Twiddles
Contributor
Deaths Total US/Canada (88)
Age
70% of Male and 80% of Female Dive Fatalities were over 40.
Weight Issues
26% of Divers were normal weight, 74% were overweight.
Level of Dive Education (57 of the Fatalities)
36% OW, 24% Technical, 21% Advanced, 7% Student and Military, 5% Other.
Depth of Dive (59 of the Fatalities)
<20 24%, 20-49 24%, 50-99 28%, 100+ 24%.
How
Surface pre-dive. Problems began on the surface before submersion in four cases. A 55-year-old, obese diver struggled while donning his equipment, became fatigued during a surface swim from shore, was separated from his buddy, and was found drowned in shallow water without indication of having been diving. A healthy 61 year-old diver on a night dive with a group returned to the boat for unknown reason and was recovered from the water unconscious. A 48-year-old diver started a dive alone in a strong current, tried to return after removing some of his gear including his fins, and drowned before reaching shore. A 58-year-old diver panicked upon entering rough seas, returned to the boat out of breath, but decided to follow the other divers down the anchor line to a wreck at 80 fsw (24 msw). He was last seen descending at 20 feet and never arrived at the wreck.
On descent or early in dive. Problems began on descent or at an early stage of the dive in four cases. A 15-year-old novice diver on medication for attention deficit disorder entered shallow water off the beach, had a flooded mask at 8 fsw (2 msw), panicked, and drowned. A diver with a history of seizures and cocaine use was found entangled in an anchor line immediately after descent. A 55-year-old female diver experienced problems with her regulator immediately upon descent to 117 fsw (36 msw) and drowned. Examination of the regulator revealed a missing diaphragm seal. A 40-year-old diver spearfishing on a wreck at 196 fsw (60 msw) made a rapid ascent to 80 fsw (25 msw), and found convulsing at 150 fsw (46 msw) where he drowned.
At the bottom. Problems started on the bottom in 42 percent of cases (n=37). Twenty-seven divers (31 percent) lost consciousness at the bottom, eight divers were trapped, three were entangled, two may have had heart problems, and four lost consciousness for unknown cause.
Ascent. Problems started during ascent in 15 percent of cases (n=13), sometimes even after completing a 10-foot safety stop. In one case, a diver was lost in shallow water after his safety stop. Inspection of his rebreather indicated malfunctions due to poor maintenance and assembly.
Surface post-dive. Twenty-two divers lost consciousness after surfacing. The longer a diver is at the surface without symptoms, the less likely it is that death was due to injury on the bottom or during ascent.
Post-dive, out of water. Two deaths occurred after dives without obvious problems. A 63- year-old experienced diver with a history of heart disease collapsed on the boat after exiting the water. A 51-year-old experienced diver completed a 100 fsw (30 msw) dive and collapsed minutes later in the locker room. He was transferred to a hospital and treated for AGE but died of hypoxic brain injury a few days later.
Disabling Injury (As opposed to just saying drowning where another factor caused the drowning).
Drowning 25 Cases
AGE (Arterial Gas Embolism, not Age) 20 Cases
Trauma 5 Cases
Intoxication due to unsuitable breathing gas 3 Cases
Loss of Consciousness (Unknown reason) 2 Cases
Initial Event Trigger (Where Known, 20% Not Known)
Insufficient Gas 12 Cases
Rough Seas 9 Cases
Natural Disease (IE Heart Attack) 8 Cases
Entrapment 8 Cases
Equipment Problems (Equipment problems could be higher, only 15 cases had test results for equipment after incident) 7 Cases
The Report has significant information regarding each incident that would take pages to cover here. Only DAN members may access the data. Would recommend reading, as several cover issues such as fitness, over-weighting, ascending too fast etc. Including one per type here:
Proximate Cause: Air Embolism
Cause of Death: Air Embolism due to Rapid Ascent from Panic This 42-year-old female was a very experienced dive instructor and technical diver. The diver was on multiple medications, including benzodiazepines, antidepressants, an inhaler, medication for high blood pressure, and numerous over-the-counter drugs and herbal supplements. She was also obese. She and three other divers were making a dive to 205 ffw (63 mfw) in a freshwater lake to examine a wreck. During the ascent phase of the dive, the decedent panicked and skipped her decompression stops. She refused assistance from her dive buddies and lost consciousness at approximately 30 ffw (9 mfw). She was taken to the surface by her dive buddy but resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. Her buddy had omitted some decompression and was treated in a hyperbaric chamber. The autopsy showed subcutaneous air and abundant intravascular gas.
