Report on Decompression Illness, Diving Fatalities and Project Dive

Appendix B: Fatality Case <strong>Report</strong>sThe divers decided to enter a freshwater canalthat contained a siphon or tunnel that assiststhe flow of water underground. By definition,the water flow consists of a strong current. Forthe night dive, neither diver had a depthgauge, octopus or alternate air source, andthey used no line to guide them back to theentry point. The plan was apparently to followthe tunnel to depth (100 feet / 30 meters belowthe surface) until they could exit the tunnel tothe surface farther down the siphon. Thedivers did not know that a grate covered theexit to the tunnel. Additionally, signs prohibitingtrespassing and swimming were posted atthe entry point.When the divers could not be accounted for, arecovery mission was launched. The bodieswere recovered 30 hours later. The pathologistperforming the autopsies determined thecause of death to be drowning for both individuals.Interestingly enough, the pathologistwas quoted as saying that the small amount ofwater in the lungs was proof of deep waterdrowning and that air escaping from the chestcavity upon opening it indicated cold waterdrowning. Neither of these statements hadany scientific basis. Debris was also found inthe airways of both divers. This is not uncommonin drowning deaths.Proximate Cause: Drowning /Various Causes03-07 Poorly conditioned, infrequent diverwith multiple health problems, died unwitnessedin game collection diveCause of Death: DrowningThis 51-year-old male was a certified diverwho had been diving for 14 years, but he hadmade fewer than 100 lifetime dives. He wasobese and had a history of esophageal reflux,depression and herpes. This diver and anotherdiver entered the water to collect shellfish.Though they were diving as a buddy team, itappeared that they entered the water separately.After the buddy returned to shore, thedecedent could not be located. The body wasrecovered three hours later in 6 feet (2 meters)of water. The medical examiner performed anexternal inspection, not a complete autopsy.The cause of death was determined to bedrowning. Toxicology revealed the presence ofantidepressant medication as well as morphineand codeine. The medical examiner alsodetected a small amount of ethanol, whichmay or may not have been due to postmortemproduction. The medical examiner thoughtthat maybe a shallow-water blackout contributedto the drowning, but this showed alack of understanding of the physiology ofshallow-water blackout. The contribution ofnatural disease processes in this case could notbe determined with certainty and, without anautopsy, a cardiac event cannot be excluded.03-08 Inexperienced diver in advanced classin freshwater, overweighted, panicked,instructor surfaced for help, diver foundunconscious on bottomCause of Death: DrowningThis 29-year-old male possessed initial openwatercertification and had made six lifetimedives. A student in an advanced open-watercertification course, the diver was making aset of dives in a river with three other studentsand the instructor. The diver was wearingexcessive weight and appeared to panic on thebottom (75 feet / 23 meters) after silt waskicked up. When the instructor attempted torender assistance, the diver grabbed thei n s t ru c t o r ’s re g u l a t o r. After unsuccessfulattempts to help the diver, the instructor wentto the surface for additional personnel. Thediver was found on the bottom, unconsciousand with his regulator out of his mouth.Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. Theautopsy findings were consistent with adrowning death.118DAN’s <strong>Report</strong> on Decompression Illness, Diving Fatalities and Project Dive Exploration: 2004 Edition