Yep Woomera - and if the Police call an Agent or employee of the bus company, then they are required to NOT give out the information without a court order.
As we well know the courts can be fairly dodgy in some instances, and a cause for legal challenge that could could come back and bite the company employing the person that handed over information in what they considered to be good faith _ WITH a court order. Even in these fora, I am careful not to mention names or specifics that would allow anyone to track things back.
Amos - understandable comments, and I have been through all the "what ifs" a thousand times, in both cases actually.
More distressing with the current case actually, but there you go. If I called the family, or tried to access the family I would be opening myself up to legal litigation (and ambulance chasers would milk it for all the could get with just one small mention) that doubles my already large liability insurance. There is a nsaty case from WA where an Agent booked a family into a Bali resort. The 13 year old daughter was tragically raped by a resort employee. No hope of recourse under the Indonesian system, which considers it to be overseas tourists fault because they were "there". Legal bill far exceeded insurance as the family sued the Agent and succeeded- business and assets gone.
This actually didn't come into my thinking directly at the time of booking, but a deep sense of trepidation did. I had and still have no right to deny a service to a client that the community health services deem as fit to live alone without supervision. I have seen a frail little old couple come into our office, and book a quite strenuous trek through Africa on open trucks and sleeping in tents. Rather than come back in bodybags, they had an absolute ball and came back full of spring and brown as a Masai warrior and his lady. Who the hell knew? I guess I was just seeking validation of the fact that I was cornered. Sure I had my feelings about what was happening in the mind of the lady, but hell - I have no training in these matters. She may have breezed through.
I will now admit quite freely I would rather this passenger had gone to Fright Centre or Scurvy World, but fail to see that she would not have hit this spining propellor - hindsight is 20-20.
As for the dude that threw himself off the Spirit, no self recrimination.
I fielded that one as he was very threatening to the ladies who keep my business going, and who I am pleased to also call friends. I was within seconds of calling for Police intervention, but doubted I would have had a satisfactory result in pulling them away from their speed cameras and mobile phone using driver patrols.
He simply asked airfares on DJ ex LST, stank the office up badly, gibbered a lot and went with a little coaxing. Never saw him again. A mate of mine on the rescue boat was the last to see him.
Never jump off a ship travelling at 38 knots in a greatcoat - buoyancy becomes an issue.
Thanks for all the excellent input, criticism and support you good crew have offered. that is exactly what I wanted. The yes - no - maybe. We are actively supporting the emergency people, and where possible the family as that is what we do, but I did need to try to get a handle on what others would have done.
As is safe to do so, I will keep you all informed.
Best regards
EWL