Tuesday Afternoon, June 24th, 2008
Greetings from Puerto Aventuras, Mexico!
I arrived last night flying from Miami on Mexicana Airlines. I spent the weekend in Key West, Florida enjoying the sights and music of Duval Street. After two months in Guam, Korea and other places, it is great to be home. I flew three and a half hours flying to Hong Kong, 14 hours to Chicago and two hours to Tampa. Almost twenty hours in the air and a 13-hour time difference. I was really dragging last week.
On Friday evening, June 20th I drove from Ft. Lauderdale to Key West. At 7:45 P.M. I was eight cars behind a head-on collision involving a Mercedes Benz 300 Sedan and a Mitsibushi SUV that occurred on the Lower Matecombe Key bridge, Mile Marker 73. It was like an atomic bomb explosion. The damage to both vehicles was horrific. The lone occupant (a male in his lower 30’s) suffered serious injuries with both legs crushed and multiple breaks. How he survived is beyond me. It took over 100 minutes with hydraulic saws and “Jaws for Life” to get him out of the car by the Fire Department. I was super impressed with their professionalism and work extracting the victim from the wreckage. A Life Flight helicopter transported him to a Miami hospital. The occupants of the SUV (Husband and wife with two children) incredibly suffered no injuries except for the husband who had a minor break on his left leg. It was amazing that they escaped injuries as the SUV was totally demolished. The traffic was blocked for two and a half hours. I arrived at Key West at midnight, checked in at the Westin Hotel Resort and walked two blocks to the Hog’s Breath Saloon for refreshments and listen to a great oldies band. This town rocks!
I had limited access to emails or the Internet until now. On Thursday I took my Flashing Lights test in Ft. Lauderdale and scored a 95. I got my physical examination and drug test at the U.S. Coast Guard approved Doctor’s office and then Friday morning I submitted all my signed assessments, application and medical paper work to the U.S. Coast Guard office at the Claude Pepper Federal Building in downtown Miami for review & approval for my 3rd Mate Unlimited and 1600 Ton Captain’s license exams.
I am home for three weeks, then I must fly back to Guam. I will be guiding Stefan Dreesbach for six days beginning July 1st. I will be diving with Bruce O’Connell for a few days after July 7th.
I will be home from September 15th through to October 14th.
I will be teaching and guiding FULL TIME all of January through April, 2009.
I hope all is going great for you!
STEVE
stevegerrard@cavediver.com
www.steve.gerrard.com
La Costas 103
XEL HA AVENUE 37
Puerto Aventuras, Q. Roo,
MEXICO 777750