My husband's business partner, Tom Ennis, and his son have been missing since they left for a morning dive on Friday (I'm not sure of the location). Is anyone actually posting from Bonaire who might have some news on the search?

Barbara,

Have you contacted the resort they are staying at or possibly the dive shop they are diving with?

I'm on Bonaire but not involved directly with tourists. I had not even heard someone was missing until your post. Your best bet is to contact the resort/dive op that they were diving with for the latest information. The local paper Extra might have something but it would all be in Papiamentu. They have not added any on-line editions yet for 2004.

I checked the Amigoe on-line but nothing since the Jan 2nd edition.
http://www.amigoe.com/english/

I have my fingers crossed for them to come home safe and sound.

Linda

Barbara, are they on Bonaire or another dive location? How horrible. I do hope hope they have been located and are well and that it was just a big mixup. Carole

Thanks to everyone for your concern. I got an e-mail from a member who is in Bonaire with a little more detail on where they were diving -- Karpata -- and an update on the search. Nothing has been found yet (other than the truck they drove to the beach). I don't know if that's good or bad... it just seems very strange.

Barbara, I hope that they are OK, our thoughts are with you, your husband and their family for a safe return.

Barbara,
My daughter was Instant Messaging a Dive Master last night (Sat) and we were told of the missing divers and their truck found at Karpata. A 13 and 16 yr. old (bothers/sons?) were at Lion's. No other info other than other dive centers were helping in the search.

Thanks, Linda. Yes, Tom's 13-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter were waiting at Lion's for them to return.

Barbara, that is terrible news. I hope they will be found soon.

We were looking to see if there was any new information concerning this tragic event. We have been looking for information for a close family friend in California, Tom's sister. Tom lives just a few street down from me in Atlanta, Georgia. Just a quick update, the 13 and 16 year old children are now back in Atlanta and the family is gathering. If anyone has any new information we would appreciate you posting it. Thank you.

Robert, I would suggest that any chat room, no matter how well intended, is not the best source of accurate information on any accident, diving or otherwise As mentioned earlier in this string the best source of information for the family is the dive resort/operator and the local officials. For all others, there are local news sources, which I believe Linda Mentioned. Another good english language source is the Bonaire Reporter. All accidents are by nature unfortunate and things do not need to be made harder on those involved.

My thoughts are with the families and friends. Let's just keep our fingers crossed for the best...

(Message edited by cyndelee on January 4, 2004)

My thoughts are with you and with the family and friends. I hope they will be found.

Our thoughts and prayers are with their family and friends. Please keep us informed of your findings.

Isn't Tom Ennis a BT'er? I recall the name. Can the "moderator" please post his profile or a link to it? Thanks. Tom's family and friends are also in my prayers.

Linda - no sign of any Ennis folk in the registered user list.

Separately, I would concur with Jason - BT may be a place to share information, but regarding an event like this, the best you would probably get is rumors and second hand information. The "official" news sources, such as newspapers may have more factual information available by reporting what officials have said or found, but even that I'd consider second hand information.

Your best bet is to keep in contact with the dive operator whose services Tom and his son were using, as well as the resort they were staying at, as those businesses would have the greatest incentive to keep family informed as to the results of any searches or new information uncovered.

Good luck and our hopes are with you.

Jake

I just got back last night, after watching the search planes all day on Saturday. I am absolutely sickened over this horrible event. My family's prayers are with everyone involved.

We heard about this while on island. Dove Karpata the same morning as the missing divers (in the water between 9 and 10 AM) and saw nothing unusual. We hope they will be found safe.

The story appears in La Prensa online. Alas, it is in Papiamentu. It recounts the search measures, but adds no more recent information.
Go to http://www.laprensacur.com/
Click on "Boneiru" on the left side.
It's the second or third story down:
Boneiru: Te teme pa bida Thomas Ennis i su yu homber Brandon
Click on "read more" for the full story.

Thanks to everyone for all the info and positive thoughts. Yes, I understand this isn't the ultimate source of info, but everything helps a little. We have no "official" use for the info anyway; just trying to put out some feelers. Bonaire feels very far away.

Thanks, Holly, for the La Prensa link.
Any Papiamentu translators out there?!?

FYI, I found an online English/Papiamentu translator tool and ran the article through. Not much better, but here it is:

