Unknown Rough day: two dead, three injured - Western Australia

[DandyDon]

Two divers die just hours apart in Perth

Two divers died just hours apart in a tragic day along the Perth coast.

www.perthnow.com.au

Two divers have died just hours apart and three others were injured after a horror day along the WA coast.

A male diver, aged in his 40s, was pulled unresponsive from the water west of Two Rocks in Perth’s north on Saturday about 10am.

The fellow divers had tried to revive the man and alerted emergency services to meet their vessel at Two Rocks Marina about 10.45am but he couldn’t be saved.

Another diver, aged in his 50s, was declared deceased after he was found 5.5km off Falcon Beach, south of Mandurah.

A large-scale water search for the man, which included water police and a helicopter crew, had been launched at 12.40pm after he was reported missing from his dive group.

Several other reports of divers in distress were also received across the city on Saturday — with divers in Hillarys, Mindarie and Wedge Island injured in separate incidents.

A man, aged in his 30s, had taken himself to Joondalup Health Campus about 12.30pm on Saturday after the Wedge Island diving incident.
https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/au...ormer-pole-vault-coach-alex-parnov-c-17088062
The other two divers, whose injuries were believed to be linked to abalone fishing activity, had both been found unresponsive but breathing, when recovered from the water about 7.20am.

The patient from Hillarys, who was also aged in his 30s, was taken to Joondalup Health Campus but later discharged. While the man in Mindarie didn’t require hospital admission.

Water Police issued a safety warning to people undertaking water-based recreational activities in the wake of the drownings.

People undertaking water-based activities are advised to be trained in first aid, have a well-stocked kit, and carrying emergency equipment such as an EPIRB.

The deaths comes after First Class Constable Cassandra Chapman died while diving at Perth’s popular Mettam’s Pool in November.

She had been off-duty, diving with a friend when she got into troubled water and couldn’t be revived.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Is there any way to tell if these are freediving or scuba accidents?

 

[DandyDon]

Is there any way to tell if these are freediving or scuba accidents?

I'm sorry, but not from news articles that I know of. Clownfishsydney or another local member might know in time, but it's a big island.

 

[ubiquitous226]

Is there any way to tell if these are freediving or scuba accidents?

The details here have been very scant, one of the deaths was a local scuba diver identified on social media, but nothing useful for here.

For some broader context Saturday was one of four 1 hour sessions open for abalone fishing for the whole year, so it very often attracts trouble with lots of people in the water.
This is highly unlikely related to the 2 deaths from the little details available, but may have been part of the other 3 incidents mentioned, which if true wouldn't be scuba related.

 

[clownfishsydney]

From what I saw on ABC Australia website, I think both deaths were related to abalone collecting. Lots of times accidents like this appear to happen because the people are inexperienced and don't track tank air pressure and are weighted down by catches and just drown when they run out of air. No idea if this was the case, but a big chance.