Korean & Instructor drown - Phuket, Thailand

[DandyDon]

I'm not clear on what they mean by "experienced a shock and part of his compressed-air tank came loose"? I can only guess why he was buddied with an Instructor, and there is no explanation as why the two couldn't abort the dive and surface on the Instructor's tank?

Korean and diving instructor drown in Phuket

PHUKET: A South Korean man and a Thai diving instructor who came to his rescue drowned while diving off Koh Racha Yai in Phuket on Saturday.

The incident occurred near Ao Lah on the island in tambon Rawai of Muang district, said Pol Col Somkiat Sarasit, deputy investigation chief at the Chalong police station.

Police found no traces of a struggle on the bodies of the two men.

According to a police investigation, Sunghyun Cho, 37, and 39 others boarded the dive boat Chok Somboon to view coral reefs off Koh Racha Yai on Saturday morning.

The tourist was scuba diving diving with Pongsathorn Madnui, 34, an instructor with Island Tour Wander Co, who was diving along his side at the time.

While diving, the South Korean man experienced a shock and part of his compressed-air tank came loose. Mr Pongsathon rushed to help him, but both men collapsed while emerging to the surface. They were pulled onto the boat, which took them to shore at Chalong pier before they were sent to Chalong Hospital. Doctors tried unsuccessfully to save their lives.

Police plan to investigate further and coordinate with the South Korean embassy to inform relatives about the death of the visitor.

 

[dsp]

I'm not clear on what they mean by "experienced a shock and part of his compressed-air tank came loose"? I can only guess why he was buddied with an Instructor, and there is no explanation as why the two couldn't abort the dive and surface on the Instructor's tank?

Korean and diving instructor drown in Phuket

pretty bizarre indeed. could it be a burst disc failure or smth?

 

[CuzzA]

I doubt it was burst disk as I believe that is a US DOT thing. Probably an extruded o ring on those vintage yoke regs or a blown hose. If I had to guess the diver probably panicked in the commotion and noise and consequently killed himself along with the instructor.

I'm not sure why being buddied with an instructor would seem unusual. It was either a training dive or they could have just been friends and one happened to be an instructor. They are after all about the same age.

 

[Centrals]

Off topic

39 divers on the boat. It is this kind of dive boat that every diver should avoid at all cost! I have been on one before and it was also in Phuket. I signed up in a dive shop and they never told me that I have to share the boat with other divers from different shop. There were at least 30+ divers on board and the dive at King Cruiser Wreck was absolutely a joke.

Shop carefully especially in Phuket.

 

[BlueTrin]

Off topic

39 divers on the boat. It is this kind of dive boat that every diver should avoid at all cost! I have been on one before and it was also in Phuket. I signed up in a dive shop and they never told me that I have to share the boat with other divers from different shop. There were at least 30+ divers on board and the dive at King Cruiser Wreck was absolutely a joke.

Shop carefully especially in Phuket.

Do you end up with more buddies than you started with ?

 

[Dan]

To me "...the South Korean man experienced a shock and part of his compressed-air tank came loose. Mr Pongsathon rushed to help him, but both men collapsed while emerging to the surface...." sounds like the tank slipped off the cam band and ripped the primary regulator out of the diver's mouth. He was shocked and panic. The dive instructor tried to rescue the panic diver might have his mask and regulator ripped off by the diver during the commotion. They both went up to the surface in panic without exhaling.

 

[BlueTrin]

To me "...the South Korean man experienced a shock and part of his compressed-air tank came loose. Mr Pongsathon rushed to help him, but both men collapsed while emerging to the surface...." sounds like the tank slipped off the cam band and ripped the primary regulator out of the diver's mouth. He was shocked and panic. The dive instructor tried to rescue the panic diver might have his mask and regulator ripped off by the diver during the commotion. They both went up to the surface in panic without exhaling.

That’s how I interpreted it as well, but the article says that part of the tank went loose.

It is not easy to understand what they mean by part of the tank.

 

[Esprise Me]

I'm not sure the writer understands that the regulator is not part of the tank.

 

[Centrals]

Do you end up with more buddies than you started with ?

NO. I told the dive guide before jumping into water that he will be my buddy.
If I do not have a buddy that I am familiar with, the dive guide is the ONLY choice.

 

[tridacna]

Let’s award the journalist a gold star for NOT saying that the diver’s “oxygen tank” came loose.