U.S. diver accused of honeymoon killing

Thrawn - you have your facts mixed up - descending rapidly does not cause nitrogen narcosis - that develops when you are underwater too deep and for too long a period time. Nitrogen takes time to build up in your blood stream when you are underwater, it doesn't happen b/c you descend to the bottom quickly. And there is no mention of the husband being in any sort of distress at all, no shooting for the surface, etc. As for seeing him swimming hard & checking his gauges - he's not shown in the picture at all, I'm not sure what you are talking about here.

I wish that all of you that are posting comments had seen Mystery in the Deep Blue Sea on Dateline NBC, because you would have more facts and information about what happened that day. There are all too many factors that just don't add up and point directly to Mr. Watson. If any man's wife was falling towards the ocean floor and he truly loved her (not to mention was a certified rescue diver) he surely wouldn't leave her to die alone on the ocean floor. When they pulled her to the surface he didn't even go to the boat that she was on (he could have swam there) to hold his dying wife's hand. It wasn't until she was confirmed dead that he actually went over there. Also as people caught flaws in his story he would simply alter it. He was also continually caught on tape removing flowers from her grave and throwing them in the garbage. He had to use bolt cutters to remove them! I'm with Scuba Steve...the authorities have this one right.

I agree Tiffany, I think this guy's guilty. Not very bright, either, on a drift dive, people do get separated and drown, all he had to do was say they got separated and he didn't see what happened to her. For him to tell that BS story, he must have been worried someone saw him with her, he was trying to explain what someone might have seen. And I guess someone did see them, the diver from the other boat who saw them in the bear hug.

As a SCUBA instructor, I can tell you that the husband did EVERYTHING wrong! If, in fact, he is certified as a Rescue Diver, I have to question his motivation. It would have been very easy for him to partially inflate her BCD, thereby assuring that she wouldn't sink. Stop, breath, think, and act is the mantra of dive instructors. He did none of these!

He was going for help???? He was the help. Kinda like a paramedic leaving the scene of an accident to go to the hospital to get a DR. And for the poster that thinks a guy wouldn't go to all this trouble just to kill his wife? How many times have we read where a guy on a honeymoon cruise pushes his wife overboard letting her drown? He's as guilty as they come. Hopefully they will televise the trial, I would love to hear him explain this all away.

(My observations, suggestions and information on the report is the result of having followed this incident from the early stages. I may mention information that is not contained in this news report. I did however learn the information from other sources reporting and investigating the death of Christina Mae Watson, in the year 2003)

Daniel Gabriel Watson of Birmingham, Ala. or Gabe as some know him, made some questionable moves before, during and after this dive.

He and Tina, separated from a dive group they initially went down with. Because he says that an alarm device he was using to alert him of low oxygen levels in his air tank, began to malfunction, giving improper readings. He said he and Tina resurfaced and he checked the batteries and they were in backwards, authorities checked the unit and discovered the pack would not even operate if the batteries had been placed in backwards.

By the time the two returned down, their dive group had moved out of sight. Tina, had certified in a diving class in the U.S. and her instructor knew that she had a major phobia of diving. The instructor had worked with her on how to make a safe return to top if she had trouble.

Another set of witnesses claim to have seen the two embracing each other face to face. Describing seeing Watson's hand, on Tina's oxygen pack that was on her back. In an area where her oxygen supply could have been turned off, cutting Tina's air supply.

An accident scene investigation included a reenactment of the incident and using the information Watson told authorities Tina's body would not have drifted to the location where it was found. The scenario was repeated numerous times. A certified diver with Watson's experience, would or should do the immediate obvious reaction and that is reach out, go after and try to retrieve the victim. Especially if it is your new love and bride!

He described his wife as extending her arms above her head and sinking, which is contrary to findings in the reenactment. His journey to the surface following the incident took longer than necessary, as experienced as he was, had he went for help he could have surfaced much sooner. Witnesses described his account of details immediately following the incident as continuously changing when he was talking with experienced divers aboard the dive boat/crew. Those divers have maintained that every move he made upon resurfacing signaled doubt as to what he was telling.

Once back home police in America, police have video recorded Watson, disturbing memorials at his wife's grave site. At this point there are still questions unanswered however from witness testimony, expert statements and autopsy suggestions.

You have three elements present. Motive (he believed to be beneficiary of an insurance policy thus a motive for personal gain). Opportunity (he separated themselves from other divers to where he thought there would be no witnesses). Finally a well thought method, or would you say premeditation that involved planning to set in motion a series of events even before the couple became married (the request to increase the life insurance policy amount, and placing his name on it as sole beneficiary, the planning and scheduling of their honeymoon to include the diving trip, when he was aware of her phobia of the sport).

