DIVING

4. Breath-hold Dive Incidents
Number of Cases
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Non-Fatal
Fatal
2004 2006 2008 2010 2012
Year
Figure 4.1-1: Breath-hold incident case capture, 2004-2013, fatal and non-fatal (n=649)
The purpose of incident data collection and analysis is not to assign blame but to learn from past events. Some incidents
occur even when sound experience, planning, equipment and support are in place. Such events serve as reminders
of the fundamental risks and encourage us to evaluate our behaviors accordingly. Other incidents arise from flaws in
equipment maintenance, equipment use, training, or procedures. Incident analysis and program review can reduce the
future risk for all participants.
A fundamental challenge in the study of injuries is incomplete information. The investigative effort can require a substantial
amount of deductive reasoning and often some guesswork to interpret events. In this report, we summarize the
available data and speculate when reasonable.
4.2 Cases in 2010-2013
Most cases were initially identified through automated internet searches, typically as online newspaper articles. Some
cases were reported to DAN directly by individuals involved in or aware of particular incidents. Complete details were
rarely available.
A total of 300 breath-hold cases were captured in 2010-2013; 243 fatal (81%) and 57 non-fatal (19%). The annual tallies
are found in Table 4.2-1.
Table 4-2.1 Breath-hold cases 2010-2013
Year Fatal Non-Fatal Total
2010 56 (69%) 25 81
2011 54 (82%) 12 66
2012 71 (87%) 11 82
2013 62 (87%) 9 71
All 243 (81%) 57 300
Annual Diving Report – 2012-2015 Edition
81