Unknown Sea cucumber diver dies - Solomon Islands

[DandyDon]

Man dies while diving for sea cucumber

www.solomonstarnews.com

A young man from South Vella, Western Province lost his life in a tragic drowning incident while out diving for beche-de-mer late Sunday night.

According to relatives, the deceased and his first cousin, along with a group of boys, had gone on a night dive off Kimbiri in South Vella to look for beche-de-mer—a lucrative sea cucumber—to help raise funds for an upcoming soccer tournament in Eleoteve.

The deceased was using a diving mask and torch to locate the sea cucumbers underwater.

However, after several minutes, his cousin noticed that the deceased’s torchlight had stopped moving and was fixed in one direction.

Sensing that something was wrong, the cousin immediately dived down to investigate and found the young man lying motionless on the seafloor.

With the help of others, the deceased was pulled to the surface and onto their canoe before rushing back to shore.

Family members said they are unsure whether the deceased had any pre-existing medical condition that could have contributed to the drowning.

Authorities are investigating the incident.