turistanan sambuyadó is disparsé kralendijk – two tourist american with owing to go dive at cost of karpata is pèrdí for of friday. not opstante various action of búskeda with did take place and quiet go is tumando place, still not can owing to lokalisá the two personanan here, one father and his child fellow. is teme for they life. is deal thomas ennis, with is the father, and brandon ennis, the child fellow. information of kua the newspaper here is absorb is indicate with friday morning och’or the two personanan here owing to go dive, lagando they phonograph of rent behind at karpata, one of the sitionan of buseo much known at boneiru. two another child fellow of thomas ennis owing to stay lions dive, waystreet they was hospedá. night late, hour with the two personanan here not had end for come back, the two another yunan, with owing to stay hotel, owing to alarm the sentro of buseo and personal of lions dive. at once owing to place another instansia-nan at height, for of ayá office of harbour, with at his file owing to place wardakosta of antilles and aruba al much of the affair. much for of boneiru self as for of curaçao owing to comense with akshonnan of búskeda. owing to make usage of the plane orion and also of helikòpter for look for for of air, for with in sea self had in kurso of saturday and sunday various boat of buseo searching in besindario of kostanan of karpata and brasil. also have various sambuyadó of sentronan of buseo owing to descend at sea at karpata for look for in fondo of sea, among another also hasiendo one so yamá “deep bottom search”, konsiderando with sea is much hundu at the sitio here. for her type of búskeda here owing to using one skuter supmarino. also one plane cessna owing to leave for of curaçao for look for in the sea among boneiru and curaçao. at ground also have person owing to walk at cost searching the two perso-nanan, without can owing to find nothing till yesterday tardi. lotsbot bubi also was embolbí in the búskeda of the two turistanan. the “cutter’ panther of wardakosta quiet go is on sea searching. one faktor with owing to place with not can owing to comense look for ayá is simplemente the achievement with the two child hòmbernan owing to mèldu desapari-shon of they father and brother hòm-ber much late. was in file of 11’or of friday night with they owing to acquaint of the desapari-shon. not opstante this the night there self finish the búskeda owing to comense. the father is thomas ennis, nasé day 18 of april 1950, for with the child brandon ennis is nasé day 7 of march 1974. the father is one sambuyadó eksperensiá with 140 “dive” on his appellation. the child if not have very time is sambu-yá. all the time the two another rumannan owing to come back usa with air jamaica saturday. is as bill with much possibility in the affair, but esun more probabel is with hour the two personanan here owing to come back superfisie, they owing to find they self in one current strong with owing to lastra they go with him. they can stay float by of chalekonan with ordinarily is form part of the equipment of one sambuyadó. is known with current at kostanan of boneiru can is much traisho-nero. do not very probabel with the two personanan here owing to hoga during sambuyamentu. can understand with the búskeda of the two turistanan here will konti-nuá still in kurso of today.

I don't have my dictionary here, but I'll summarize the best I can:

It says, basically, that the two went shore-diving on Friday at Karpata, and have been missing since. There have been searches (buskeda), and the search continues, but they have not yet been located.

They left in their rental pickup to go diving about 8 am and parked at Karpata, a well-known dive site. Late that night, when the two had not return, the two other children alerted the dive shop and personnel of Lion's Dive.

The Coast Guard is involved in the search, and they've searched by airplane and helicopter, by boat, and underwater by divers with scooters. They've found nothing so far.

There's some biographical information about the father and son, ages, number of dives, etc. and a mention of the other children heading back to the states.

There's also something about currents along the Bonaire coast, but I'm not sure.

It says the search will continue today.

I hope somebody more fluent can fill in the gaps.

My prayers join the many others.

Holly.

I have read the article, and will try to give a translation, with the help of my friend, who speaks Papiamentu.

Bonaire: Fear for the death of Thomas Ennis and his son Brendon.

Diving tourists disappeared in Kralendijk.

Two American tourists went for a dive at the coast of Karpata. Missing since Friday. After several searchings they still were not found. It is about a father and his son. We fear for their lives. It is about Thomas Ennis, the father, and his son Brandon Ennis. The information available for this newspaper says that these two persons are missing since fridaymorning, when they went for a dive. They left their pick-up-truck at Karpata, one of the best well-known dive-sites of Bonaire. Two other children of Thomas waited at Lions Dive, where they were staying. Late in the evening, when the two didn’t come back, the children called alarm at the dive-resort. The employees of Lions Dive have immediately alarmed other authorities and also the harbour-office. The harbour-office has immediately contacted the coast-guard of the Antilles and Aruba. The Coast-guard of Curacao and Bonaire started immediately with the search. They used the specialised search-airplane “Orion” and helicopters. Saturday and Sunday they searched on several locations near to Karpata en Brasil with boats, same as several divers who have been diving deeply near to the Karpata dive-site. They also did deep-bottom-search-dives, because it is very deep there. They used a underwater-scooter for this kind of search. Also a Cessna-aircraft came from Curacao to do search on the water between Bonaire and Curacao. Also people walked along the sea-shore to look for the persons, but didn’t find anything up to sunday-afternoon. Also the pilot-boat “Boobie” was also searching for the tourists. The “cutter” “Panther di Wardakosta” also searched at the sea. They couldn’t start earlier with the search, because the two children just called alarm at 11pm. That same evening the search started. The father Thomas Ennis, born April 18th, 1950, the son, Brendon Ennis, born March 7th ,1974. The father is an experienced diver, with 140 dives on his name. The son just started diving. The two other sons left Bonaire with Air Jamaica on Saturday. Many possibilities are taken in account in this case. An important possibility can have been the strong current that could have taken them away. They could have been floating by the BC, the Buoyancy Compensator, a normal part of the equipment of the diver. It is known that the current on the coast of Bonaire, is unpredictable. It is unlikely that these divers are drowned during the dive. The search for the two tourists will go on today.


