Commercial dive trainee dead - South Africa

[DandyDon]

Two different versions of the story...

This one says he was Russian: Trainee diver drowns at Somerset resort

According to an official statement by South African Police Services (SAPS), a 29-year-old Russian diving trainee was retrieved from the waters there by a fellow diver, but not Blue Rock staff.

“According to reports, the man was part of a divers training school that practice at the resort. No response from the deceased led to one of the divers diving into the waters to assist the deceased. He, however, found the deceased under the water without his dive helmet,” said SAPS spokesperson, Captain FC Van Wyk. “The body was taken from the water and authorities were alerted. An inquest docket has been registered for investigation.”

According to Lukas Reichmurth, owner and director of Blue Rock, the dive training was conducted by a third-party diving school that regularly makes use of the resort’s 60-metre-deep lake.

“The man that drowned was found only five metres deep into the lake,” Reichmurth said during a telephonic interview.

He maintained that as it was a third-party diving school making use of Blue Rock facilities, the resort is not responsible for the safety or wellbeing of those training with the school. “Blue Rock doesn’t offer a lifeguard or anything to the diving school, because it is not our diving school. They use our lake, but we are not a diving school. We offer water cabling and other water activities, but they [the diving school and its trainees] are not our responsibility.”

This one says he was Angolan: Navy trained diver drowns at Somerset West’s Blue Rock adventure park | IOL News

Johannesburg - A Navy trained professional diver has drowned at Blue Rock Adventure Park in Somerset West, the adventure park confirmed on Thursday.

The drowning incident happened on Wednesday.

The deceased has been identified as Jeremias Lubela, who is understood be an Angolan national from the town of Cabinda.

According to a statement posted on Blue Rock’s Facebook page, the deceased had been at the site for commercial diving training.

“He was at Blue Rock for a commercial dive training with the Jack Chest Diving School that uses Blue Rock’s lake to train their students.


“Jack Chest Diving School has been operating for more than 11 years and this is their 1st drowning accident since establishment. This accident happened with the diving instructors present and at this point it is still unclear as to what happened exactly,” the adventure park said.

 

[BlueTrin]

Facebook post from the venue

Blue Rock Cable Waterski, Restaurant, Paintball, Zip line

Dear Public and Media,

A man in his twenties drowned at Blue Rock on Wednesday, 22nd January 2020.
Jeremias Lubela (the deceased) is claimed to have been a professional diver trained by the Navy. He was at Blue Rock for a commercial dive training with the Jack Chest Diving School that uses Blue Rock’s lake to train their students. Jack Chest Diving School has been operating for more than 11 years and this is their 1st drowning accident since establishment. This accident happened with the Diving instructors present and at this point it is still unclear as to what happened exactly. Unfortunately, Blue Rock cannot provide you with any further information regarding this incident.

Blue Rock Team is really saddened about this tragic loss and sends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.

Kind Regards,
Blue Rock Team

Previously they have had a few accidents at this locations in the last years although may not be related:

Blue Rock adventure park faces legal action after another drowning tragedy | Cape Times

 

[wgw04024]

Regarding the previous accidents, they all appear to be drownings. I'm not sure how you prevent that unless you do guided 'swims' with people.

 

[BlueTrin]

Regarding the previous accidents, they all appear to be drownings. I'm not sure how you prevent that unless you do guided 'swims' with people.

I read in a page that the company who hired the place during the last non-scuba drowning want to sue them for not having a lifeguard or no staff nearby: apparently nobody from the staff showed up until the ambulances arrived.

It may not have saved them, I agree.

But that is not related to the scuba accident as the dive was operated by a separate dive school.

 

[chillyinCanada]

I read in a page that the company who hired the place during the last non-scuba drowning want to sue them for not having a lifeguard or no staff nearby: apparently nobody from the staff showed up until the ambulances arrived.

It may not have saved them, I agree.

But that is not related to the scuba accident as the dive was operated by a separate dive school.

Though that might explain the major defensiveness reported in Dandy Don's first quoted article.

 

[Peter Southwood]

The management of the Blue Rock resort is not responsible for safety of divers on a commercial diving school operation beyond making the supervisor aware of any known hazards at the site. Responsibility for the safety of divers in training at a registered commercial diving school is specified by the Diving Regulations to the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the Code of Practice for Commercial Diver Training, and the operations manual of the diving school.