There are many other details that only authorities know. From the look of things this does expose what appears to be a cold-blooded murder beneath the deep blue sea. Until those details are made public we will have to continue to theorize what really happened on the Aussie Honeymoon. Discussing the what ifs is after all what we do best.

Okay, I'm a diver. I've dived, inter alia, Mexico (both coasts), the Pacific NW, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Hawaii, Fiji, AND the Great Barrier Reef. I read the "Mystery in the Deep Blue Sea" part of this story, too, and none of this makes sense.

Firstly, let's accept that accidents happen, esp. with novice divers who are uncomfortable in the water, as the wife obviously was. The hubby, for all his pretense to being a competent diver, is obviously an idiot (elsewise he'd have known his faulty dive computer story didn't pan out and he'd have known his dive could be reconstructed from his dive computer), so it's quite possible that wifey got into trouble, failed to take the (remarkably simple) remedial steps to get out of trouble (drop the weights, fill the BCD, whatever), and drowned. He either wasn't paying attention and let it happen or he panicked and let it happen, and all the tales thereafter have been simply covering up the fact that he's an incompetent diver and an idiot.

What makes me think he's guilty of more than that (beside the "bear hug" story told by the doctor-diver who claims to have witnessed it) is the post-mortem Christmas card to his dead wife's hot friend. That is so totally sociopathic that, as far as I'm concerned, it, alone, proves he's a murderer. Strap him with weights, give him 5 minutes of air, and drop him into a deep sea trench. That would be poetic justice.

The Christmas card thing was really weird, also taking the parents' flowers off his wife's grave. Guy definitely had issues.

One other thing - while diving, I've been swept out to sea (in waters so shark infested I could have walked to shore on them), I've been yanked to the surface from 60' under by an inexperienced dive partner who panicked and popped an emergency ascent flotation device while grabbing me, I've had to make airless emergency ascents from 70'+ down, I've had a panicked partner who was buddy breathing refuse to share and return my regulator (had to hunt for the spare while pushing her to the surface). I've pretty much had every bad thing happen that can happen while diving (do it enough and you get "experience"), save getting the bends (and I was on a dive where we lost two guys to the bends - nasty way to die, thank God they pass out from the pain). I just find it incomprehensible that this guy, a supposedly certified rescue diver, at a mere 45' (and with the bottom a mere 100' down, a virtual "kiddie dive"), could not, did not, or would not have done more to save his wife. Compared to some of the stuff I've dealt with, this was no more challenging a rescue than hauling someone out of a wading pool and this guy decided that the best course, while his wife was dying, was to make a leisurely float to the surface to see if he could get help? No wonder all but one of the divers on this thread are calling him guilty. Hell, I'll pay my own way to Oz to testify against him. I will also tell you that NOBODY, in the wife's situation, would go down with her arms outstretched and a pleading look on her face. People in trouble under water FIGHT! His story is, as some of the other writers have called it, "pure BS". That it is, and BS don't float...

oldefarte: I question all your experiences. Sounds like a great deal of embellishment. Write a book and label it fiction.

I know some experienced divers, and I don't think Oldfarte's experiences sound too farfetched, except maybe the part about being able to walk to shore on the sharks. The rest are not that uncommon. If you drift dive at all, it's pretty easy to get swept too far out, I've been on boats that picked up people from other boats that got swept too far away from their group. Our dive instructors told us it's not uncommon at all for someone who is out of air to refuse to give up your regulator once you give it to them, that's why you carry two. I know people who've had to make airless ascents from 70 feet, not common, but not unheard of for someone who has been diving for a long time.

Here in Rhode Island, a similar case is in process. Tortola, 1999. Husband & wife diving, wife dies, officials rule it an accident. Rhode Island, 2007. Wife's parents sue husband for wrongful death in civil court, bringing a great deal of evidence to the forefront that had been overlooked/ignored in Tortola.
Result: husband found guilty, Tortola officials re-opened case and husband, David Swain, will go on trial there sometimes within the next several months.

Oh my gosh, so many people jump to conclusions! My first dive was in Bermuda at approximately 40 feet (which I could have taken the dive gear off myself and re-surfaced if I really ever had a problem!) I had far TOO much weight on me, and I kept sinking to the bottom. I even had coral burns on my right upper thigh. The dive master (noticed), came over to me and adjusted my buoyancy. After that, I was OK.

