Tina Watson Death - The Full Story

[Road Guy]

^ X2

Original Poster - I do appreciate your post and the information you have provided. I,like most here, watched the multiple TV Shows about this and the documents and research do tell a different story than what appears "on TV" which I am sure is always the case..

Thanks for providing the info, its a sad story, but its very interesting.. I think it shows that diving, while sometimes appears "easy" is a risky activity and shouldnt be entered into lighthearted and inexperienced divers shouldnt be pushed into doing dives they are not comfortable with...

I think of these things more since my 13 year old just got is Junior OW..

 

[Hostage]

I think this was a tragic accident and some people really want there to be a better reason why this happend. I still think two divers paniced and one ended up dead. People like to hear about conspiracies, etc.

 

[DocVikingo]

"Diving Hyperb Med. 2012 Dec;42(4):224-30.

A forensic diving medicine examination of a highly publicised scuba diving fatality.

Edmonds C.

Source

Consultant in Diving Medicine, 69-74 North Steyne, Manly, NSW 2095, Australia, E-mail: puddle@bigpond.net.au.

Abstract

A high-profile diving death occurred in 2003 at the site of the wreck of the SS Yongala off the Queensland coast. The victim's buddy, her husband, was accused of her murder and found guilty of manslaughter in an Australian court. A detailed analysis of all the evidence concerning this fatality suggests alternative medical reasons for her death. The value of decompression computers in determining the diving details and of CT scans in clarifying autopsy findings is demonstrated. The victim was medically, physically and psychologically unfit to undertake the fatal dive. She was inexperienced and inadequately supervised. She was over-weighted and exposed for the first time to difficult currents. The analysis of the dive demonstrates how important it is to consider the interaction of all factors and to not make deductions from individual items of information. It also highlights the importance of early liaison between expert divers, technicians, diving clinicians and pathologists, if inappropriate conclusions are to be avoided."

Regards,

DocVikingo

 

[Hawkwood]

DocVikingo,

Where are the links supposed to take you? The first takes me to SB Articles (nothing there related to the referenced journal). The second just takes me to SB Forums.

Bill

 

[nolatom]

Hawkwood, here's the link I read in DocV's post (and commented on it) over on Scubadiving.com:

http://www.danasiapacific.org/main/h..._chronicle.php

Having read it, let's say he didn't intentionally kill Tina. But, rather, he lacked experience and panicked, and killed Tina.

Can someone at least break into his house, find his Rescue Diver card, and burn it?? There's no way he should have one. They teach you to approach the panicked diver from behind. Then, if she's overweighted or sinking, inflate her BC. Watson should've known where his wife/buddy's inflator button was. Even if we agree she was overweighted beyond her BC's capacity, as the link says, it was only by about a pound or so. Gabe could've inflated his bc, and got her up. Instead, he panicked and left her to sink away.

If he didn't do it on purpose, then I am sorry for his loss, but no one should ever dive with him, nor count on being helped by him if he's around.

 

[boulderjohn]

The issue was thoroughly discussed on ScubaBoard at length before, during, and after the Alabama trial, with very knowledgeable people participating. The consensus of the thread was the same as this article. One thing that was never clear to me was the exact details of the Rescue Diver course by which Gabe was certified. All of his certifications were through NASDS, an agency that technically no longer exists but in reality has changed its name (through several steps of merger) to SSI. While I am not familiar with the NASDS Rescue Diver course from then, the little I saw described during the trial would not have met minimum standards for PADI at that time. (Rescue Diver courses have changed to some degree in most agencies since then due to changing theories on effective rescue practices.)

Tina's certification was through the same instructor that Gabe had.

Not mentioned in the article (unless I missed it) is that the dive operator they used had a policy that required a checkout dive for all divers. They waived that policy for Gabe and Tina on the theory that he was highly qualified. They were made to pay a fine for violating their own policy in this case.

 

[Oldbear]

Whether Gabe did or did not do it is now between him and the Lord. From the articles I have read he is moving on with his life.

My heart and deepest prayers goes out to Tina's family. There will never be any closure for them. May the Lord bless them with comfort somehow.

~Me~

 

[DandyDon]

Tina Watson memorial 10 years after her 'honeymoon dive death'

 

[clownfishsydney]

I note from various photos, that apart from the media, police, the journalist who organised it and her family, there were only a couple of people present. Sad really that the journalist (who is writing a book with Tina's parents) and the incompetent investigating police still need to push the case that Gabe murdered Tina. If they were fair dinkum (to use an Aussie expression), they would have had the ceremony without inviting/telling the media.