suggestions on a number of matters. Our new Travel Chair will present
you with opportunities for some great late-fall dives and for the first
dives of 2002. Come prepared with your suggestions for one or two big
trips for next year, and we may even be able to offer New Year's Eve
champagne under warm water! Mike Carr will present some things you need
to know about diving safely. I urge you also to attend the Richmond
Dive Club's Memorial Celebration for our lost buddies on Saturday,
November 17. The non-denominational service will be at Grove Avenue
Baptist Church beginning at 3:00 PM. Details and driving directions can
be found on the Club website. We'd like to give a big Dive Club "Thank
You" and a round of applause to the folks at Lite-98 (WTVR-FM) and
especially to Steve Leonard for dedicating the proceeds from his
thirtieth anniversary "Sunday Night Beach Party" show to the RDC
Memorial Fund. If you missed the party on October 28, you missed a
great time! Our appreciation goes to the Richbrau Brewery for donating
their facility for the event, and thanks also to four great bands for
volunteering their services: Flashback, The Janet Martin Band, Big
City, and Robbin Thompson. We're very proud that these wonderful folks
dedicated their efforts on behalf of the families and children of our
buddies.
Lastly, a big hug and a "Thank
You" to the officers and members of the Club who stepped forward and
took the lead immediately following the accident in Belize. They
organized telephone calls to the divers' families, released information
to the local press (after first checking their facts so as to get it
right!), revamped the regular October meeting into an information and
sharing event, and when the worst became known they organized a system
for communicating with the families of our lost buddies which reduced
duplication of effort and ensured that everyone received the
information and assistance they needed as quickly as possible. They
rescheduled our bus transportation from the Norfolk airport, contacted
the Red Cross and obtained a security escort and a protected meeting
place for the survivors' families when we arrived. Many took time off
from their jobs to assist the families. They were an anchor in the
storm, fielding questions and providing the only consistently accurate
information to the families and the local and national media. Their
response to the crisis was absolutely amazing, and they deserve the
highest praise!
I read in one of the newspapers a
quote from a Club member who said that the accident in Belize killed
the heart of the Richmond Dive Club. That may be true, as those who
were lost were some of the most active members of our Club. The
disaster left some very big shoes to fill, but we have many members
willing and able to step into those shoes and to carry on the mission.
Hurricane Iris may have taken the heart of our Club, but she could not
take its soul. We, the members, are the soul of this organization. All
of us, pulling together, will mend the hole in our heart and the
Richmond Dive Club will become stronger than ever. I look forward to
the
challenge. I hope that you do, too!
Dave DeBarger
President
- Of chief concern is coordinating help for the families of victims who are not in the Richmond, Virginia area. One such family is that of Cheryl Lightbound who is from Canada.
Mike,
or whomever --
I spoke for over an hour tonight with George and Doug Lightbound (Cheryl's father and brother.) Told them the story and answered their questions. Mr. Lightbound lost his wife 2 years ago to cancer, and lost his mother 8 months ago. It's a rough time for him. They anticipate that there will be other family members who will want to talk with me, but they were both very grateful that they now have the facts. The information reaching them had conflicting statements.
Although they have been contacted by SOS, they do not yet know when Cheryl's body will be flown to Toronto. Apparently Cheryl is being returned to Richmond with the others, and then transported to Toronto and on to Calgary. The family is waiting to schedule a funeral until they have her body.
Is there any way we can send someone to Calgary to represent the Club at the service?
I spoke for over an hour tonight with George and Doug Lightbound (Cheryl's father and brother.) Told them the story and answered their questions. Mr. Lightbound lost his wife 2 years ago to cancer, and lost his mother 8 months ago. It's a rough time for him. They anticipate that there will be other family members who will want to talk with me, but they were both very grateful that they now have the facts. The information reaching them had conflicting statements.
Although they have been contacted by SOS, they do not yet know when Cheryl's body will be flown to Toronto. Apparently Cheryl is being returned to Richmond with the others, and then transported to Toronto and on to Calgary. The family is waiting to schedule a funeral until they have her body.
Is there any way we can send someone to Calgary to represent the Club at the service?
-Dave
***
Dave,
Rick and the Board,
Informal discussions have taken place between various members of the Board and Gerry Campbell regarding this very issue. I can think of no more worthy expenditure of club monies than to enable a club member to be there in Calgary on our behalf for the Lightbound family. From what is left of my memory, I recall Gerry indicating a willingness to be our representative there. I presume another Board meeting is imminent and a formal offer can be formulated at that time.