The "victim" a NOVICE ---- to diving ---- was TOO INEXPERIENCED to be on that dive (this was an EXPERT DIVE - more than 200 feet, and she had no business being there!!!) GEEZ!!! What were the dive masters thinking? This is TRULY a life or death situation.

MY QUESTION IS.... the husband was supposedly an experienced diver. He was NOT IN DISTRESS, but yet he clearly claims that his wife was. Why did he abandon her??? That's my question?

When we as caring human beings see someone in distress .... we reach out (forget about our own safety) and try to help that person. I'm very troubled by this.

I can say that I'm not sure the intention was harm, but he almost certainly valued himself more.

WOW!!! What a great choice in a life partner that was!!!!! "You will promise to support each other through the good times and the bad???" Well .... in his case, it's like, NOPE, I'm going to save myself!

The dive masters on that trip know the REAL truth! He panicked, he expected too much, and he's a HORRIBLE human being, but "murderer" I'm not so sure ....

Also, really enjoyed the "attorney" or WHATEVER SHE WAS rubbing his back to comfort him in the video clip while he was being questioned. What's up with that??? That's just wrong ....

The bottom was only 100 feet on that dive, not 200 feet. The dive was over the wreck, so they were most likely not going much deeper than 70 feet. The current is the bigger issue, but I did a drift dive in Cozumel at 70 feet for my first ocean dive, I had done a couple of lake dives prior, but that's all. I don't think it would be considered an expert dive. They were only at 45 feet when she started having problems, according to his story.

Never in all my years of diving have I heard of someone abandoning their buddy to get help, especially in the case of a certified rescue diver. Even if she was descending rapidly below recreational dive limits, he would have known that he could go deeper to rescue her as his bottom time at that depth would surely have not been so long that he would have suffered from decompression sickness or oxygen toxicity (if he was on EAN). Even if he was concerned about the bends, I would think he loved his wife enough to risk the suffering in his joints.

I just can't find any reason that an experienced, certified rescue diver who loved his wife would so blatantly disregard all the logic of his training...other than murder/voluntary manslaughter.

Amazing... GUILTY.. first off.. if she was so inexperienced, why did he not bring her down using the line (a controlled decent)?? Why would he purposely take her away from the safety of the line? When he saw that she had problems putting air into her BCD, why did he not reach over and inflate it for her? Why did he not drop her weights when he realized she was in trouble (and don't tell me she sank faster than he could swim after her.. yeah right). Who in their right mind would abandon someone under the water without trying everything they could to save them (much less someone who has supposedly been trained as a rescue diver.. must not be PADI). I am 5'2" and my husband is 6'6" I had him run out of air during one of our dives and buddy breathed him to the surface.. he started to panic and almost ripped the regulator and mask off me.. so I hit him.. =) bottom line is.. you don't abandon people.. there is a reason you always dive with a buddy.. because they are your lifeline.. This guy did everything wrong.. and it looks like he set it up so there would be no witnesses.. let him be tried by a panel of his peers.. and fellow divers.....

Her equipment checks out??? BS If this is so explain why her BC has her on her back??? Dive gear could be operational on a desk. But what about the application? In the picture I'm looking at cant tell what kind of BC she's wearing. But if it's the same as the guy closest to us then they would be wearing a weight belt. Did she drop it? Did she drop any weights at all? Was she over weighted? What was the thermal temp of the water?
Narcosis can happen at any depths. How many dives had she done. Looking at my dive charts (which you can find on NAUI site) 3 repetitive dives would lower the time at that depths each time you descended. It's also recommended that you do a 3to5 min decompress safety stop at 15 ft on ANY dive over 30 feet. It also shows the time between dives you would need to vent off nitrogen. Was she doing her dive charts? How long had she been diving? All it says is less experienced. You don't go wreck diving on your first outing. Is it fair to say she had 15 dives???
Did she have a computer that controls dive times? What was her air consumption? Was this equipment that checks out hers or rentals? All they say is he was a search and rescue diver. But is he good at it?
Any confirmed saves? Or just someone with a tag that sat in a class room and then dove for a dummy in a controlled environment. What was her decompression time on this dive? Did she have one? How many drinks did they have the night before on their honeymoon? If he asked her to change the policy (if your going to kill someone wouldn't you make sure it was in your name?)She lied and said she did. HMMMM THATS ODD. Just a small detail that might show that
it could have been just a newlywed paperwork conversation.
But all I have read is this very short article . Are their any more articles on this dive that offer some answers? I saw someone say 200 foot dive? That is ungodly deep.
Was the wife certified for over 100 feet? The hubby sounds like expierianced diver but how many dives has he loged? Me I'm only at 1236 dives since 1996. But I know many that have 30000 dives. Anyone know of these other articles with the "bare hug" doctor, the depth, the computer issues. (if hes an experianced diver he would have known the computer will show whole dive) I would like to get some answers to my thoughts. One last thought. Freinds that I have have the top notch set up(next step rebreither) They walk into the surf in california with a group. They start their dive. He had messed with one stupid alen screw to make his reg not so stif. If pops off he's in blinding bubbles. Buy time he gets
his situation undercontrol he has a horrible situation to deal with. The dive group hadn't noticed his wife have a heart attack. A kyacker noticed and him and his freinds took her to shore. They spent the next week in a hospital in CALI . The moral of they story distractions happen that could lead to death.
My jury is still out on murder (dumb ass yes)I'll have to see the rest of the story.

