Pulmonary barotrauma fatality - Sorpe Dam, Germany

[DandyDon]

If I understand the google translation correctly. It didn't mention arterial gas embolism, but we don't know if that was involved or not. Here's the link and the translation...

Nach Tauchunfall: Obduktion zeigt Lungentrauma als Todesursache

• 65-year-old diver had a fatal accident
• Post-mortem examination shows that he appeared too quickly
• Equipment is still checked for defects

The diver, who died on Tuesday (January 21, 2020) in the Sorpesee near Sundern-Langscheid, died of a so-called barotrauma of the lungs. That was the result of the 65-year-old's post-mortem.

Lung injured when surfacing
A spokeswoman for the police said the man had appeared too quickly. If the pressure difference is overcome too quickly when surfacing, the lungs can be seriously injured. That would have happened here. The man then died of the consequences of the lung trauma.

Technical errors are not excluded
However, it is still unclear why the man wanted to go back up so quickly. Therefore, the diving equipment is still being examined for technical errors.

The 65-year-old had climbed into the water with two colleagues on Tuesday afternoon (January 21, 2020). After they showed up, he was missed by them. After just over an hour, rescue divers could only recover him dead.

 

[StefinSB]

They just said "lung barotrauma" and then speculate that he may surfaced to quickly.

Went into the water with 2 other divers but somehow these guys only missed after they surfaced.

 

[Bob DBF]

Went into the water with 2 other divers but somehow these guys only missed after they surfaced.

Unless properly trained to be a team, three divers is the easiest way to lose a diver. If two divers each believe the other is watching the third, and the third gets distracted, separation will occur.

This assumes they were a team of three and not same ocean buddies.