Singapore doctor dead - Bali

[DandyDon]

Singapore doctor dies in Bali diving accident

A Singaporean woman died during a diving trip to Bali on Wednesday morning.

Dr Wong Yu Yi had been at Blue Lagoon, in the eastern port town of Padangbai, with a group of divers, Indonesia's BaliPost reported on Wednesday.

At 9.12am, they were about 20m deep when she gestured for help. The dive leader led her to the surface, but she was unconscious by then.

The 48-year-old was rushed to hospital but declared dead on arrival. Local police declined comment when asked about the cause of death.

Dr Wong had worked as an aesthetic doctor at a CSK Clinics branch in Novena Medical Centre, her colleague Alicia Lau told The Straits Times yesterday.

"We just knew about it yesterday, my boss informed all of us," said Ms Lau, an executive at CSK.

A spokesman for ClearSK Healthcare Group said Dr Wong was one of its senior doctors and had worked for the past five years in CSK Clinics, a member of the group.

(continued at link above)

 

[ange2014]

Any idea what could have caused this fatal accident? Sounds like a low risk dive for someone with over 100 dives and it seems strange to me that diver died from decompression sickness. She was already unwell when down at 20m... Contaminated air probably?

 

[Jack Hammer]

Any idea what could have caused this fatal accident? Sounds like a low risk dive for someone with over 100 dives and it seems strange to me that diver died from decompression sickness. She was already unwell when down at 20m... Contaminated air probably?

I would tend to suspect its more likely to be something medical in nature. It's pretty difficult to even try to guess based on the limited information.

 

[BubbleBubble7]

This updated article says DCS which seems odd. I wonder if something else happened at 65 feet and the DCS was the result of her being rushed to the surface.

Singaporean doctor who died in diving accident had decompression sickness

 

[Kevrumbo]

Rule Out Hypercapnia in Scuba in 48 year-old female as precipitating cause.

• Physical activity/exertion or Skip-Breathing at depth 20m resulting metabolic Carbon Dioxide retention and build-up. Inefficient ventilatory response to eliminate excess CO2 and inability to recover normal breathing rate during exercise of ascent, resulting in vicious cycle of quickly spiraling hyperventilation (Tachypnea), difficulty in breathing (Dyspnea), further CO2 poisoning with possible developing cardiac arrhythmia, and finally leading into unconsciousness.
• Rule Out DCS/AGE as secondary comorbid condition due to unconscious rapid ascent to the surface.

Also Rule Out Laryngospasm as cause due to inadvertent water inhalation at depth.

 

[PygmySeahorse]

If she was looking for mola-mola (sunfish) off Padangbai, she may have been doing what I understand to be a very advanced dive - Gili Tepekong. I know a dive pro with rising a thousand dives who's scared to go there and I think it's a risky choice of site for someone with only 100. Disclaimer: I'm not a dive pro and I've not dived even the easy stuff in Padangbai.

Blue Lagoon can refer to a beach, a resort (Bloo Lagoon), or a dive site. If it's the dive site - which I've not dived but understand to be pretty benign (and in any case she was well away from either a full moon or a new moon) - then a medical event would seem most likely. But it would be Blue Lagoon that a reporter would naturally fixate on as it's the most famous site.

But just my two cents. There are several Bali-based professionals who I'm sure can weigh in.

 

[Dan]

Condolences to her family & friends.

Blue Lagoon site is an easy dive. I'm guessing that would be a sort of check-out dive before going to do the serious dive in Crystal Bay to see the Mola Mola.

 

[Dan]

 

[PygmySeahorse]

So definitely not Gili Tepekong! The account in the papers makes no sense: if she signalled for help at 20 metres and was escorted to the surface by someone who didn't get DCS, it sounds like a medical event underwater. RIP.

Just FYI, there are several sites in Bali where you can see the oceanic sunfish, not just Crystal Bay - although that's by far the most famous.

 

[xmass-Eve]

So definitely not Gili Tepekong! The account in the papers makes no sense: if she signalled for help at 20 metres and was escorted to the surface by someone who didn't get DCS, it sounds like a medical event underwater. RIP.

Just FYI, there are several sites in Bali where you can see the oceanic sunfish, not just Crystal Bay - although that's by far the most famous.

Crystal Bay isn't in Bali but between Nusa Penida and Nusa Cenida, two islands on the east of Bali