Steve
Informal discussions have taken place between various members of the Board and Gerry Campbell regarding this very issue. I can think of no more worthy expenditure of club monies than to enable a club member to be there in Calgary on our behalf for the Lightbound family. From what is left of my memory, I recall Gerry indicating a willingness to be our representative there. I presume another Board meeting is imminent and a formal offer can be formulated at that time.
Steve
- The Wave Dancer is refloated and personal possessions of the passengers and crew are recovered. Items belonging to the Americans are forwarded to the American Consulate in Belize City. Coordinating their return to Richmond becomes a grisly but necessary task for the club:
1. Mr. Webb has asked
if we can let him
know who he needs to contact about retrieving any of Buddy's personal
gear from the boat or how that procedure is being coordinated.
2. In connection with completing the DAN claim forms, he wanted to know if we can give him a listing of what gear Buddy had (or that you assume he would have had) on the trip. I don't know how we could do that, unless Buddy kept a record of the gear he packed. Or if he kept the receipts for his gear purchases. We could provide a list of "typical" items of dive gear, but the prices of equipment vary so widely that I'm not sure what an insurance company would accept. It might be best for Mr. Webb to contact Buddy's insurance agent and ask how best to handle the claim.
I
was advised today that Wave Dancer has been righted, and will soon be
re-floated. I understand that the Peter Hughes Company will then
begin the process of recovering whatever personal items they can from
the cabins. We have asked that items be returned to the next of
kin wherever possible, and for those cabins which were shared by
singles that the effects be returned to the Club so that we can attempt
to sort out the gear and return it to the proper families.
We
are really at the mercy of the PHD company in this -- they will need
to determine what can be recovered and what is actually salvageable
(most everything will likely be saturated with mud and diesel
oil.) If Mr. Webb wants to contact PHD in Miami they may be
able to give him more information, but I suspect we will just have to wait
until they want to send the stuff
back.
2. In connection with completing the DAN claim forms, he wanted to know if we can give him a listing of what gear Buddy had (or that you assume he would have had) on the trip. I don't know how we could do that, unless Buddy kept a record of the gear he packed. Or if he kept the receipts for his gear purchases. We could provide a list of "typical" items of dive gear, but the prices of equipment vary so widely that I'm not sure what an insurance company would accept. It might be best for Mr. Webb to contact Buddy's insurance agent and ask how best to handle the claim.
- The personal possessions of the Wave Dancer passengers are returned to the RDC
Family
Buddies --
Please notify your family contacts that the personal effects of our lost divers will be available for pickup on Saturday, February 9, between 1 and 4 PM, and on Sunday, February 10, between 1 and 4 PM. The location is Unit D-27 in the Huguenot-Robious Mini Storage complex, at the corner of Huguenot Road and Robious Road in Chesterfield County. If your family is unable to pick up their things this weekend, we will try to arrange for an alternate pickup time. Anything not claimed will have to be disposed of by the Club before the end of the month.
The person picking up personal effects will be required to sign a release form, certifying that they are the legally qualified personal representative of the person whose effects they are claiming, and releasing the Richmond Dive Club from any liability in connection with the transaction.
I strongly suggest that anyone picking up personal effects bring several large plastic trash bags. Many of the articles are still damp, some are quite dirty, and all smell strongly of diesel oil.
There are a great many "unattributed" items which your families may want to go through in case they can identify their relatives' possessions. These are mostly articles of clothing, but there are also items of dive equipment, handbags, footwear, and other accessories.
It is possible that some of the families may not wish to claim the personal effects. If your family feels that way, we would appreciate it if you would so inform us. In such cases, we ask that the personal representative send the Club a letter stating that they do not want the effects. The Board needs to make a determination as to the disposition of the unclaimed articles, and it will be easier if we know which things will not be picked up.
I will be happy to answer any questions, via email or telephone. Thank you once again for all your time and efforts on behalf of our friends. We could not have gotten through the past four months without your help!
Please notify your family contacts that the personal effects of our lost divers will be available for pickup on Saturday, February 9, between 1 and 4 PM, and on Sunday, February 10, between 1 and 4 PM. The location is Unit D-27 in the Huguenot-Robious Mini Storage complex, at the corner of Huguenot Road and Robious Road in Chesterfield County. If your family is unable to pick up their things this weekend, we will try to arrange for an alternate pickup time. Anything not claimed will have to be disposed of by the Club before the end of the month.
