THE Scottburgh SAPS is investigating an inquest docket around the circumstances surrounding the death of a veteran diver who died while diving in the reefs off Scottburgh on Friday.
The body has been taken to the Park Rynie State Mortuary.
Veteran divers Mirke Fraser (60) of Umzumbe and Allan Donovan Connell (73) of Bluff in Durban launched their boat from the Rocky Bay Ski Boat Club at about 10am.
Both had lines attached to surface marker buoys and went down to explore the reef. They drifted apart and after about half an hour, Fraser surfaced, but could not see his dive companion.
“He suspected something was amiss when he tugged at Connell’s line attached to the buoy and saw it was taut. He went down and found Connell at the bottom,” said police spokesperson Captian Vincent Pandarum.
“He was not breathing and did not have a pulse. Fraser managed to inflate the deceased’s life jacket and steer him to the surface and contacted the ski boat club,” added Pandarum.
An Ezemvelo Wildlife boat was in the vicinity and came to his aid. Connell was carried onto the boat and brought ashore where attempts by paramedics to resuscitate him proved futile.
Connell was a seasoned diver with many years’ experience and had been diving in the area with Fraser for more than 10 years. His diving equipment will be examined to see if it could provide any clues as to what may have contributed to his death. He had not sustained any visible injuries.
