Scuba Deaths Cause Holiday Accident Nightmare
Water safety charities have expressed concern about the level of training given to divers as three more deaths have occurred in under a month. The victims are all men, and as yet unnamed until official inquests have been completed.
The youngest victim – an 21 year old male – was killed off the coast of Hawaii. He was believed to be a novice free water diver, who was swept out to sea by a sudden tidal surge. He went missing whilst swimming with friends who later alerted emergency services. The man was dead when the police rescue helicopter discovered him.
In Australia, a 31 year old man has been killed in a diving accident whilst exploring a wrecked vessel off the coat of Darwin Harbour. Despite calls from desperate relatives, emergency services couldn’t locate the man until it was too late. His body was found trapped inside the wreck and the diver was pronounced dead at the scene.
Closer to home, a diver has been killed whilst diving off the Dorset coast. The 41- year- old man from Cardiff was diving off a commercial charter boat Emergency services received an call from the crew of the vessel. Despite airlifting the diver to the local hospital, he was dead on arrival. The cause of death is believed to be decompression sickness.
Following the 3 deaths, there is a serious concern amongst lifeguards and accident prevention charities about the number of divers who hire diving equipment with insufficient training. The sea is a dangerous place, and in some countries, legal requirements for divers are minimal. Slack regulations don’t make the ocean any less lethal for novice divers.
Safety instructors are reminding holidaymakers that every diver should make sure they have a good understanding of local geography and tidal patterns. Divers shouldn’t consider going in the water without an understanding of safety procedures – even on a supervised dive you should be able to understand the dangers for yourself. Divers should NEVER dive alone – a diving buddy can be the eyes in the back of your head in some of the most dangerous places on earth.
In the hostile oceans, genuine accidents do happen. But sometimes scuba diving and snorkelling holiday accidents occur because of negligence, or another persons bad judgement. Faulty Equipment, unqualified staff and poor health and safety standard can lead to divers being injured by diving companies. Injuries from swimming and diving accidents can lead to lifelong disabilities, and reduce your quality of life forever.