The person picking up personal effects will be required to sign a release form, certifying that they are the legally qualified personal representative of the person whose effects they are claiming, and releasing the Richmond Dive Club from any liability in connection with the transaction.
I strongly suggest that anyone picking up personal effects bring several large plastic trash bags. Many of the articles are still damp, some are quite dirty, and all smell strongly of diesel oil.
There are a great many "unattributed" items which your families may want to go through in case they can identify their relatives' possessions. These are mostly articles of clothing, but there are also items of dive equipment, handbags, footwear, and other accessories.
It is possible that some of the families may not wish to claim the personal effects. If your family feels that way, we would appreciate it if you would so inform us. In such cases, we ask that the personal representative send the Club a letter stating that they do not want the effects. The Board needs to make a determination as to the disposition of the unclaimed articles, and it will be easier if we know which things will not be picked up.
I will be happy to answer any questions, via email or telephone. Thank you once again for all your time and efforts on behalf of our friends. We could not have gotten through the past four months without your help!
-Dave
DeBarger
-President, RDC
-President, RDC
***
All of the families of our lost friends
have picked up the personal effects of their relatives. With the
approval of the Board, we will be disposing of the remaining unclaimed
items and surrendering the storage locker this coming weekend (February
23.)
You do not need to contact your families about this if you feel it will be upsetting to them, but I wanted to let you know of our plans in case you are asked. Feel free to contact me with any questions.
Again, many, many thanks for all you have done for our families. Without exception they have been lavish in their praise of the Richmond Dive Club and its members, and generally amazed at the "family feeling" they have gotten from all of you.
You do not need to contact your families about this if you feel it will be upsetting to them, but I wanted to let you know of our plans in case you are asked. Feel free to contact me with any questions.
Again, many, many thanks for all you have done for our families. Without exception they have been lavish in their praise of the Richmond Dive Club and its members, and generally amazed at the "family feeling" they have gotten from all of you.
-Dave DeBarger
-President, RDC
***
Subject:
Fwd: [RDC-FAMILIES] Final on Personal Effects
Date: Mon., 25 Feb. 2002 08:42:14 -0500
I am pleased to be able to tell you that all of the families have received their personal effects, and the unclaimed articles have been disposed of substantially as proposed in my earlier email. The storage locker has been vacated and the keys returned to the manager of the mini-store. My special thanks to Rick Patterson and Mike Carr for their help in unpacking, identifying and sorting the effects, and to Nancy Morgan, Leslie Gobel, Rick and Mike for packing up the locker and cleaning things up this afternoon. Thanks also go to those members of the RDC who came by and spent time at the locker during pickup hours helping the families load cars, providing ears to listen and shoulders to cry upon, and generally keeping everyone in touch with reality.
I believe that this concludes the RDC's involvement with the return of personal effects. Any questions on this matter should be directed to myself or to our Legal Advisor, Steve Glenn, as appropriate.
Thank you all once again for your understanding, cooperation and assistance as we wind down our recovery efforts from the tragedy in Belize.
Date: Mon., 25 Feb. 2002 08:42:14 -0500
I am pleased to be able to tell you that all of the families have received their personal effects, and the unclaimed articles have been disposed of substantially as proposed in my earlier email. The storage locker has been vacated and the keys returned to the manager of the mini-store. My special thanks to Rick Patterson and Mike Carr for their help in unpacking, identifying and sorting the effects, and to Nancy Morgan, Leslie Gobel, Rick and Mike for packing up the locker and cleaning things up this afternoon. Thanks also go to those members of the RDC who came by and spent time at the locker during pickup hours helping the families load cars, providing ears to listen and shoulders to cry upon, and generally keeping everyone in touch with reality.
I believe that this concludes the RDC's involvement with the return of personal effects. Any questions on this matter should be directed to myself or to our Legal Advisor, Steve Glenn, as appropriate.
Thank you all once again for your understanding, cooperation and assistance as we wind down our recovery efforts from the tragedy in Belize.
-Dave
Sources:
Personal Account
Richmond Times Dispatch
Virginian-Pilot, The
Personal Account
Richmond Times Dispatch
Virginian-Pilot, The
All
contents of this site © 2005 Milly Armao, except where
otherwise noted.