Thanks for Carmelita to help me translate from Papiamentu into Dutch, and excuses for possible failures that came into this story.

I can add that we had some wind-reversals on Friday, according to my weather-station, and current-conditions are strange during wind-reversals.
Karpata, the dive-site where it happened, is known as a deep-dive-site.
We also heard that the son was just certified last week……

Also I saw a helicopter, just half-an-hour ago, busy with the search.


Harrie

Thank you so much for the translation!!!

All -- I just heard that the two bodies were found today. At least we know that they died.

Thanks to everyone on this board for all your amazing kindness and help. Best wishes to all.

Barbara, I'm so sorry it turned out this way. My condolences to you, your family, and to the Ennis'...just tragic...

That sucks. I've been reading this thread for the last couple of days hoping for a different outcome. I know my dive flag flys at half mast tonight.

Barbera, my condolances to all the family and friends. Our thoughts are with you in this difficult times.

We are so sorry for your loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends.
Bob and Debbie

Guys, this has turned out to be just a rumor. The family has not heard this.

I will keep the group posted. Sorry for that -- turned out to be not necessarily a reliable source.

Barbara, our condolences to the family and friends..We will keep you and them in our prayers.

Please pass our postings on to the family and friends.

From all Bonaire Talkers .....our sympathy.

My condolences to the family. It makes me really sad that the son is exactly my age. With deepest sympathy, Eileen.

Barbara,

I still pray that there can be a positive outcome, but in the event that the rumor is true, is there a Mom for the 2 younger children? That is something that has not been mentioned, and I can't imagine what the 16 yr old and 13 yr old have been through, with the wait during the search and transportation home. I just have a real softspot for kids, and it's always them that I think of in these situations.

I sense that all Bonaire Talkers have been reading this site from the start, hoping for the best, but maybe not commenting due to the sensitive nature of the situation. But all of us divers are hoping for the outcome to be a positive one.

My thoughts and prayers are with you, your husband, (how is he faring?), and the Ennis family.

The boys live in Tennessee with their Mom. I have heard they have stopped searching but I still pray for a miracle. Tom is a friend of mine and if he is gone the world has lost a true gentleman and caring father.

There are just no words for this kind of tragedy. I have thought about this all night, my thoughts and prayers are with this family. I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say this. Everyone remember to hold those you love tonight and say an extra prayer.

I am sorry for your loss, my prayers and the prayers of my family and dive group are with you...*~Brittany~*

My thoughts and prayers go out to the Ennis family and friends.

I am so sad over this. My prayers join everyone elses prayers for the Ennis family.

As I read this thread I had tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat!!! My thoughts and prayers are with the Ennis family and friends. I am so sorry for their loss.

It's so hard to know what to say, when you know there's nothing you can say that will make things better for everyone. However, like so many others my prayers are with the Ennis family and friends. I am so very sad for you all.

I have just come from a meeting with the family of Tom Ennis, at his home here in Atlanta,
Georgia. The family has asked me to express their sincere thanks and appreciation for all of your prayers, concern, your messages of condolences and your thoughts of love at this very difficult time. The kindness of everyone has been overwhelming - from your prayers, to dive flags flying at half mask. At this time, while no plans or arrangements have been made, if anyone would like to make condolences directly with the family, they can be contacted at: leslie444@yahoo.com
Your words have been a great comfort during this trying time. Thank you. The Tom Ennis Family

(Message edited by saanich on January 6, 2004)

Robert, thank you for posting this information. Again, my heart goes out to the family and friends at this tragic and difficult time...

I would love to send flowers if anyone is interested. Just email me direct if you are interested. kpp007@aol.com
Please put "Bonaire Talk" in the subject line.

We are one caring community on this board. Let's show them what we're all about.

Kay, just shot you an email, good idea

To the Bonaire community, I am Leslie Tom's sister and Brandons aunt...Bonaire seems a million miles away to us but the love the support the messages that you all have sent have meant so much to us and let us know that our brother and nephew did not die without people there caring and concerned for their welfare. I am coming to Bonaire representing my family, I hope when I get there that the community will join me in paying my final respects for my brother and my nephew. The kindness of strangers has filled my heart with faith. God bless you all and thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Should you want to reach us you can at Leslie444@yahoo.com
Leslie ....Tom's little sister.

I'm sending love and healing thoughts to all involved in this......

Robert and Leslie,

Thank you for this information. I hope you and your family can find the strength to overcome this difficult times.

Martin de Weger
The Netherlands

My thoughts and sympathy to all the family and friends. Hope that you all find the strength for dealing with such a terrible loss.

-Diana-

Robert and Leslie, my thoughts are with you and your family. Eileen

Our thoughts are with you and your family in this difficult time. We're sending you our love and respect.

Igor & Cinthie

I can't imagine your pain. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends.