Proximate Cause: Drowning / Air Embolism
This 50-year-old male was a student in an initial open-water certification class completing his fourth check-out dive. The dive was with an instructor and one other diver using a shore entry into a lake. He was practicing rescue procedures and ascended from 15 ffw (5 mfw) prior to towing a fellow diver as part of the training evolution. While towing the diver the decedent first began to struggle a little and then lost consciousness. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. The autopsy disclosed changes associated with drowning as well as intravascular gas. This was most likely a drowning secondary to an air embolism.
Proximate Cause: Cardiac
Cause of Death: Cardiac Dysrhythmia due to Coronary Atherosclerosis
This 47-year-old male was a certified diver but his level of experience is unknown. He took medication for hypertension and was also a heavy smoker. The diver was making a series of dives from a boat over a period of multiple days. After his last dive of the previous day the decedent complained of severe shortness of breath. During his first dive of the next day the diver went to 101 fsw (30 msw) for 20 minutes with a buddy. He signaled to the buddy that he wanted to ascend. The buddy accompanied the diver to the ascent line but decided to stay on the bottom as the decedent ascended. The diver again complained of severe shortness of breath after surfacing. He was assisted into the boat where he lost consciousness a short time later and could not be resuscitated. The autopsy findings included severe coronary atherosclerosis and hypertensive heart disease. The cause of death was determined to be a cardiac event.
Drowning / Cardiac
Cause of Death: Drowning due to Cardiac Dysrhythmia
This 51-year-old male had recently received his initial open-water certification and had only made 6 lifetime dives. He was making a shore entry dive down to a wreck with a group of divers. The water in the area was 50 fsw (15 msw) but the decedent only made it down to 13 fsw (4 msw) for a bottom time of 4 minutes. The decedent was witnessed swimming away from the group and then was brought to the beach by two surfers who found him unconscious on the surface. There was no evidence of pulmonary barotrauma at autopsy but there was significant coronary artery disease and left ventricular hypertrophy. The death was determined to be a drowning due to a cardiac event. An evaluation of the decedents equipment showed that he was wearing 24 ½-pounds.
Proximate Cause: Drowning / Insufficient Air
Cause of Death: Drowning due to Insufficient Air due to Entrapment (anchor line)
This 33-year-old male was an experienced diver with advanced open-water certification. His past medical history included seizures that required medication for control. This was due to a cocaine addiction but according to reports he had been off medication and free of seizures for some time. The planned dive was a night dive off a boat in order to collect lobsters. As the diver and his buddy descended, the buddy saw a light on the bottom and swam toward it, thinking it was the decedent. It turned out to be just the decedents light and weights. The buddy then saw the decedent 10 fsw (3 msw) above him and entangled in the anchor line. The buddy could not untangle the divers equipment from the line so he removed the divers buoyancy compensator and brought the stricken diver to the surface. The diver was taken to a recompression chamber where he was pronounced dead. When the tank was found, the pressure gauge read zero psi. An evaluation of the divers equipment revealed that his air was turned off and that there was plenty of air in the tank. The logical conclusion is that the air was initially turned on and for whatever reason was turned off before the diver entered the water. The diver would have been able to take a few breaths before there would have been no air in his hose. He also had integrated weights as well as weights in the pockets of his buoyancy compensator, in addition to the weight belt he had dropped. The autopsy revealed an obese diver with liver steatosis, a tongue contusion, and changes associated with drowning.
