Another manslaughter charge - Tonga

[DandyDon]

The story says decompression. I think carbon monoxide would be the likely cause...?

Manslaughter charge after diving fatality | Matangi Tonga

A 45-year-old man from Navutoka died from decompression on March 5, while hookah diving at Kelefesia Island in Tongatapu.

Another 45-year-old man from Manuka has been charged with manslaughter by negligence in relation to the death.

Police did not release any further information over the incident.

This was the second death for the year due to decompression caused by hookah diving.

In January, a 46-year-old man died from decompression in Fonoi, Ha’apai. Hookah diving involves an engine on a boat pumping compressed air to the diver underwater.

The Police said they were concerned for people’s safety and warned the public that hookah diving is illegal and dangerous. It has caused a number of deaths over the last few years.

 

[Scuba-dan]

I think too many people are watching the Bering sea gold on Discovery. They are doing the samething right?

Still sad news to hear about a diver death.

 

[DandyDon]

I think too many people are watching the Bering sea gold on Discovery. They are doing the samething right?

Still sad news to hear about a diver death.

I've read some stories of kids with crude compressor systems doing underwater mining in the Philippines. Scary, but too common in poor countries.

 

[chillyinCanada]

45 isn't a kid's age.

We are definitely missing some info here and apparently some translation problems? Both in actual language and SCUBA language vs layman's understanding.

 

[DandyDon]

45 isn't a kid's age.

We are definitely missing some info here and apparently some translation problems? Both in actual language and SCUBA language vs layman's understanding.

No, I was mentioning some children in another country.

 

[drrich2]

Recreational hookah diving that I've heard of tends to be pretty shallow. Any idea how deep this was? Hard for me to believe a hookah diver would've likely got 'the bends.'

Now, I suppose someone could take a fairly large breath and swim up holding his breath, in which case the compressed air taken in at depth could be dangerous.

Richard.

 

[tomfcrist]

Recreational hookah diving that I've heard of tends to be pretty shallow. Any idea how deep this was? Hard for me to believe a hookah diver would've likely got 'the bends.'

Now, I suppose someone could take a fairly large breath and swim up holding his breath, in which case the compressed air taken in at depth could be dangerous.

Richard.

Brownies hookah rigs can supply one diver air at 100'....deco issues are surely possible.

 

[DandyDon]

Brownies hookah rigs can supply one diver air at 100'....deco issues are surely possible.

On a private boat in Toga? I wouldn't expect anything that nice. I'm thinking more likely a modified car part hooked to a 12 volt battery or other DIY setup from third world spar parts - my guess anyway. The article says little, but I'm guessing cucumbers for the pricey Oriental market - still, more guessing.

Recreational hookah diving that I've heard of tends to be pretty shallow. Any idea how deep this was? Hard for me to believe a hookah diver would've likely got 'the bends.'

Now, I suppose someone could take a fairly large breath and swim up holding his breath, in which case the compressed air taken in at depth could be dangerous.

Richard.

Or I could be wrong above and it might have been deep diving? The news article probably is not reliable, and it could have been bends, expansion, or tainted air. I bet we never know.

 

[agesilaus]

Recreational hookah diving that I've heard of tends to be pretty shallow. Any idea how deep this was? Hard for me to believe a hookah diver would've likely got 'the bends.'

Now, I suppose someone could take a fairly large breath and swim up holding his breath, in which case the compressed air taken in at depth could be dangerous.

Richard.

My Hookahmax system will supply one diver to 100 Ft (The length of the hose), 2 to 65 FT and 3 to 35 FT. So all bends and overexpansion are both possible with a Hookah.

BK

 

[scoobydrew]

The only hookah rigs I have seen in operation for recreational use kinda bottom out at 60 feet, I am sure that there is a capability to go deeper but the operator that I saw was likely keeping it on the safe side.

When I worked in the Philippines I had a few conversations with some of the locals there that will stick with me. One story was from when this guy was a kid, they would go out dynamite fishing upstream of a huge wreck that sits in around 100 feet of water. The fish get blown up and carried by the current in to the wreck where he and other kids had to go down and get them. They would use swimming goggles (no way to equalise mask space) and the "hookah reg" would be a long pipe with no mouthpiece that he had to hold in his mouth while swimming around at 100 feet collecting dead fish. The hookah system was powered by a dirty old engine that had died and been brought back too life too many times and once it died on him while he was down at around 100 feet. I don't know how long he had been down there for or how many dives that day he had done but he managed to make it to the surface without injury. He had many stories of others that had not been so lucky.