Two divers go missing in Laguna Dudu
Two Italian divers, 57-year old Carlos Barbieri and 44-year old Carlos Basso, are missing after going for a cave dive on Saturday, 9 February 2019 in El Dudú in Cabrera, in northeastern María Trinidad Sánchez province. The Dominican Republic Speleological Society (DRSS) said that two of their experts, Phillip Lehman and Ángel Compres have joined the rescue team and are working in collaboration with Cabrera authorities and the owners of the Laguna El Dudú recreational area. The search, nevertheless, was suspended on Monday, 11 February 2019 due to reduced visibility in the lagoon waters.
Gerge Martínez, manager of El Dudú, explained that it appears that the Italians ignored the sign posted at the entrance to the cave that warns about the hazards of diving in the cave without adequate international cave diving certification. The society says that diving in a cave requires different training than what is needed to dive in the sea or open water. Likewise, different equipment is required for cave diving. Martínez said that the wife of one of the missing divers said they have dived at the site on many occasions in the past.
El Dudú has a maximum depth of 25 meters and has 800 meters extension.
Update: Body of one of two missing Italian divers located in El Dudú cave
The team working to rescue two missing Italian divers in Laguna Dudú in Cabrera, in northeastern province María Trinidad Sánchez said they have located a corpse deep inside the cave. The corpse was located in a high-risk area where a large amount of sediment makes visibility very scarce. Two Italians divers, 57-year old Carlos Barbieri and 44-year old Carlos Basso went missing in the cave on Saturday, 9 February 2019. The rescue efforts will continue as soon as the waters clear.
Director general of the Specialized Corps for Touristic Security, General Juan Carlos Torres Robiou explained the team is made up by Phillip Lehman and Angel Comprés of the Dominican Republic Speleological Society (DRSS) and Sergio Yipola, certified diver of the Auxiliares Navales who joined the search.
Environmentalist Luis Carvajal ured the Ministry of Environment to intervene and establish strict security measures to avoid accidents in the future. A sign in El Dudú alerts to the ban on diving without adequate cave diving certification.
Update: Remains of second diver lost in Dudú lagoon found
Rescue workers announced they located the remains of 44-year old Carlos Basso, the second missing Italian diver in Dudú Lagoon on Tuesday, 26 February.
The rescue operation included specialists from the Dominican Republic Speleological Society (DRSS), Center for Emergency Operations (COE), Civil Defense, Red Cross, National Police, Ministry of Tourism, among other entities. 10 divers endeavored in the search since the divers went missing on Saturday, 9 February 2019.
The remains of 57-year old diver Carlos Barbieri was recovered on Monday, 11 February. Barbieri resided in Las Terrenas where he was the owner of a construction material company located in the city of Sánchez, Samaná.
Source: DR1, Listindiario, Eldia
Feb 17, 26, 2019
Category: DR News |