Danger in the Depths

Learning to scuba dive for the Marco Beach Boys and Girls was a truly exciting, thrilling, and sometimes scary lifetime experience, but we all agreed the comradery and bonding with more experienced divers was indeed a treasure worth finding.

Every divemaster has a unique tale to tell, and the divemaster’s we met exploring old and very young shipwrecks were no exception. Just as with every boating excursion that has a colorful captain with vast experience, every passenger and or visiting scuba diver is curious about outstanding or unforgettable adventures and altercations from the divemaster’s past.

As we learned during Episode Three of the Shipwreck Series, diving the old coast guard cutter The Duane was the scariest scuba dive for all the Beach Boys and our veteran divemaster, Jim Mosley, but after that unforgettable dive, we all began to probe Jim for other stories and dangers in the depths.

Before diving the Benwood wreck off Key Largo, we received a grave warning about looking into out-of-the-way nooks, crannies, and dark holes anywhere on the shipwreck.

“Why can’t we explore the wreck,” one of our divers almost pouted, “I’ll bet some of the most interesting animals live around the tight spots.”

Jim shook his head and jerked a thumb to Manny. Manny was a local divemaster and veteran diver from throughout the Caribbean and the Florida Keys. This was our first opportunity to meet Manny and we were soon overwhelmed with shock and awe when Manny explained why dark fissures and hidey-holes in a wreck, or a reef could be life changing - and not in a good way.

“Jim’s right,” Manny cautioned, “You never know what can be waiting in the dark parts.”

“Go ahead Manny,” Jim encouraged his colleague from the scuba diving profession, “Show them your ear.”

Manny was a tall and thin professional scuba diver with long black hair that came down to his shoulders. When he shrugged and complied, he pulled his dark hair away from the side of his head to reveal a flat crescent of jagged scar tissue where his ear had once been.

After we were all in shock about learning why Manny wore his hair so long, he began the story of the missing ear.

“I was working as a divemaster in Cozumel, Mexico.” Manny began, “In Cozumel the water visibility is incredible, and we were always busy and dove every day the weather was good; there was a regular dive site we went to almost daily.”

“Divemaster’s are the hosts and guides for new divers,” Manny continued, “and after you learn a wreck or a reef, you begin to discover different animals and where they live. There was always a few Caribbean lobsters waiting under a shelf and when a tickle stick would bring them out for a little show time all the divers were impressed.”

“For the final part of the dive,” Manny said, “I knew where there was a crack and a dark hole, and I knew what lived inside. At the end of every dive on that dive site, I always had a small fish from the bait shop stashed for showtime. When I knew all the tourist divers were gathered around and watching, I would pull out the baitfish and hold it up in front of the hole. Normally it was like clockwork. I would hold up the fish and a very large moray eel would come out very fast and take the fish. I must have done this with the same eel a hundred times, but on my last day on that dive site - with a whole crew of divers watching - the big green moray came out, went straight past the fish in my hand and took off my ear with razor sharp teeth. At first, all I felt was a tug and the eel was back in his hole, but then I felt the pain and knew what happened when I saw blood in the water, and all the underwater tourists freaking out. Since then, I have met two other divemaster’s with missing fingers from the same type of moray eel attack. That’s why we say don’t go looking into any dark holes if you don’t want to come to the surface without your ears, fingers, or even your nose.”

Manny shrugged, and laughed, “At least I’ve got a great head of hair,” he said. He then turned to Jim, “Ok Jim, tell them about your honeymoon couple and the attempted murder.”

Jim shook his head again. “That’s right,” he said. “You never know what you will find, or get, on a scuba dive.”

“On the boat ride out for this dive, I knew something was wrong,” Jim began, “I just felt it. There was a middle-aged couple on their honeymoon and the guy must have told everyone they were on their honeymoon at least ten times. The lady seemed a little quiet. Maybe she was self-conscious but when we paired up and went over the side, everyone met up on the bottom at the base of an aging shipwreck with a big debris field. I was watching all the divers - as divemaster’s do - but when I could not see the honeymoon couple, I felt the same weird feeling and I knew something was wrong. After a few twists and turns through the debris field, I saw the couple hidden behind a section of the old ship. They were fighting. She was struggling to get away, and as I watched, he pulled the breathing regulator out of her mouth - held it away - and was holding her down to drown her. I could not believe what I was seeing but I knew I had to do something. As it happened, the would-be killer was facing away as he struggled with his bride and did not see me when I came up behind him and cut his air hose loose with my diving knife. He instantly panicked, abandoned the murder attempt, and made a beeline for the surface. When I looked back to the bride, she had already regained her mouthpiece regulator and was breathing again and shaking her head, “No!”

“When we surfaced,” Jim said, “the honeymoon killer was already on the boat in panic mode. We then called the marine patrol and reported the attempted murder. The dive boat captain carried large wire ties aboard, and soon our would-be killer-turned-prisoner rode back to the dock and the waiting police with his hands and feet wire tied.”

Tom Williams is a Marco Islander. He is the author of two books: “Lost and Found” and “Surrounded by Thunder—the Story of Darrell Loan and the Rocket Men”. Both books are available on Kindle and Nook.