I pray for the day all family and friends can wipe away the tears, and share good memories of times with Tom and Brandon with smiles and laughter. They will hold a special spot in all of us BTers when ever we dive or snorkel Bonaire or experience a Bonaire sunset.

Denise

just another diver wishing the best for the family... I have NEVER met a diver that I would not share a regulator with.... the composition of a diver's personality is unique... explorers inspired by adventure, polite, conscientious, respectful of other's space and time, friendly and unassuming by nature... the sport requires those qualities I think... if you don't begin with them, you learn them quickly... I don't doubt that Tom and Brandon were cut from the same cloth..... it was not necessary to know them personally... my respects to Tom and Brandon, and acknowledgements to those that will miss them most..... w.s.

My condolences and thoughts go to the family and friends and associates of the missing divers.

I have just returned from Bonaire today and would also like to say thanks to the official search and rescue teams and local dive operators who spent much time and effort trying to locate the missing divers.

Brian

I saw the search plane but never imagined that there would be such a sad outcome. The family is in our thoughts and Tom and Brandon are in our prayers.

We never met Thomas or Brandon but share your loss.

Divers from Raleigh, NC, Louisville, GA and Cedar Rapids IA.

My condolances to all the family and friends. Our thoughts are with you in this difficult times.

Rob

My deepest sympathies go out to all the Ennis family and friends. Wishing you all strength and courage in this most difficult time.

I have been thinking of the Ennis family and friends for days now and I want to express my condolences too. Knowing that our sympathies are being received is comforting. Very best wishes for your trip to Bonaire, Leslie.

To the Ennis family,
Our deepest sympathies from Rich, Dan & Brian Penksa, Renee & Colby Cookson. Fellow divers. You are in our thoughts daily.

To the Ennis family and friends, our deep sympathy and condolences. May you find some comfort in the words of others....Kris & Terry Fisher

Our thoughts and prayers are with your family.
LaDonna and Andy Pride

So so very sad & a sober reminder of the risks
we all take when we go underwater...even in a diver's paradise like Bonaire. Our condolences to the family.

Leslie and family...sorry to read of this tragic event...my thoughts and prayers to you and your family.

Leslie and family...our thought and prayers are with you at this difficult time. Our thoughts will forever be with you and your family.

Ed and Liz Ginocchio

2 more divers wanting to say our thoughts and sympathies are with the families of Brandon & Thomas. This tragic event reminds us all of the risks involved in diving.

I'm living on Bonaire and it's very very sad what's happening with Thomas en Brandon.

My sympathies and thoughts are with the families.

Hello everyone, this is Tom's niece Jenna. I just want to tell you all thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the support you have shown over the past week. Its hard to believe that I have lost my Uncle and my cousin, but knowing that they were in such a loving and caring place makes me feel so much better. I will not be with my mother when she arrives in Bonaire, but just by reading your messages I know that you will all open your hearts to my mom when shes there and I want to thank you for that. The entire family thanks you. I hope you all have a safe and healthy new year.
Jenna

Has there been any further developments in the search for evidence of Tom and Brandon Ennis' diving accident?????

This has been a very difficult time for the family, even more so in the fact that there is no new news concerning Tom or Brandon. As you know, the search was canceled last Monday night and there have been no developments. If any news develops, the family will see that a message is posted on this site. Thank you again for your love, prayers and concern. The Tom Ennis Family

Dear friends...I am Leslie Tom's sister and many many people are asking me if there is a charity they may send donations to...my brother gave of himself to everyone everyday of his life and never spoke of a specific charity he loved, but he did love Bonaire more than anything and I am sure that there must be some kind preservation organization there, could anyone advise me if there is such a thing. He would want Bonaire to be protected, of this I am sure. I also want to thank you all for your kind words and deepest sentiments, in no small measure these words are keeping us going. I will post his funeral arrangements when we know, and I will be coming to bonaire to pay respects there, maybe someone could show me where he went diving and be there with me....and....should anyone have a beautiful picture of Bonaire, under the water and above that I could use at his services could you send it to me at Leslie444@yahoo.com.... (jpeg please) thank you and you all are in our prayers for your safety as you all continue to live out your passion for diving.

My wife, Mae, and I are very sorry for your personal losses, as well as to the diving community for it's losses.

This story was covered in the Atlanta Journal/Constitution newspaper today (Sunday, January 11, 2004). Here is the link to the story:

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/0104/11missing.html

My thoughts and prayers are with the family during this very difficult time.

Peggy

Hi Leslie,

We are so sorry to hear of your loss. I've got several photos I'll email to you. As far as donations, you might want to check www.supportbonaire.org. It is a non-profit in the USA with board members on Bonaire and the USA. It was established to provide a way for US citizens to donate to specific causes on Bonaire and still receive a US tax deduction. Click on the current projects and you will see several that focus on maintaining Bonaire's wonderful environment. 100% of the donations go to the cause you select.

Best wishes as you move forward.

