Diver death at Haigh Quarry (IL.) today...

[crosing]

Deaths while diving are commonly misreported as drownings, even in cases when another cause is actually known, i.e. heart attack or whatever.

This is very true. My stepfather was in his dinghy going out to his moored boat, had a heart attack and fell into the water. The autopsy showed no signs of drowning yet the paper reported that he drowned.

 

[Dean810]

I wonder why there is so much talk of "heart attack" when we hear about diving deaths. When I read over the latest DAN report, although I didn't read it in a great deal of detail, "heart attack" didn't jump out at me as being a major cause for most fatalities. I think we try to add a certain comfort factor by throwing this term around, as if the person was on the verge of death before even entering the water. I think we should'nt be doing that unless we have more information on a particular incident. There are plenty of ways you can get into trouble under water.

 

[scubapolly]

Already this year 2 guys from my shop have died on dive trips. One had just finished a dive, was exiting the water and collapsed, the other was just beginning a dive, did a giant stride into the water and floated to the surface.
I think we often suspect heart attack because that is what the statistics say when a diver falls into a certain age range.

 

[DandyDon]

WE often just do not have the correct information....