Annual Diving Report - Divers Alert Network

4. DIVE FATALITIES
4.3 Characteristics of dives
Information about diving activity in fatalities is often limited to the last day of diving and is usually
not complete. Figure 4.3-1 shows the month of death. Most fatalities occurred during summer
months.
Percent of Fatalities
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Month
Figure 4.3-1 Month when diver deaths occurred (n=88).
Eighty-four percent of diving deaths occurred during daylight. Nine deaths (12 percent) attributed
to drowning occurred during night diving and three occurred at dusk. Sixty-eight percent occurred
in the sea or ocean, 14 percent in rivers, 12 percent in lakes or quarries, and 4.5 percent in other
environments including one case in a pond while cleaning a clogged drain, one in a canal during
a public safety search, and two in cenotes.
Figure 4.3-2 shows the reason for diving. Sixty-three percent of fatalities (n=55) involved pleasure
or sightseeing, 14 percent involved wreck diving, 13 percent were in training, and seven percent
were fishing or collecting game. Two died while retrieving an anchor or lost property. One was
crushed by a boat he was repairing in shallow water. One was sucked into a drain and one
drowned in a strong current while collecting sharks teeth in a river. Ten percent of the cases
occurred during cave diving. Four of these divers were trained and experienced in cave diving,
two were novices, and there was no information on training or previous experience for three
divers. One case occurred in a lake partly covered with ice but not under the ice.
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Percent of Fatalities
Sightseeing
Training
Spearfishing
Personal task
Figure 4.3-2 Diving activity (n=55).
Instructing
Annual Diving Report: 2006 Edition 49