Scott Barlass

We were in Bonaire last week and heard of the loss of the divers. We spent the days asking anyone for news, good news we hoped. Now I read that the divers were lost. I've never met a diver who wasn't enthusiastic and willing to share their time and skills. Sounds like Tom was a great guy and a good dad. As the mother of a 'diving family' I grieve for them. I'm so sorry for the loss of these men and pray for their families, especially the children left behind.

I have just heard of this accident and send my condolences to the family. My family, friends and I were at Karpata that morning as well doing one of our final dives of the trip before we too were to head home on Saturday morning. I send to you my deepest sympathy. We are from the Atlanta area and are saddened, deeply saddened and shocked by this tragedy. As a person who so loves Bonaire, Tom and Brandon will always be in my thoughts when I next dive at Karpata. I have to tell the family that this is, by far, one of my very favorite dive sites on this lovely and caring island. If there is a service in Atlanta please keep us informed as we, as divers, would like to pay our respects as well.

Hugs to the family and to the others who are touched by this tragedy.

Mara

I'm Free

Don't grieve for me, for now I'm free,
I'm following the path God laid for me.
I took his hand when I heard His call,
I turned my back and left it all.

I could not stay another day
To laugh, to love, to work, or play.
Tasks left undone must stay that way,
I've found that peace at the close of day.

If my parting has left a void,
Then fill ti with remembered joy.
A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss,
Ah, yes, these things I too will miss.

Be not burdened with times of sorrow.
I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.
My life has been full, I savored much.
Good friends, good times, a loved ones touch.

Perhaps my time seemed all to brief,
Don't lengthen it now with undue grief.
Lift up your heart and share with me,
God wanted me now; He set me free.

We were on Bonaire the same week that Tom and Brandon were and dove Karpata on the Weds before their Friday. We live in Waycross, let us know if we can help. I'll be in Atlanta (16th and 17th) this weekend at the Boat Show (Bay Marine's display). Come by if you want to talk.

We were also on Bonaire last week and heard the horrible reports....our hearts go out to all of Tom and Brandon's family and friends, and all divers on Bonaire.... Bonaire is home of "diving freedom" but we should never forget that with that freedom "anything can happen" and that having a buddy does not insure a safe dive. Know your limits, abort the dive if everything is not 100%, and if you dive alone tell someone WHERE you are going. What makes Bonaire so special is that you can dive at your own pace...your own time. We/I grieve with you for your loss, it is hard to see the beauty of the ocean in times like this. If there is anything we/I can do please do not hesitate to ask....our thoughts were with you last week as they are today....

I just heard about this accident. We were in Bonaire for our first trip in Dec., we left the 31st. It was our first trip there, but like many others, not our last. We too dove Karpata as our last dive. We dove it once before and fell in love with it as it was the most diverse and stunning site we had seen. No one will ever know what exactly happened that day at Karpata, but one thing I can guess. A father and a son were enjoying time together diving, it was a time for them to re-connect in their busy lives. They were enjoying time with their other siblings/children, and they were doing something they really loved and could share together. It is a tragedy that they also died while doing this, however, I hope it is some consolation to the family knowing that they were together, father and son, and they will be received in loving arms as father and son/brothers in His eyes, and that they have gone Home together.
I pray for the family's peace and easing of pain, and the father's and son's souls that they find their peace with their Father.

With great sadness in my heart as a fellow diver and mother,
Grace

To the Ennis Family

Our hearts are with you during this time. Just know that they were doing something that they loved and were starting to love. Bonaire is a beautiful place both above and below the water. Karpata is one of our favorite sites. We will be there later this year and we will pause for a moment of pray for them as we enter the water. The diving community has lost 2 friends of the ocean.

With sadness

Robin & Jim

Men (and Women):

As previously announced:

Funeral Services (for both men, I assume) will be at:
All Saints Episcopal Church
634 W PEACHTREE ST NW
ATLANTA, GA 30308
Saturday, January 24, 2004
11:00 AM

Further details:

This is predicted to be a fairly formal, conservative Episcopal Funeral Service. Dress appropriately.

There will be a brief reception, immediately following the service, at the church.
Carubba (dominicx@ugalink.com; (678) 637-4456) Gafnea & Williams will be coordinating our "official participation" at the reception. Contact them if you have something you wish to contribute.

Following the reception, Leslie and Cyrene have invited us all back to Leslie's house.

She envisions conversation and community around a fire in the large, private back yard. The land is formerly Native American land and very peaceful she says. People can change clothes at her place and relax. Feel free to bring a dish to share (as is sometimes customary in these situations). Contact Carubba (dominicx@ugalink.com; (678) 637-4456) to help with preparations for the fire or any other thing you wish to contribute to the event.

Men and Women:

As previously announced:

Funeral Services (for both men, I assume) will be at:
All Saints Episcopal Church
634 W PEACHTREE ST NW
ATLANTA, GA 30308
Saturday, January 24, 2004
11:00 AM

Further details:

This is predicted to be a fairly formal, conservative Episcopal Funeral Service. Dress appropriately.

