Rebreather Fatality - Spain

[DandyDon]

Over a year old, but never posted here I don't think. Maybe someone in the area can find later stories on this. I also think that Google translated as if the articles are in Spanish, but they may well be in Catalonian, which I understand is somewhat different. Here are the links to the originals as well as the translations...

Muere una submarinista de 24 años en Tossa de Mar | Bajoelagua - Todo sobre el buceo, submarinismo y el mar

A diver dies 24 years in Tossa de Mar

The authorities have opened an investigation into the cause of death

On Sunday February 15, 2015, died a girl of 24 years old while diving off the coast of Tossa de Mar (Girona). The Special Underwater Group of the Civil Guard is investigating the possible causes of his death.

The accident occurred Sunday about 14pm when the Generalitat firefighters received the notice. Young, a native of Terrassa, was making a dive on the beach of Mar Menuda with his instructor when he lost consciousness.

It appears that the victim was doing a class diving in a shallow area when for some reason his team failed and caused him to lose consciousness and drown. The instructor when he realized what had happened quickly cleared the water and alerted emergency crews. The medical team tried to revive her without success.

The Panel Underwater Civil Guard has opened an investigation into the possible causes of the accident. As reported, the girl wearing scuba gear too complicated for level since dived using a rebreather. The Civil Guard is investigating whether the instructor has the necessary qualifications to perform and train in this type of dive.

Unlike conventional scuba bottles where most of the inspired gas is ejected from the second stage to expire, rebreather systems return the system expired gases which are utilized again.

In the conventional diving the body uses a small portion of oxygen inspired and expelled outside a large part of it, the rebreather correct this waste back into the system the expired gas and treating it with soda lime for the absorption of CO2 and adding subsequently oxygen consumed by the lungs. Depending on the different types of rebreather these different to effect a regeneration of breathing mixture treatment.

As for technical diving, rigorous training is essential for users of rebreathers, for the effective and safe use of equipment.

According to foreign sources, she had less than ten months of diving experience, reason could bring about the accident, not having much experience or training required to use such equipment. Likewise, the authorities are still investigating which led to their loss of consciousness, a fact that eventually led to the drowning.

Investigan el equipo de respiración de la submarinista fallecida en Tossa - ABC.es - Noticias Agencias

Investigating the breathing apparatus of the deceased diver in Tossa

The Panel Underwater Civil Guard, based in Torroella de Montgri in L'Estartit area, has opened an investigation into the breathing apparatus used by the diver who died yesterday in Tossa de Mar.

According to sources close to the case, the team was much more technical than the usual and unsuitable for training with the victim counted.

The objective of the research is to determine the causes of death of the diver, though the first results of the autopsy this morning suggest that women perished drowned.

The magistrate No. 6 Blanes has entrusted the Civil Guard analysis diving team that young, 24 and resident of Cerdanyola del Vallès (Barcelona).

Faced with the usual air bottles, the victim was using a system called 'rebreather', much more specialized, so also investigating whether the instructor who accompanied available the appropriate qualifications for this type of dives.

After spending half an hour underwater, the instructor realized that she had lost consciousness and, about 14:00 pm, the rose to the surface and asked for help to fishermen, who moved to the victim by boat to a beach close, although the expected health could not revive her.

The woman had less than ten months experience in diving and the sources consulted by EFE point to the lack of training to use a 'rebreather', which uses a closed loop system with gas mixture.

Experts believe that the young woman passed out underwater and that breathing, drowned, but now investigate the reason for the loss of consciousness and if the equipment worked properly.