Annual Diving Report - Divers Alert Network

APPENDIX B. DIVE FATALITY CASE REPORTS
04-69 Recently certified, unclear whether solo or separated buddy dive, found under rocks
on bottom
Cause of Death: Drowning due to Entrapment (rocks)
This 26-year-old male had recently received his open-water certification. It is unclear whether he
was making a solo dive or if he became separated from his dive buddy. His body was found
under some rocks on the bottom. The death was ruled a downing, though it is unclear if he was
entrapped under the rocks prior to death.
04-77 Technical cave diver did cave dive with group, became stuck on exit from cave,
buddy could not assist, body recovered hours later
Cause of Death: Drowning due to Entrapment (cave)
The age of this male is unknown but he was reported to have been a technical diver with cave
diving certification. He and two other divers entered a cave system with the decedent as the
trailing diver in the group. The dive was to 35 ffw (11 mfw) and as the divers began their exit from
the cave the decedent became stuck in one of the passageways. Despite assistance by one of
the buddies, the diver remained trapped in the cave and his body was recovered hours later.
There are unsubstantiated statements regarding the possible contribution of carbon monoxide to
this death but an autopsy report, if an autopsy was performed, was not made available.
04-02 Inexperienced diver with resort course certification, obese with mild heart disease,
planned shore dive but had difficulty with fins, fatigue during swim from shore, separated
from buddy and never descended, found unconscious just below the surface
Cause of Death: Drowning due to Scuba Diving
This 55-year-old male had been certified for one year and had completed only four lifetime dives.
His training consisted of a resort course and he had not made any dives since completion of that
course. His medical problems included obesity. The diver planned a shore entry, ocean dive with
a buddy. He had difficulty putting his fins on in the shallows and seemed fatigued during the
surface swim away from shore. The two divers became separated and they never descended for
the dive. The decedent was found by another swimmer, unconscious and just below the surface.
Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. The autopsy revealed changes consistent with
drowning, along with mild hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and fatty change
of the liver. The death was ruled an accidental drowning.
04-30 Inexperienced diver with health conditions and numerous medications including
cocaine abuse, did solo dive using surface supplied air to perform task, did not surface
and body found later
Cause of Death: Drowning due to Cocaine Intoxication
This 53-year-old male had been certified over 10-years ago but apparently had made only 5 or 6
lifetime dives. The diver’s health history included insomnia, depression, and anxiety for which he
took numerous medications. Coincidentally his wife had died in a diving accident five years ago.
He entered the water alone to retrieve something that had gone over the side of his boat in 10 fsw
(3 msw) using surface supplied air. The diver returned to the boat within a short period of time to
adjust a leaking regulator. He then descended again and when he did not return others entered
the water to find him. The diver’s body was recovered later in the day. The autopsy disclosed
focally moderate coronary atherosclerosis and changes consistent with drowning. Toxicology
studies revealed cocaine and cocaine metabolites in the diver’s blood, as well as diazepam,
doxepin, and meclazine. The medical examiner signed the case out as a drowning with cocaine
intoxication as a contributing factor. An equipment evaluation revealed that a knot in the air hose
86 Annual Diving Report: 2006 Edition