There will be a brief reception, immediately following the service, at the church.
Carubba (dominicx@ugalink.com; (678) 637-4456) Gafnea & Williams will be coordinating our "official participation" at the reception. Contact them if you have something you wish to contribute.

Following the reception, Leslie and Cyrene have invited us all back to Leslie's house.

She envisions conversation and community around a fire in the large, private back yard. The land is formerly Native American land and very peaceful she says. People can change clothes at her place and relax. Feel free to bring a dish to share (as is sometimes customary in these situations). Contact Carubba (dominicx@ugalink.com; (678) 637-4456) to help with preparations for the fire or any other thing you wish to contribute to the event.

Tim, thank you for posting this...

Although many of us will not be able to attend, our thoughts and prayers are with all of you. Thank you for posting the arrangements.

If any BT'ers do attend, can you act as 'agents' for all of us who cannot be there and express our collective thoughts and prayers, please.

Great suggestion Glen! It's of course 2 far away from us but we still want 2 pay our respect 2 them.

On the Eve of the Ennis men's funeral I thought it appropriate to let you know a little bit about my friend Tom. I knew him briefly, having only met him a couple of times in person. Most of our conversations were by phone, Atlanta-Boston. We were "buddied" up in a volunteer project.
Tom was outwardly laid back, a reflection of his home state of California . He had the demeanor of a southern gentleman, reflecting his adopted home of Georgia. He talked slowly but was quick witted. He had a great sense of humor. He told off color jokes in a slow and deliberate manner, as if giving someone directions to the corner store. The results always had us laughing. He was fun to be around.
Underneath the laid back exterior was a man with much life experience. He was a Vietnam War Veteran. A medical condition spared him from combat duty yet he saw the horrors of war by serving at a VA hospital.
He was an active participant in Alcoholics Anonymous and had been sober for 19 years. He supported others in maintaining their sobriety.
He has, I believe, 5 children. He was married 4 times and lamented about his failure in this area.
He was trying to get his son Brandon back on the straight and narrow. Tom was very anxious and excited about Brandon doing the Sterling Men's Weekend. He thought it might help to strengthen the Father-Son bond between them. And help Brandon to become more focused and directed in his life.
He gave a lot of himself. And I think he got more back from giving.
His gift to me? He told me what toilet to buy for a bathroom I was redoing . He was a plumbing contractor. His exact words were, " Get the Kohler. It won't clog. And if your like me and need a little more room for your dangling appendages, get the elongated one. Unless you don't have that problem." Elongated Kohler it is.
It's the little things in life that often mean so much. Thanks Tom. I'm going to miss you buddy.

Respectfully,

Deane Alexander

Deane, thank you for sharing a little of Tom with us...I have tears rolling down my face...he sounds like he was a truly special man...a good friend...and had a sense of humor...my thoughts and condolences are with you, and his family at this difficult time...

Our thoughts and prayers and hearts are with all of the Ennis family members and friends....I feel all of the BT family members will be with them in spirit on Saturday.

Thanks for your words, Deanne....very touching and moving.

Carole

Deane, I also liked that eulogy of Tom. Although I never met him, I feel we have many parallel experiences, Vietnam etc. My son, Tim, was just certified on Bonaire this year, and we were going to dive Karpata, but did not get up there this year. We stayed mostly south. I still think about this tragedy almost everyday, and check into this site to see if any news happened. Unfortunately, it is now 3 weeks post facto, and nothing. Thanks for writing this about the man. It gives us some identity of what he was about and who he was.

My condolences to Tom's family in their time of sorrow. Visited Karpata several times during our stay from Jan 6 - Jan 20. It is a truly beautiful dive spot. Thought about the fate of Tom and his son during the dives I made. Said a prayer for them underwater amongst the coral and colorful fish.

Again, My Condolences
Darian Paganelli

We want to express our sadness for the Ennis family today, and our hopes that happiness won't be too far away for everyone concerned.

Marcella and Michael Moy

My children and I are just beginning to try to work through the loss of the person we all loved so dearly. Wayne has been a hero to me for the 26-1/2 years that I have had the honor of being his wife and his last breath proved that yet again. I miss him so very much and hope that I can make him proud by being able to, one day, pick myself up and carry on using my memories of how he lived his live with such honor and courage as my guide. Wayne left quite a legacy behind and I will strive all the rest of my life to follow in his footsteps. He leaves behind our daughter, Courtney (22) and our son Greg (21) and his wife, Amy, who are expecting our first grandchild in June. Thank you for your sympathies and for taking time to express them. Someone told me this week that God only picks the perfect Roses. Kate Sargent

Kate,

Please accept our condolances. We hope you can find the strength to overcome this difficult times.

Martin de Weger
The Netherlands

Kate--my condolences. I was very sad to read this.

Nhumey (from Seattle)



Scuba diver drowns after helping wife

Wayne Sargent of Silverton slipped in the water off a beach in Washington.

