ARUBA - Robyn Gardner, 35, Maryland woman missing in Aruba, 2 Aug 2011 - # 7

[katydid23]

You can't do that if you're at the tip of the island, as I was, and as it appears Robyn was. You can only do that if you have LOTS of shoreline parallel to you.

If you're at the tip of an island, you're gone. Best thing you can do is fight like a dog to get back to the island, otherwise, you're out to deep sea.

I was raised on the Texas Gulf Coast, and I agree with you that if you have a limitless coastline, go with the flow. That's what we were taught near Galveston. That's not the case in Aruba.

Why then would he take a drunk woman, who never snorkeled before, to a dangerous, remote, rocky place for her first time?

 

[JeannaT]

Why then would he take a drunk woman, who never snorkeled before, to a dangerous, remote, rocky place for her first time?

He's having a great time, he doesn't know her all that well and doesn't really care about her like he'd care about a wife or a daughter, and he's drunk himself?

And he didn't realize it was dangerous, he was just going off the advice of another tourist he'd talked to about a great snorkeling spot?

I've certainly done that. I'm in a tourist spot, and I completely believe another tourist who tells me some place is great.

 

[neesaki]

Why then would he take a drunk woman, who never snorkeled before, to a dangerous, remote, rocky place for her first time?

Right, I just can't get how anyone can actually believe that Robyn actually went snorkelling there. Sorry, I just don't get it.:waitasec:

 

[otto]

If she was washed out to sea, it's likely her snorkel and mask washed out with her, IMHO.

That's my assumption too ... she would be wearing the equipment, she could have been caught in a riptide and the equipment might surface many months later.

 

[JeannaT]

That's my assumption too ... she would be wearing the equipment, she could have been caught in a riptide and the equipment might surface many months later.

Right. Or it might never surface. Or it might surface and not be recognized as anything worth looking at- it's typical beach refuse. A snorkel, a mask - this is typical stuff you step over on a beach.

 

[LambChop]

BBM

I'm pretty sure I've read that the area does have riptides. I'll look for a link saying there are riptides ... if you could look for one saying the opposite, we'll be able to clear up whether Robyn could have been caught in riptides or not.

I believe the authorities cleared that up already and said it was calm, low wind and no storms out at see.....that means no riptides. No rough, turbulent water as GG describes. But he would not know that because I doubt he even went into the water except to get his feet wet. jmo

 

[katydid23]

That's my assumption too ... she would be wearing the equipment, she could have been caught in a riptide and the equipment might surface many months later.

But it is not like that. This is not a HUGE bay or a large inlet. The coast guard were immediately all over that area. They can cover a lot of ground very fast. If she had been there then they would have found her or at the very least, some signs of her- Like her snorkeling gear. It wouldn't take months for it to wash up because she did not die in a ship wreck or a deep sea diving accident. She was snorkeling, supposedly, right off Baby Beach. The authorities have already said that they would have found her if she had been in that area. I believe them. The other drownings that I read about ---bodies were recovered.
The people washed back to shore.

 

[katydid23]

He's having a great time, he doesn't know her all that well and doesn't really care about her like he'd care about a wife or a daughter, and he's drunk himself?

And he didn't realize it was dangerous, he was just going off the advice of another tourist he'd talked to about a great snorkeling spot?

I've certainly done that. I'm in a tourist spot, and I completely believe another tourist who tells me some place is great.

He doesn't know her that well, yet he takes out a million dollar life ins policy and makes himself the beneficiary. Hinkiness, imo.

And he was drunk? Didn't he say on Dateline that he was NOT drinking? He swore it was just a glass of juice. Was he lying?

So some random tourist tells him to go for an hour's drive to some deserted backroad, remote rocky ugly beach with no other people around, and he takes that advice? He passes by dozens of beautiful pristine beaches with plenty of nice areas to snorkel just to he can take this drunk, first time snorkeler to this hidden secret place. How convenient.

 

[otto]

But it is not like that. This is not a HUGE bay or a large inlet. The coast guard were immediately all over that area. They can cover a lot of ground very fast. If she had been there then they would have found her or at the very least, some signs of her- Like her snorkeling gear. It wouldn't take months for it to wash up because she did not die in a ship wreck or a deep sea diving accident. She was snorkeling, supposedly, right off Baby Beach. The authorities have already said that they would have found her if she had been in that area. I believe them. The other drownings that I read about ---bodies were recovered.
The people washed back to shore.

It was dark shortly after investigators arrived, so I don't think they could say one way or the other whether someone drowned and sank to the bottom. The ocean current in that area goes away from the Island. She was in the Nanki/Rogers Beach area, not in the manmade bay at Baby Beach.

 

[katydid23]

It was dark shortly after investigators arrived, so I don't think they could say one way or the other whether someone drowned and sank to the bottom. The ocean current in that area goes away from the Island. She was in the Nanki/Rogers Beach area, not in the manmade bay at Baby Beach.

That worked out pretty well for him then, right? I mean they did not start their snorkeling adventure until just before dark. I wonder why that was? When we went to Fiji we snorkeled mid morning or early afternoon. But not usually right before dark.

And I think the local coast guard could follow the current and know pretty well where a body would end up. They are experts in current and depth cycles. They have floodlights. They search for lost fisherman and swimmers in the dark quite regularly. If her body had been there they would have probably seen it, or her gear. imoo

 

[otto]

The coral reefs in the area where he says he was snorkelling are supposed to be spectacular.

