Second diver in 8 days dies on Wellington (NZ)'s South Coast

[infieldg]

I can't believe someone else died before the police even released the first guy's name Both were in their 40s, on opposite boundaries of the TapuTeRanga marine reserve which suggests they were hunting - I can't stress enough that the South Coast is a SAFE place to dive, this is a real shock ;

Second diver dies off Wellington coast - National - NZ Herald News

I picked my bottles up from Dive Wellington (located smack in the middle of the reserve) and the water was great, a group was about to go out around 2pm (I assumed they were going out in the morning as usual otherwise I'd have joined them, must pay more attention!), it was 23.5 degrees celcius and calm, the hobo who sunbathes outside my garage even had sunburnt legs - NOT conditions that would trouble a diver.

So both deaths could be a case of someone dusting off old gear and getting some xmas lobster, or a heart attack, I think both divers were found on the bottom so maybe they dumped all their air to pull lobsters out of holes and were too negative to ascend when they ran out of air and couldn't inflate, who knows, I'm rambling because it's blowing my mind that two people just died in my home waters

RIP dude.

 

[tomfcrist]

There is no such thing as a "safe place to dive". That being said, it sucks when these thing happen.

 

[infieldg]

The diver was Willie Collins, cousin to All Black Jerry Collins who died recently - that poor family

Drowned Wellington diver is a cousin of the late All Black Jerry Collins | Stuff.co.nz

There is no such thing as a "safe place to dive". That being said, it sucks when these thing happen.

For sure.. never went under 6m/20ft on my last dive yet side-mounted with dsmb, smg, spool, reel, two torches, spare mask, notebook, foldable snorkel and kitchen sink I just didn't want people thinking that it's a dangerous place to dive with 2 deaths so close together in both time and distance - it's a fantastic place to dive for all levels.