Drowning / Various Causes
Cause of Death: Drowning due to Cocaine Intoxication
This 53-year-old male had been certified over 10-years ago but apparently had made only 5 or 6 lifetime dives. The divers health history included insomnia, depression, and anxiety for which he took numerous medications. Coincidentally his wife had died in a diving accident five years ago. He entered the water alone to retrieve something that had gone over the side of his boat in 10 fsw (3 msw) using surface supplied air. The diver returned to the boat within a short period of time to adjust a leaking regulator. He then descended again and when he did not return others entered the water to find him. The divers body was recovered later in the day. The autopsy disclosed focally moderate coronary atherosclerosis and changes consistent with drowning. Toxicology studies revealed cocaine and cocaine metabolites in the divers blood, as well as diazepam, doxepin, and meclazine. The medical examiner signed the case out as a drowning with cocaine intoxication as a contributing factor. An equipment evaluation revealed that a knot in the air hose might have prevented air from flowing to the regulator. Also, the diver was overweighted and not wearing fins.
Cause of Death: Drowning due to Ethanol Intoxication
This 24-year-old male had been a certified diver for 2 years with advanced open-water certification. His level of experience is unknown but he did not have documented cave diving training or certification. The diver was in a boat with three friends at 2 AM. Two friends stayed in the boat and the other snorkeled in the area. The diver made three short, five to ten minutes each, excursions to a depth of approximately 50 to 60-feet, entering a freshwater cave system. Prior to diving and in between dives he was drinking beer, as were his colleagues. After the fourth excursion to depth the diver did not surface. A rescue diver recovered the body from the cave an hour later. The autopsy disclosed changes associated with drowning. Toxicology studies revealed a blood alcohol concentration of 110 mg/dL (80 mg/dL is considered too intoxicated to drive in most states). The decedents tank was also empty. He had used it for all four dives and began the last dive with 500 psi remaining.
All Data Provided by DAN.
Age
70% of Male and 80% of Female Dive Fatalities were over 40.
Weight Issues
26% of Divers were normal weight, 74% were overweight.
Level of Dive Education (57 of the Fatalities)
36% OW, 24% Technical, 21% Advanced, 7% Student and Military, 5% Other.
Depth of Dive (59 of the Fatalities)
<20 24%, 20-49 24%, 50-99 28%, 100+ 24%.
How
Surface pre-dive. Problems began on the surface before submersion in four cases. A 55-year-old, obese diver struggled while donning his equipment, became fatigued during a surface swim from shore, was separated from his buddy, and was found drowned in shallow water without indication of having been diving. A healthy 61 year-old diver on a night dive with a group returned to the boat for unknown reason and was recovered from the water unconscious. A 48-year-old diver started a dive alone in a strong current, tried to return after removing some of his gear including his fins, and drowned before reaching shore. A 58-year-old diver panicked upon entering rough seas, returned to the boat out of breath, but decided to follow the other divers down the anchor line to a wreck at 80 fsw (24 msw). He was last seen descending at 20 feet and never arrived at the wreck.
On descent or early in dive. Problems began on descent or at an early stage of the dive in four cases. A 15-year-old novice diver on medication for attention deficit disorder entered shallow water off the beach, had a flooded mask at 8 fsw (2 msw), panicked, and drowned. A diver with a history of seizures and cocaine use was found entangled in an anchor line immediately after descent. A 55-year-old female diver experienced problems with her regulator immediately upon descent to 117 fsw (36 msw) and drowned. Examination of the regulator revealed a missing diaphragm seal. A 40-year-old diver spearfishing on a wreck at 196 fsw (60 msw) made a rapid ascent to 80 fsw (25 msw), and found convulsing at 150 fsw (46 msw) where he drowned.
