On a summer vacation, American Debbie, Dean, and their young daughter checked into the Hotel Oberoi in Lakshadweep, a majestic archipelago of several atolls and coral reefs in the Arabian Sea. Later Debbie, an avid scuba-diver, approached the hotel manager inquiring about the possibility of a deep sea scuba-diving. The manager mentioned that she could rent the equipments, but no guide-master was available. Soon Debbie met vacationing British couple Paula and Bret and their twin young daughters. Bret, a certified dive-master, informed Debbie that the couple was planning for a diving expedition very next day and Debbie could join them.
Next morning, both families sailed to a distant uninhibited island. Dean stayed on the island with the children. Three divers equipped with scuba-gears and wearing weighty iron-belts, jumped into the ocean, soon disappearing. Beforehand, they agreed to communicate via hand-signals while underwater.
After an hour, Paula and Bret swam back without Debbie. Apologetic, they mentioned that due to miscommunication they lost Debbie underwater, without tracing her again. They instructed Dean to go around that island, in case Debbie, after separation, came up at a different location. They themselves went back to water for additional search. Well-behaved children played with their toys at a designated spot.
Underwater, Debbie realizing she got separated would decide to float up. However, she found her oxygen-tank malfunctioning, causing breathing troubles. Remembering her trainings, she unbuckled and dropped her iron-belt, making her light enough to refloat. Walking along the coast, Bret noticed a blue object getting slammed on a jagged rocky cliff by punishing waves. He signaled floating Paula and Bret to that direction. The couple navigated carefully and pulled Debbie out. Bret inspected Debbie’s oxygen-tank and found the operating valve jammed. Exhausted, the families sailed back to the main island. At the hotel, Debbie returned the equipments, notifying the manager what happened and the loss of the belt. Unfortunately, the manager refused taking any responsibility for the faulty tank, but demanded a huge sum for the belt’s replacement cost. Debbie was stunned.
Heading to their room, Debbie noticed a junior employee was waving for her attention from the back of a column in the lobby. Debbie approached him. He led her to a nearby empty room, and informed that the rogue manager had preyed similarly on many other former tourists. This time the employee had decided to stand up and help Debbie. He promised a replacement belt to Debbie later in the day. That evening, with no more instruction from the gentleman, Debbie was standing on her third-floor balcony. Suddenly, she observed three flashing lights emanating from a distant bush. Coming down, she walked toward the bush and met the same gentleman who handed over a similar iron-belt (probably, taken out of hotel’s inventory). Thankful Debbie offered him some monetary gratuity that he refused to accept.
Next day, Debbie walked into the manager’s office, put the belt on his table, and paid the hotel bill crossing the extra charge, before heading toward the airport.
Next morning, both families sailed to a distant uninhibited island. Dean stayed on the island with the children. Three divers equipped with scuba-gears and wearing weighty iron-belts, jumped into the ocean, soon disappearing. Beforehand, they agreed to communicate via hand-signals while underwater.
After an hour, Paula and Bret swam back without Debbie. Apologetic, they mentioned that due to miscommunication they lost Debbie underwater, without tracing her again. They instructed Dean to go around that island, in case Debbie, after separation, came up at a different location. They themselves went back to water for additional search. Well-behaved children played with their toys at a designated spot.
Underwater, Debbie realizing she got separated would decide to float up. However, she found her oxygen-tank malfunctioning, causing breathing troubles. Remembering her trainings, she unbuckled and dropped her iron-belt, making her light enough to refloat. Walking along the coast, Bret noticed a blue object getting slammed on a jagged rocky cliff by punishing waves. He signaled floating Paula and Bret to that direction. The couple navigated carefully and pulled Debbie out. Bret inspected Debbie’s oxygen-tank and found the operating valve jammed. Exhausted, the families sailed back to the main island. At the hotel, Debbie returned the equipments, notifying the manager what happened and the loss of the belt. Unfortunately, the manager refused taking any responsibility for the faulty tank, but demanded a huge sum for the belt’s replacement cost. Debbie was stunned.
Heading to their room, Debbie noticed a junior employee was waving for her attention from the back of a column in the lobby. Debbie approached him. He led her to a nearby empty room, and informed that the rogue manager had preyed similarly on many other former tourists. This time the employee had decided to stand up and help Debbie. He promised a replacement belt to Debbie later in the day. That evening, with no more instruction from the gentleman, Debbie was standing on her third-floor balcony. Suddenly, she observed three flashing lights emanating from a distant bush. Coming down, she walked toward the bush and met the same gentleman who handed over a similar iron-belt (probably, taken out of hotel’s inventory). Thankful Debbie offered him some monetary gratuity that he refused to accept.
Next day, Debbie walked into the manager’s office, put the belt on his table, and paid the hotel bill crossing the extra charge, before heading toward the airport.