I have found articles that divers get separated from their boats for days? Lost, dehydrated, how does this happen? I have read the story. But was it attempted murder? hm mm Did the dive boat captain need new equipment? Did he want their cash for 5 dollar gallon gas? Or did he want to get his buddy working for search and rescue? You can paint a picture all you want. But this is a fact finding thats going to be very hard to follow up on after five years. Where is the equipment now?

In the photo their are 4 divers. Camera dude, Model, diver in distress and ONLY ONE REACTING TO A DIVER ON THE BOTTOM. The dive leader. Some one says a Dr witnessed a bear hug, hands on her tank. Where was he when she was sinking arms out reached. Witness seems week. Why didn't he offer assistance if he could see them?
It's like the dog barking in the OJ trial. If the dog could talk this would be allot easier.

Would someone who panicked on a dive remove their own mouthpiece or cut their own air supply off----I doubt it? It would seem to me that her survival instincts would take over and she would be doing everything she could to breathe. If my wife were going to the ocean bottom----no way am I going Up! This whole thing stinks to me and he didn't seem too grief stricken about too much of it. IF she increases her oxygen intake to the point where her tank couldn't supply her---she'd have problems UNTIL she calms down; then the tank would do it's job immediately. He was a experienced diver, trained in rescue, and I don't believe he did 1 thing right? I don't like what I know about this at all. As for the diver posing for the camera, a stiff foot up his butt would cut that crap out. I'll follow this one.

I'm not familiar with Australian law, but I would think with a murder charge---they have something. According to what I've read, she panicked and ripped off his face mask and mouthpiece. Is that logical; unless, she figured that he was killing her and that was her defense? Then, to sink to the bottom with outstretched arms, it's as if to say WHY?? This is very bizarre. Was she dead sinking to the bottom or did she die on the bottom?? No equipment malfunction---no apparent pre-existing conditions. My biggest question is this. IF you believe your fiancee is going to kill you, or even thinking about it, WHY would you marry this guy in the first place? That's the first mistake; then, go scuba diving with the guy???? It's very sad. I'd like to see it all come together in a logical, believable, fashion.

Dear receiver,

I have been diving for some twenty years around the world. I had a diving company for research diving, and therefore dived professionally. Everywhere, I have come across to solidarity and ethics amongst fellow-divers. I have been a certified Rescue Diver for at least nineteen years, and I would just about say on behalf of my colleagues, as well, that a Rescue Diver would never intentionally head towards the other direction of a fellow in distress - even if it was not a spouse.
This couple was in shallow water. Tina's husband, by all regulations, would have had an octopussy, a spare regulator (the mouth-piece for air), to help two people breathe from the same tank, fill Tina's BCD to come up fast, and rescue her.
This is a very tragic, plausible story, from the new husband's side.

Sorry, folks, I mistyped. I forgot the word NOT before plausible. I agree with the majority of the contributors that divers do not leave their buddies, and more experience, taking somebody "novice", gives more responsibility. Please accept my apologies.

IF there was a bear hug of some sort and direct eyewitness testimony that he cut her air supply off, that should be enough to get him. I'm having great difficulty with tragic accident. Things are popping up now about emotional problems which might be indicative of being prone to violence? Might be he cut her air off, then, held her in a bear hug to prevent her from saving herself? He may have released her 1 step away from death and in a final moment she threw her arms up in a WHY gesture? This I will say---NO WAY---NONE---would I let my wife go to the bottom and I'd leave for help. To get to my wife, you're going over my dead body. If she's going down, we're going together. My last ounce of body strength would be used in trying to save her.