Saw your blog and was compelled to write my own...
I think b/4 you start spewing your own version of the facts...you should learn all you can & obviously you know alot of crap about nothing...this is a sad, horrible, tragic accident. You are using it as boon to get people to read your trash...shame on you. You probably won't even post this or respond but i don't care...

I am compelled to write this blog because there's so many of us effected in one way or anther about shark attack over the weekend in Florida/ Bahamas that resulted in the death of one of our fellow divers... When a tragedy happens, all us divers feel it.

49 year old Marcus Groh, a lawyer from Vienna, Austria was out on a shark expedition with a highly reputable & well respected dive operation when this tragic, horrible accident occurred. He was air-lifted to a Miami hospital where he later passed away.

Now you can say & think all you like about shark diving, I have great respect & admiration for the responsible divers who do it. They bring us knowledge & information that is extremely important. Divers die all the time on wrecks & recreational dives (much more than shark divers) and actually this is the first shark diver I've heard of involved in such an accident.

I am sad. I am sad for Mr. Groh's family & all those who loved him. I am sad for all the people on the dive operation that day. I am sad for the future of shark diving. I am sad for the sharks who are growing smaller in their numbers everyday by the people who fin them for soup.

This is a story that has touched me on many different levels but probably the most important lesson that I have taken from this tragedy is that life is precious. Enjoy & grab every moment you can. Mr. Groh can be a symbol to us all...he died doing exactly what he loved & wanted to do. He knew the risks. Let us never forget that the ocean is not our home. We are visitors. When we are diving, we can never forget where we are...not for an instant.

I guess I am writing this because I've seen a few "slamming/trashing" blogs out there about this incident when there's nothing to slam or trash. If one does not know the full series of events that happened here, one cannot even begin to draw an opinion. Let us instead refrain from the blame game & speculation & reserve our judgements. It is a horrible, horrible, horrible accident. One we can all learn from.

Enough said.

Dive Safe, my friends...

Alisa,

Please, we post and/or respond to every single comment, critical or otherwise.

We didn't trash anyone involved in the incident. How did we "slam or trash" Markus Groh or Jim Abernethy? All we did is say that Shark diving is extremely dangerous especially without a cage. We also posted a letter that had been sent to Jim from the Bahamas Diving Association saying that Shark feeding was dangerous. How is this trashing either of them?

Also, maybe you should have enough respect for the dead to at least spell Mr. Groh's name correctly. His name is spelled Markus, not "Marcus."

That being said, I generally agree with your comments about diving, shark finning, etc.

Thanks for supporting The Chum Slick, and please try to relax.


--Sharky

To Alisa,
thank you for your comment. Al you have written is true, I am the brother of Markus - and still shocked and very, very sad

Dear Matt Groh,

We agree with 99% of Alisa as well...even about us knowing "alot[sic] of crap about nothing."

We are sorry for your loss.




--Ms Sharky

I have to take issue with your use of the "macho hand-feeding of sharks" comment. I have taken this trip with Jim before and know that no shark feeding takes place. Sealed crates of bait are in the water held by the dive master. Of all the trips I have taken this was the one that was the least "macho" orientated and the safety rules were constantly repeated. Unfortunately tragic accidents are a part of life and while the loss to Mr Groh's family and friends cannot be measured, careful assessment of the risks of this activity needs to be taken before punitive action is taken. Viewed in the context of other recreational activities, including general diving, the safety record of this operation over a 25 year period is testament to the effectiveness of the procedures employed to mitigate the risk.

My sincere condolences to the family and friends of Herr Groh.

Dear Hefin, Please read this post. Thanks, --Sharky

LOL. Bill Maher said, on his new rules last week, that markus groh's personality can be summed up with two words... Good Chum.

I miss Bill Maher since I cancelled HBO for canceling Deadwood. --Sharky