STEFANIE KNOWLTON
Statesman Journal
April 12, 2004

A Silverton man drowned Saturday after scuba diving with his wife off Sunrise Beach in Gig Harbor, Wash.

Wayne Sargent, 48, had removed his gear and was walking with his wife in shallow water when she slipped into a deep spot. Sargent helped his wife up and then went under and didn’t come back. She later was rescued by boat. The couple walked in the water to avoid trespassing on a private beach.

Their daughter, Courtney Sargent, said both of her parents were experienced divers with about 200 hours of diving time. They loved to travel to prime scuba spots such as Fiji and Bonaire, she said. During the past six months, they went to the Northwest coast almost every weekend.

Wayne Sargent loved the outdoors, said Courtney, 22, of Silverton. She remembers clearing trails in Northern California with him when she was younger.

Sargent navigated planes in the Air Force for six years as a captain and then had a career building homes. He moved to Silverton 11 years ago with his family and later took a job as the senior electrical inspector for the city of Salem, where he worked at the time of the accident.

Two years ago, he found diving.

“It was something he loved,” Courtney Sargent said.

The couple finished their dive Saturday afternoon off Sunrise Beach. They walked in waist-deep water carrying their gear to avoid coming out on a private beach. Residents call police when they see divers in private areas, according to local police.

Sargent’s wife, Kathy, slipped into a deep spot, Courtney Sargent said. He pulled her back up, and she inflated her life vest. That is when he went under.

Nearby residents rescued Kathy Sargent. About 45 minutes later, a rescue team found Wayne Sargent. He died at Tacoma General Hospital.

It sounds like an unfortunate accident, said John Merrill, a friend and owner of Scuba Outfitters in Salem.

They were experienced divers, he said, including making as many as 50 dives in two weeks during a trip to Bonaire.

Merrill said that stretch of the Washington Coast has a reputation for conflicts between divers and people who own property along the beach. The couple was trying to be responsible, he said. “It’s sad.”

Although Kathy Sargent credited landowners with helping her to shore.



The Associated Press contributed to this story. Stefanie Knowlton can be reached at (503) 399-6735.

Yesterday the police and DA's office reported that human remains were recovered near the Karpata Divesite at 100m. (330ft.) depth. Walter Stark of Rec-Tec Scuba and his team performed the challenging dive under contract to local authorities.
The remains will be examined and DNA matching to determine the identity(ies) will be attempted. The family of the individuals who went missing at Karpata in January were contacted last Saturday for material.
A more complete story will appear in the Police Update section of tomorrow's edition of The Bonaire Reporter, (http://www.bonairenews.com) available on-line late this afternoon (Wednesday).

TKS for the update here and to Walt III also. This can help the family with closure.

(Message edited by glenr on May 5, 2004)

Can someone look up in the Bonaire News what the police report said about the remains found and post that here? Thanks from a friend of Tom and Brandon's in Atlanta/VA.

John

Assistant Prosecutor Justine Gonggrijp
and Charles Souriel of the Police Department
report:
Last Saturday at Karpata during a deep
dive, Walter Stark of RecTek Scuba discovered
what appeared to be human remains
at 100 meters (340 ft.). He took his
photos to the police. Prosecutor Ernst Wesselius
ordered an investigation. The Curacao
police and navy were asked to send divers
but no one was allowed to dive that deep.
Therefore, Walter Stark and Bob Kilorn
from Rec-Tek were hired to dive and recover
the remains on Tuesday.
(Supported by an underwater scooter, in a
dive exceeding three hours, using six different
breathing mixtures assisted by a shallow
team of divers, Ramon DeLeon (Photo
Tours) and Roger Hoge (Wanna Dive),
gathered the remains. Ed. )
Recovered from three locations were the
bones of at least one person (from the spinal
cord, leg and an arm), parts of a wet suit, fin
and dive booties. At this moment the remains
cannot be identified as to whether
they could be one of the divers lost at Karpata
this January or someone else. DNA
testing will be carried out. On Saturday the
family of the two divers who were lost in
January were contacted in order to obtain
DNA information that might identify the
deceased. DNA matching can be made from
a single hair (in a hairbrush for example) or
from a sample from parents or a sibling.
More information as more evidence is gathered


From the Bonaire Reporter

Thanks Freddie for posting the newspaper account- we are all watching anxiously in Atlanta for further news of the outcome- if anyone else hears of an update, please post for all of us!

Nancy-

a pertinent blurb from the current Bonaire Reporter.....

