MoD to pay £750,000 to family of navy officer killed in dive

[tedtim]

An interesting story. It only took four years to resolve this.

http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1536512006

 

[Finatik]

"The court had heard claims of a failure to adhere to safety guidelines that no-one should dive for two hours after a meal. "

Kinda like when your mom said you can't swim for an hour after eating because you'll get cramps. I think most have been on a dive boat, eaten and then back into the water. Any thoughts.

"As part of the exercise, the navy's bobsleigh champion had to pick up an object from a five-metre deep lake bed."

Doing the conversion to feet that's only 16 feet. I don't think the stories right. I would think that he would be able to make it to the surface from 16 feet after throwing up unless he paniced (being just his 3rd dive) and something else happened. It would seem that being a bobsled champion that he would most likely be in good physical shape. Must have been 50 meters.

 

[DandyDon]

An interesting story. It only took four years to resolve this.

http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1536512006

These net-site stories so quickly become unavailable, I'm going to post the article here...

THE widow and daughter of a Scottish Royal Navy lieutenant who died during a diving exercise were yesterday awarded £750,000 damages.

(name removed) died in November 2002 just months before the birth of his baby. His widow, and their child, have been awarded the damages agreed by the Ministry of Defence at the High Court in London.

The family yesterday said no amount of compensation would bring back "an incredible son and brother" or allow his daughter to meet her father.

(the deceased) was just 27 when he took part in the "breath-hold" exercise at the navy's Defence Diving School at Hornsea Island, Portsmouth - only his third navy dive.

As part of the exercise, the navy's bobsleigh champion had to pick up an object from a five-metre deep lake bed.

Before the dive, (he) had a light meal with other students. But as he took part in the dive just 20 minutes later, he vomited and was unable to get back to the surface.

The diving instructor, was last year acquitted of manslaughter at Winchester Crown Court.

The court had heard claims of a failure to adhere to safety guidelines that no-one should dive for two hours after a meal. An inquest into (the) death is expected to take place next year. He had been tipped to compete for Britain in the 2006 Winter Olympics.

Yesterday, (the Justice) approved the £750,000 award against the MoD, which admitted liability. (teh widow) will get £637,500, while (the child) - now three - will receive £112,500.

(the brother) 28, yesterday said his brother was a "great, genuine guy". He added: "(he) was so excited when he told us his news that (the wife) was expecting a child and couldn't wait to be a dad."

(the brother) said the whole family were proud when (the deceased) joined the navy. "The Royal Navy let us all down. He was supposed to be in safe hands.

"Now that a judge has ordered compensation to be paid, all any of us can hope is that nothing else like this can be allowed to happen again."

I don't understand. I thought the "no swimming for an hour after eating" rule has been dispelled? A light meal, 20 minutes before diving, breath hold to 16 ft but a champion athlete - sounds like a no risk to me.

Now if he did indeed vomit on the free dive, then water and vomit would probably enter the airway so I can see where a drowning could be possible, or - if he managed to hold breath to the top, shallow water blackout. I just do not see where the light meal caused a problem. Wonder what we're not being told.

On the other hand, I can see where the Royal Navy could be held liable for not giving adequate safety supervision and life saving recovery for a diver trainee. Perhaps that was the point on the judgement.

My condolences to the family, and I am glad they were finally financially compensated. Over a million USD, before costs and fees.

 

[Derek S]

Plain and simple, they were paid to "go away"....

 

[shoupart]

Very strange... I thought too that the "don't swim for 1 hour after eating" rule had been dispelled too.... I have not followed that for years and never had any problems. Heck, I've even eaten WHILE diving and suffered no ill effects.

 

[DandyDon]

Very strange... I thought too that the "don't swim for 1 hour after eating" rule had been dispelled too.... I have not followed that for years and never had any problems. Heck, I've even eaten WHILE diving and suffered no ill effects.

I guess one could over indulge one the food thing, but both swimming and scuba in different ways encourage me to eat twice as much as usual. The only problems I've ever incurred from eating and diving were acid reflux. Anecdotes notwithstanding, tho - here's one reference from Snopes.com Urban Legends: here - excerpting...

Claim: Those who go swimming less than one hour after eating will be taken by a cramp and drown.

Status: False.

Example: [Collected on the Internet, 2001]

Does the Royal Navy really still go with a 2 hour rule?

Still, I suspect the damages were awarded not for what may have caused the accident but for the lack of life saving measures. News reporting could be as inaccurate over there as on this side of the Atlantic.

 

[namabiru]

I'd argue that you shouldn't do ANY physical activity right after eating. Yeah, yeah, I know. Tell the military this. But the man's vomiting after eating 20 minutes prior to diving shouldn't be why he drowned. I'm going to go with DandyDon, where, when the man vomited, water got into his airway. I'm wondering if he removed his regulator to vomit, even though you shouldn't (but he perhaps panicked and removed it on instinct).

 

[Nailer99]

"(the deceased) was just 27 when he took part in the "breath-hold" exercise at the navy's Defence Diving School at Hornsea Island, Portsmouth - only his third navy dive. "

Sounds like he was doing a freedive? I mean, yeah, people can drown in an inch of water, sure.....and I can see how puking underwater could be a real serious problem, but... weren't there any safety divers? 16 feet of water sounds kind of survivable, as long as you've got a helping hand, doesn't it?

 

[Seuss]

I'm wondering if he removed his regulator to vomit, even though you shouldn't (but he perhaps panicked and removed it on instinct).

I donno about you, but I leave my reg behind when I freedive.

 

[namabiru]

Yeah, I guess you *would* leave your reg behind... sorry, temporarily forgot that he was freediving...

So now we're to safety divers. My question as well.