 

[Nova]

You can't do that if you're at the tip of the island, as I was, and as it appears Robyn was. You can only do that if you have LOTS of shoreline parallel to you.

If you're at the tip of an island, you're gone. Best thing you can do is fight like a dog to get back to the island, otherwise, you're out to deep sea.

I was raised on the Texas Gulf Coast, and I agree with you that if you have a limitless coastline, go with the flow. That's what we were taught near Galveston. That's not the case in Aruba.

Jeanna, I don't understand. I recognize that if you have limited shoreline, you may not be able to swim parallel to the shoreline (which is what we are usually told). But what I wrote is that one should swim "perpendicular to the rip current." This one can do no matter how pointed the tip of the island.

If you are saying you were caught in a strong current that was running with equal strength along both sides of the island--and was so wide you couldn't get to either side, I'm not sure that was a rip current.

 

[LambChop]

You can't do that if you're at the tip of the island, as I was, and as it appears Robyn was. You can only do that if you have LOTS of shoreline parallel to you.

If you're at the tip of an island, you're gone. Best thing you can do is fight like a dog to get back to the island, otherwise, you're out to deep sea.

I was raised on the Texas Gulf Coast, and I agree with you that if you have a limitless coastline, go with the flow. That's what we were taught near Galveston. That's not the case in Aruba.

There is a video taken with an underwater camera of the area GG claims they went in by a local Aruban. It is calm, and looks about as turbulent as lake water. There are no crashing waves, or pounding surf when the water is calm in that area. Also you can swim parallel to the jetty that sticks out in the water. You can see clearly in the water in the video that is it very calm. Aruba is not the Texas Gulf Coast in that area, nor is it Atlantic City. I think we have to respect what the authorities have told us and that is that the water was calm that day, low wind and no storms were out at sea making that water very calm when they went in.

I have gotten stuck where I could not seem to go anywhere while snorkeling and I did what I was told and swim parallel to the beach and was able to get back to the ship we were on but it was up by the lighthouse where the water can be a little choppy at times. I had no fins, only my bare feet. One should never go snorkeling alone. GG claiming they were out there by themselves as the sun was setting is crazy. Only a fool would do that. jmo

 

[otto]

Jeanna, I don't understand. I recognize that if you have limited shoreline, you may not be able to swim parallel to the shoreline (which is what we are usually told). But what I wrote is that one should swim "perpendicular to the rip current." This one can do no matter how pointed the tip of the island.

If you are saying you were caught in a strong current that was running with equal strength along both sides of the island--and was so wide you couldn't get to either side, I'm not sure that was a rip current.

Rip currents run perpendicular to shore.

 

[JeannaT]

That worked out pretty well for him then, right? I mean they did not start their snorkeling adventure until just before dark. I wonder why that was? When we went to Fiji we snorkeled mid morning or early afternoon. But not usually right before dark.

And I think the local coast guard could follow the current and know pretty well where a body would end up. They are experts in current and depth cycles. They have floodlights. They search for lost fisherman and swimmers in the dark quite regularly. If her body had been there they would have probably seen it, or her gear. imoo

I thought emergency services were alerted around 5 p.m.? That's about 4 hours before dark, as I understand it. In a very pleasant time of the day.

 

[LambChop]

The coral reefs in the area where he says he was snorkelling are supposed to be spectacular.

Maybe out quite a ways but they were not out that far. I've seen that whole portion of the island from the glass bottom boat and trust me it's sand, boulders, a couple of star fish and seaweed. Not impressive. Out by the shipwreck there are a lot of fish but that is out about 1/2 mile. At Baby Beach they would have to go really, really far out and scuba equipment would be more appropriate. This area where GG went in is just rocks and sand for quite a way out. And at that time of day what would they have seen from the surface in the deep water....it would be dark with no sunlight shining on the water. The sun fully set at 7:02pm. His story makes no sense at all. jmo

 

[LambChop]

I thought emergency services were alerted around 5 p.m.? That's about 4 hours before dark, as I understand it. In a very pleasant time of the day.

No, the call was made at 6:23pm. Sun was fully down by 7:02pm. So he is saying she disappeared an hour before sunset. That water is dark once that sun starts to set. Baby Beach is also at the southeastern most tip of the island where the sun sets at the northwestern tip of the island. jmo

 

[otto]

I thought emergency services were alerted around 5 p.m.? That's about 4 hours before dark, as I understand it. In a very pleasant time of the day.

Police were not contacted until 6:23 PM

Sunset 6:58 PM Aug 20 2011

 

[Nova]

Rip currents run perpendicular to shore.

Yes, otto, I know that. I believe it's obvious I know that from my posts. I grew up in South Florida and have encountered more than a few "riptides" (as we called them).

But JeannaT is talking about a current running out to sea from the tip of an island and saying she had no shoreline to speak of to serve as a point of orientation. So I am wondering whether what she experienced was a true rip current or whether the tide was moving around an island, causing a current on both sides.

 

[katydid23]

I thought emergency services were alerted around 5 p.m.? That's about 4 hours before dark, as I understand it. In a very pleasant time of the day.

I was replying to Otto who said that it was dark when the coast guard arrived for the search.

And it might be a pleasant time of day to wait for the sun set, but it is not the best time for snorkeling. From what I learned, you want the sun to be shining on the water pretty straight on, so you can see the fish. But that late in the afternoon it would be pretty dark and shadowy. His story makes no sense. Why do you think nobody else was out there? If this was sucjh a great place to snorkel, why were they the only people any where around there?