Rottnest Island fatality - Western Australia

[DandyDon]

https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/di...d-off-coast-of-rottnest-island-ng-b881755649z

A diver has died off the coast of Rottnest Island this afternoon.

A police spokeswoman said they received a 000 call about 3:35pm after the diver failed to surface.

CPR was performed but the diver sadly passed away.

Police would not reveal the divers identify and said they were not treating the death as suspicious.

Today’s drowning comes less than a fortnight since a man drowned in Bunbury while scuba diving offshore in WA’s South West.

It is understood a group of people who were with the man raced to shore after pulling him aboard a boat on December 10.

However, he could not be revived when he was brought back to the South West city’s main boat ramp.

Stunned family and local fishermen were seen surrounded by police and paramedics after he was brought ashore.

The drowning off Rottnest today is the 17th this summer across Australia, according to Royal Life Saving’s latest data.

 

[clownfishsydney]

Rottnest Island is, I believe, relatively shallow, at least it was when I dived there many years ago.

 

[dmaziuk]

I never dived there, only snorkeled from shore, but AFAIK the common way of diving it is a day boat trip from Freo. They can take you to sites w/ 30-40 m depths just as easily.

 

[John88]

Yes, most Rotto dives are day trips on charters or private boars from Fremantle, Perth or surrounds.


Complete radio silence in the Dive community locally. One club said they responded to the Mayday call from another boat but aren't making further comment. Looks like that club's boat in the pic.

Rotto is usually 20-35m dives, although there are areas for the techies.

Conditions were good all that week, good vis and low swell/surge.

Someone died the same day the previous year diving off the coast!

My presumption is it was a private boat, as there has been nothing from any of the operators - but im sure details will be released when the coroner has caught up.