Tragedy struck at Blue Rock Lake near Sir Lowry’s Pass when a professional diver drowned while attempting to rescue a student,
Cape {town} Etc reports.
Last Thursday, Jeremias Lubela, a 38-year-old Angolan national and diving instructor came to the aid of a student diver who was in need of rescue.
Jacks Dive Chest Commercial Dive Academy (JDC) confirmed the tragic series of events.
The institution elaborated that dives were done in accordance with training standards, which is depths reaching 40 metres.
While undertaking the diving exercises, a student faced an entanglement and the professional divers overseeing the training, lent their assistance to untie the student.
The Academy further commented that ‘the dive and following rescue were done on class ll Surface Supply. All safety protocols were adhered to continuously. The management team was on site while the rescue was in process.’
Lubula successfully managed to free the student diver and bring him to the surface but he passed away in the process, despite attempts of resuscitation.
The general manager and legal advisor of the diving academy, Jacques van Wyk, was unable to provide further information as a result of the ongoing police investigation and the Department of Employment and Labour investigation.
Sergeant Wesley Twigg, the police spokesperson, stated that an investigation has commenced and that a post-mortem is to be conducted to ascertain the cause of death.
The
DailyVoice reports that the JDC Academy is the oldest commercial diving academy in the Cape and Blue Rock Lake is always utilised to for specialised training courses.
A professional diver with navy training also drowned in the same lake in 2020, while training with the Academy.
