Scuba Geek

Man dies in UK scuba diving centre July 11, 2006

Posted by Andy Carroll in : Accidents, News , trackback

It looks like it has been a terrible weekend for scuba diving, and there are a number of fatalities to report from various places around the world. This particular one is close to home, here in the UK. A deep diving course was taking place at Stoney Cove, the most popular diving training centre within the UK, which has depths to 36 mts (120 feet). The group consisted of 3 trainees, a dive master and the instructor, and they had dived to the ‘hydrobox’, situated in 36 mtrs, Stoney’s maximum depth.

One of the divers started having problems, and the other divers ascended with the distressed diver, where they were assisted by the Stoney Cove emergency staff.

CPR was applied to the diver and a RAF helicopter was called to transport him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The other four divers were transported to a recompression chamber in Liverpool for treatment, due to the rapid ascent.

From the BBC;

Police said the five people involved were two instructors, two divers and one rescue diver from a Derbyshire dive school.

Margaret Baldwin, operations manager for the centre, said the qualified divers were being supervised by a private diving school and were taking part in a deep-diving training programme.

She added: “The Stoney Cove rescue team responded instantly and almost immediately other divers in the group brought the distressed diver to the surface.

“The four divers in the group ascended faster than normal and as a result have been taken to a recompression chamber for treatment.”