Coast Guard searches Puerto Rico waters & beaches for missing fisherman.

Headlines like this scare us all and we are immediately saddened for his family. The missing 71 year old man who reportedly had gone out snorkeling and fishing and never returned home.

The U.S. Coast Guard released some safety tips to remember before and after snorkeling or diving:

Never dive or snorkel by yourself.

Ensure you have a dive plan and a diving “buddy.”

File a float plan with a family member or friend. If you decide to deviate from your original intended plan, notify your emergency contact immediately.

Check your snorkel dive equipment carefully and ensure that equipment functions correctly.

Mark the area in which you are snorkeling diving with a dive flag and a light.

Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion, hypothermia and dehydration, as well as procedures for emergency treatment.

Check local weather conditions before diving, snorkeling or swimming.

Taking basic safety precautions while diving will increase your chance of surviving a potential diving accident.

Boat operators should be alert and aware of dive flags.

If you have not been scuba diving or snorkeling in the past year, please ensure you are physically capable of handling ocean conditions before diving.

Snorkelers Divers should have proper diving signaling equipment in case of a distress.

Tags: puerto rico, Snorkeling Tips

This entry was posted on Monday, October 19th, 2009 at 4:16 am and is filed under Snorkeling Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.