Death of Captain Bruce in Hawaii?

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Hawaii Diver - 09 Feb 2004 07:18 GMT

31 Jan 04. Fritz "Captain Bruce" Sandoz, 50, of Waianae, owner of
Captain Bruce's Scuba Charters, Top Cabin Charters and Akamai
Navigation.

Does anyone know what happened? I heard he fell off the back of the
boat....?

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Jim Wyatt - 09 Feb 2004 22:06 GMT

> 31 Jan 04. Fritz "Captain Bruce" Sandoz, 50, of Waianae, owner of
> Captain Bruce's Scuba Charters, Top Cabin Charters and Akamai
> Navigation.
>
> Does anyone know what happened? I heard he fell off the back of the
> boat....?

I called a friend on Oahu who said he drowned while scuba diving. No other
info. Happened about a week ago.

Signature

Jim Wyatt
PADI Master Instructor #4612/IANTD Instructor
Florida Keys Reef-Divers, Inc.
www.reef-divers.com

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Jim Wyatt - 09 Feb 2004 23:54 GMT

>> 31 Jan 04. Fritz "Captain Bruce" Sandoz, 50, of Waianae, owner of
>> Captain Bruce's Scuba Charters, Top Cabin Charters and Akamai
>> Navigation.
>>
>> Does anyone know what happened? I heard he fell off the back of the
>> boat....?

Here is the obit..copied from another post on TDS

FRITZ "CAPTAIN BRUCE" SANDOZ, 50, of Wai'anae, died Jan. 31, 2004. Born
in Eugene, Ore. Owner of Captain Bruce's Scuba Charters, Top Cabin
Charters and Akamai Navigation. Survived by sister, Sylvia. Celebration
of life 9:30 a.m. Sunday at Makaha Beach. Casual attire. Donations may be
made to the American Heart Association and National Kidney Foundation.
Arrangements by Ultimate Cremation Services of Hawai'i.

The story going around is he handed his fins off and slipped back into
the water. (not sure if that means under the water or just in the water)
Heart attack maybe?? He was doing a rec dive on the Mahi when it
happened.

Signature

Jim Wyatt
PADI Master Instructor #4612/IANTD Instructor
Florida Keys Reef-Divers, Inc.
www.reef-divers.com

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suds - 10 Feb 2004 05:56 GMT

> FRITZ "CAPTAIN BRUCE" SANDOZ, 50, of Wai'anae, died Jan. 31, 2004. Born
> in Eugene, Ore. Owner of Captain Bruce's Scuba Charters, Top Cabin
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> Heart attack maybe?? He was doing a rec dive on the Mahi when it
> happened.

OMG!

I last dove with him just a few months ago. The Mahi and Makaha Caverns as
a matter of fact. He was the one who advised me to stop trying to get my
gear serviced on this Island and just send it back to the Mainland.

I never saw anything in the local paper. And I find out here. :^(

suds

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Greg Mossman - 10 Feb 2004 15:31 GMT

> The story going around is he handed his fins off and slipped back into
> the water. (not sure if that means under the water or just in the water)
> Heart attack maybe?? He was doing a rec dive on the Mahi when it
> happened.

If he only listened to Jim Greenlee and kept his fins on until he was safely
back on shore, he never would have had a heart attack.

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friscuba - 10 Feb 2004 23:56 GMT

The story on another board is about the same as I heard down at one of
the local (Kona) shops. Apparently he lead a dive and returned the
customers to the boat. When the boat had either just left, or was
about to leave (that's where the stories are slightly different) he
got the attention of all the crew and passengers and jumped in.
Apparently he was recovered by another charter operator.

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