.......The next morning we assembled our
gear, tanks, scooters, et al, and started
our planned dive to 400 feet. At a
depth of approximately 340 feet, we
were very surprised to discover human
bones, with a dive boot and fin attached
to one leg. Bob quickly took some photos
to show the authorities. We did not
continue with our planned dive, as we
had already used too much bottom time
by making this unscheduled stop. As
we started our ascent to our first deco
stop, we came across what appeared to
be a shredded wetsuit. We did not touch
anything. We did not want to disturb or
destroy any evidence needed by the authorities.
After exiting the water, I went
to the police station to report what I had
seen.
The Public Prosecutor, Mr. Wesselius,
contacted me the following day. He
viewed the photos that were taken and
said he would contact the proper authorities
to discuss how to proceed, and
if requested, he would organize everything
necessary to bring up the remains.
I believe he contacted the Antillean
Coast Guard and Dutch Navy about recovering
the remains, however, I was
told that they did not have divers or
equipment to reach this depth..
(It.s not without reason that Bonaire is
world famous for scuba diving. Dive
tourism has spawned related industries
of commercial diving, technical diving,
hydro testing and more. Bonaire has
capabilities that even the armed forces
couldn.t provide. Ed. )
Walt continues:
.Mr. Wesselius asked if we would return
and retrieve what we.d seen at Karpata.
He arranged for the dive site to be
closed while we brought up the remains.
So a few days later, on May 4th we were
ready. It takes a lot of time to organize a
dive like this. Our base of operations for
these types of deep dives is Captain
Don.s Habitat, and we arranged for extra
help at the site. It was greatly appreciated.
Just getting all the diving equipment
into the water is a formidable task.
We entered the water at 12 noon on
May 4th. I had two tanks on my back
and carried four more.
The dive went smoothly. We used two
water scooters to quickly reach 340 feet
(103m.), retrieved the remains, and then
ascended to search for the wetsuit we
had seen the previous day. We wanted
to search the area as best we could, even
though we were extremely limited with
only 20 minutes of bottom time, in
hopes that if there was anything else in
that area, we would be able to bring it
up also. After I located the wetsuit, another
discovery was made. Bob found
another dive boot and fin at about 265 .
270 feet (81m.)............................
....we transferred the bags containing
the remains over to divers Ramon
DeLeon and Roger Hauge, who were
able to bring them directly to the surface.

Have they identified the divers yet? I was also a friends of Tom's but I live in Boston and did not know his friends and family.

Thanks for any info.

I have not heard anything on island yet. I assume they are doing DNA testing so that may take weeks to months in the real non-tv world. I will certainly post anything on BT if I find out. Likely the Bonaire Reporter will be getting us the info when it is available.

According to the Bonaire Reporter 5/28/04

"Regarding the remains of possible
divers found recently at the Karpata
Dive Site, no DNA testing has been
done so far because no one wants to
pay for it. Because, according to the
Prosecutor's Office, the findings do
not appear to be a criminal matter,
the government will not pay for DNA testing. The Prosecutor therefore petitioned
the US Consulate in Curaçao, the US government and the victim's families but none agreed to pay.
However, the request is being
brought up before higher authorities.
With criminal cases occurring in
Bonaire DNA testing is done in labs
in Holland."

Why would the family refuse to pay? Seems like it would bring closure.

Perhaps they already feel closure and don't want to reopen. A very personal thing, closure on a death.

And maybe nothing will bring "closure." As stated above, it's a personal thing.

I miss Tom. He was a good man. And I know I'm not going to see him again.

No further knowledge will change these facts.

Am really sorry that no one can afford the DNA testing. This would allow his estate to move forward. Without it, a seven year period in the states is necessary to declare someone dead.

Really wish something could be done so that his estate can be settled for the kids and the business end of it. I am sure that the family has the best of intentions that we are not aware of.

Peace.
Nancy

I am Tom's sister: I am the executor of his estate. I wish to ask those of you that DO NOT know what is going on, to refrain from posting INCORRECT information, HEAR SAY, or rumors. For your information, the family has not refused to pay for DNA; we are in the middle of the DNA process as we speak. Please note, that Tom's children are Bonaire subscribers. When wrong information is posted, it disturbs them and the ENTIRE family. How can anyone suggest that we don't want closure...how can anyone make assumptions regarding whether we can "afford" DNA testing. When the DNA tests are completed we will post the findings. We all want closure and we are seeking it as fast as we can under difficult circumstances. Your wrong rumor mill postings only add to our grief.

Dear Leslie,
I'm sorry to see you are being hurt by some of the above postings. I think I speak on behalf of all BT'rs when I say we're sorry! None of the above was meant to hurt you or your family or to cause further grief.
There are a lot of people over here who are still sending you and your family our strength and we wonder what the current situation is. Please don't feel angry with us because we care!Note that the "rumours" mentioned above have a source listed by Freddie Hughes: Bonaire Reporter 5/28/04. Maybe you should take this matter to them?
Sending love and strength over,
Igor

Dear Leslie, as Igor states my post is direct from the online subscription of Bonaire Reporter with the date of the issue and all. I would not begin to guess where they got there information whether it be right or wrong..I just quoted{actually cut and pasted} what the Reporter had to say... Not everyone is a subscriber of the BR so I was just keeping them up to date with the facts the way the reporters see them.. I would never begin to guess how Tom's Family might feel as I have not gone through this experience myself,but I can understand you being sensitive to the whole situation. I pray that you find strength in your friends and family to get through this ordeal.
Freddie Hughes