In the blink of an eye, an individual working underwater can be swept away or lost somehow. Earlier this week a man in the Florida area disappeared while in action, according to CBS Miami.
The missing person, Joseph Dragojevich, was working for his employer at the time, the Scuba Do Dive Company, and reportedly investigating a wreck in the Spiegel Grove area. Though he was accompanied at the time, and the other divers were in an official company boat, there was no professional guide onhand to offer assistance in the dive.
Known dive sites like this can still offer dangers to the most prepared individuals as they attempt to negotiate wreckage sites and other underwater zones for themselves. Commercial diving insurance may cover your workers, but you will still need to know the circumstances surrounding disappearances and dangers to make a fair claim and try to rectify their well-being.
Authorities reportedly have had no luck in their search at the moment despite the aid of multiple agencies, which shows that even in areas where marine activity is high, uncertainty can plague a recovery mission. Families need to be assured, and divers who are harmed need to be respected.
As attention gets turned to recovery, the policies protecting both the person injured and everything being used to track him or her come into play and can raise more concerns. And if the body is lost at a depth, it's likely more diving may become necessary to check the spot.
Know which legal policies pertain to your employees should you find yourself in this situation, and take steps to empower yourself properly.