In real terms, three members of the RDC
survived the Wave Dancer accident in Belize. In much looser terms, there
are many more survivors, including 90 members of the Richmond Dive Club. They, like those involved in the 9/11 attacks, were forced to deal with the random, incomprehensible and traumatic loss of so many friends and family. Personally, I had to struggle with my own "survivor guilt" ; my husband and I cancelled our trip on the Wave Dancer shortly before the departure. Of the two people who took our slots, one survived and the other perished.



I joined the Richmond Dive Club in September 2000 and made many friends through RDC activities. I traveled and socialized with most of the Wave Dancer victims.

After the accident, I became part of the ad hoc emergency board: attended all the emergency meetings, took over the RDC Web site and memorial page, worked on the Memorial Service Committee and provided research for Steve Glenn, Bob Tata of Hunton & Williams, and the law firm of Breit, Drescher, Breit. I culled through Christy's travel files, organizing them for the legal team, and was privileged to have had many conversations with the survivors and family members of the victims.

Originally, I planned to write a book about the Wave Dancer tragedy so people would know the truth about what happened in Belize, but other responsibilities always took precedence. Instead, I donated my research to the Richmond Dive Club archives. This Web site contains much of the research I did and is my attempt to create meaning out of the deaths of my friends.




Note:

In March 2005, I made the decision not to renew my membership in the Richmond Dive Club. It was a difficult choice to make, but very few of my friends, the people who made the club what it was to me, are left.  I no longer live in Richmond, and I realized that holding on to that membership will not bring back the dead.

Milly Armao


Email from Jenny Chappell, RDC Membership Chairperson
Thursday, November 8, 2001


From:     Jenny
Sent:     Thursday, November 8, 2001 8:35 AM
To:    
Subject:     Re: condolence

Milly,
Did I ever send this to you?  I received HUNDREDS of condolences that first week, responding to most.  I'm unsure about this one.
Jen


----- Original Message -----
From: "Wendy"
To: <membership@richmonddiveclub.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 10, 2001 8:25 AM
Subject: condolence

Jenny, please convey my condolences to your club.  My husband and I are members of Sarasota Scuba Club in Florida and your club sounds much like ours.  My husband and I met through the club seven years ago and much of the club attended our wedding on a dive trip last year.  Many, many of our friends are members of the club.  It touched me deeply to read of the tragedy that has occurred to the friends in your club.  I couldn't imagine that happening to us, although it's possible because we all travel together and have booked Peter Hughes as well as other live-aboards in the past.

I clicked on to the website for your club on SunSentinel.com in hopes of finding someone to convey my condolences and I found your name on the website as Membership Coordinator.  If you would, please pass this email on to Millie who was quoted in the Associated Press article that I read.  Millie was quoted as saying 95% of her friends were gone now and that she and her husband had made the club a focus of their social life.

Millie, may you and others find comfort in knowing that other fellow divers and dive clubs are thinking of you in this time of shock and sorrow. Nothing can ease the pain you feel or replace the loss you've experienced, but know that you and your club and their families are in my thoughts.

Thanks Jenny.

Wendy
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
 On my first dive after the Wave Dancer tragedy,  wearing some of  Christy's dive gear, I placed a cross in memory of my friends on the hull of a shipwreck.





















All contents of this site © 2005 Milly Armao, except where otherwise noted.