British Columbia student dead from training dive

[DandyDon]

West Kelowna diver dies suddenly at Fintry Park

The pastoral beauty of an Okanagan park was shattered Sunday by the sudden death of a scuba diver from West Kelowna.

The 57-year-old man was taking a lesson or exam with a qualified instructor about 70 feet below the surface off the Fintry Delta in Fintry Provincial Park. He suddenly went into medical distress shortly before noon, say officials with North Westside Fire Rescue.

"My understanding is the (pair) were practising a maneuver to switch from the primary regulator to an alternate regulator when the diving instructor realized the man was in trouble," North Westside Fire Rescue Chief Jason Sattherthwaite said.


The lack of bubbles showed the unidentified man had stopped breathing and his eyes appeared lifeless, the instructor told firefighters. The instructor, from Golden, pulled him to the surface and hollered to people on the dog beach to phone 911. He performed CPR as he swam the man to shore by wrapping his arm over his chest and squeezing, said Lt. Shawn Barnes of North Westside Fire Rescue.

The firefighters happened to be in the park for the annual Fintry Fall Fair and rushed 150 metres to the scene. Two of them took over CPR until he was declared dead. It wasn’t clear whether he drowned or suffered cardiac arrest. An autopsy will determine the cause of death, said Barnes.

Two ambulances were called and three RCMP officers arrived in separate squad cars. They waited until after 2 p.m. for a coroner to transport the body to a morgue.


Visitors to the fall fair, including dog walkers and families, were steered away from the beach during the rescue attempt. A man and woman scuba diving nearby were somber as they collected their gear from the beach.

“It’s horrible,” she said.

A helicopter was deployed soon after the 911 call but was stood down, said Barnes. A 15-year veteran of the local fire hall, Barnes was unaware Fintry Delta is a destination for divers.

Given the depth the men were at when the incident occurred, Sattherwaite believes the man was an experienced diver.

 

[RTC'83]

RIP

 

[decompression]

Incredibly sad. A tragedy for the family and every instructors nightmare.

 

[Carl_F]

I've never seen nor been taught to give CPR in the water, only rescue breaths. What agency teaches in-water CPR as described in the article?

 

[decompression]

That’s a technique I’ve never heard of........

 

[flyboy08]

Can’t give chest compressions in the water floating...only rescue breaths. And that’s a work out indeed!

 

[Steelyeyes]

A heroic attempt nonetheless. RIP

 

[Texasguy]

I heard free divers are taught to give cpr in water, that is when someone blacks out and one dives down to retrieve, followed by cpr on the surface.

 

[chris kippax]

I heard free divers are taught to give cpr in water, that is when someone blacks out and one dives down to retrieve, followed by cpr on the surface.

Often just blowing on the blacked out free divers face is enough to resuscitate them. The wind also can help. No chest compressions though as that is realistically nigh impossible.

 

[DandyDon]

Yeah, I can see Rescue Breaths as possible and worth a try. Not chest compressions in the water.