DISCUSSION
The decedent, Sam, was not a certified diver. He had some
previous dive experience, but he lacked proper training
and had never conducted a night dive before the fatal dive.
Dave and Tim also lacked formal training and certification
even though they had more experience. Formal scuba
training through certifying agencies equips divers
with knowledge along with the skills necessary for safe
diving. Training prepares a diver to respond calmly and
confidently to emergency situations. Diving that involves
unique risks — in this case, night diving, lobster hunting
and kelp-forest diving — requires additional training,
preparedness and appropriate equipment. Acquiring
certifications for such environments is recommended.
Diving in kelp requires streamlined equipment to
reduce the risk of entanglement and a cutting tool to
resolve possible entanglement. Sam was not carrying a
cutting tool, and it is unknown whether his equipment
was streamlined. In addition to being responsible for
one’s own safety by obtaining the appropriate training
for specifically risky environments, it is also wise to dive
with a divemaster and/or rescue diver trained to react in
emergency rescue situations.
Buddy diving means diving in pairs, not in an odd-
numbered group. Pair diving is the best practice to
prevent buddy separation. In a group of three or more,
miscommunication among dive buddies is more likely
even for trained divers, because it can be unclear who has
been in communication with which buddy. In this incident
Dave and Tim communicated the ascent to one another,
but Sam remained unaware of the situation. This may have
contributed to Sam’s panic because he could not locate
others to help free him from the kelp.
A medical emergency or equipment failure did not
trigger this incident. It was caused by a foreseeable factor
for which the divers were not prepared. Although a lack
of formal training may have contributed to this fatal
incident, there are other valuable lessons in this tragedy
that certified divers should not overlook.
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REFERENCE
Denoble PJ, Caruso JL, Dear GdL, Pieper CF, Vann RD. Common causes
of open-circuit recreational diving fatalities. Undersea Hyperb Med. 2008;
35(6):393-406.
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