At the bottom. Problems started on the bottom in 42 percent of cases (n=37). Twenty-seven divers (31 percent) lost consciousness at the bottom, eight divers were trapped, three were entangled, two may have had heart problems, and four lost consciousness for unknown cause.
Ascent. Problems started during ascent in 15 percent of cases (n=13), sometimes even after completing a 10-foot safety stop. In one case, a diver was lost in shallow water after his safety stop. Inspection of his rebreather indicated malfunctions due to poor maintenance and assembly.
Surface post-dive. Twenty-two divers lost consciousness after surfacing. The longer a diver is at the surface without symptoms, the less likely it is that death was due to injury on the bottom or during ascent.
Post-dive, out of water. Two deaths occurred after dives without obvious problems. A 63- year-old experienced diver with a history of heart disease collapsed on the boat after exiting the water. A 51-year-old experienced diver completed a 100 fsw (30 msw) dive and collapsed minutes later in the locker room. He was transferred to a hospital and treated for AGE but died of hypoxic brain injury a few days later.
Disabling Injury (As opposed to just saying drowning where another factor caused the drowning).
Drowning 25 Cases
AGE (Arterial Gas Embolism, not Age) 20 Cases
Trauma 5 Cases
Intoxication due to unsuitable breathing gas 3 Cases
Loss of Consciousness (Unknown reason) 2 Cases
Initial Event Trigger (Where Known, 20% Not Known)
Insufficient Gas 12 Cases
Rough Seas 9 Cases
Natural Disease (IE Heart Attack) 8 Cases
Entrapment 8 Cases
Equipment Problems (Equipment problems could be higher, only 15 cases had test results for equipment after incident) 7 Cases
The Report has significant information regarding each incident that would take pages to cover here. Only DAN members may access the data. Would recommend reading, as several cover issues such as fitness, over-weighting, ascending too fast etc. Including one per type here:
Proximate Cause: Air Embolism
Cause of Death: Air Embolism due to Rapid Ascent from Panic This 42-year-old female was a very experienced dive instructor and technical diver. The diver was on multiple medications, including benzodiazepines, antidepressants, an inhaler, medication for high blood pressure, and numerous over-the-counter drugs and herbal supplements. She was also obese. She and three other divers were making a dive to 205 ffw (63 mfw) in a freshwater lake to examine a wreck. During the ascent phase of the dive, the decedent panicked and skipped her decompression stops. She refused assistance from her dive buddies and lost consciousness at approximately 30 ffw (9 mfw). She was taken to the surface by her dive buddy but resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. Her buddy had omitted some decompression and was treated in a hyperbaric chamber. The autopsy showed subcutaneous air and abundant intravascular gas.
Proximate Cause: Drowning / Air Embolism
This 50-year-old male was a student in an initial open-water certification class completing his fourth check-out dive. The dive was with an instructor and one other diver using a shore entry into a lake. He was practicing rescue procedures and ascended from 15 ffw (5 mfw) prior to towing a fellow diver as part of the training evolution. While towing the diver the decedent first began to struggle a little and then lost consciousness. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. The autopsy disclosed changes associated with drowning as well as intravascular gas. This was most likely a drowning secondary to an air embolism.
Proximate Cause: Cardiac
Cause of Death: Cardiac Dysrhythmia due to Coronary Atherosclerosis
This 47-year-old male was a certified diver but his level of experience is unknown. He took medication for hypertension and was also a heavy smoker. The diver was making a series of dives from a boat over a period of multiple days. After his last dive of the previous day the decedent complained of severe shortness of breath. During his first dive of the next day the diver went to 101 fsw (30 msw) for 20 minutes with a buddy. He signaled to the buddy that he wanted to ascend. The buddy accompanied the diver to the ascent line but decided to stay on the bottom as the decedent ascended. The diver again complained of severe shortness of breath after surfacing. He was assisted into the boat where he lost consciousness a short time later and could not be resuscitated. The autopsy findings included severe coronary atherosclerosis and hypertensive heart disease. The cause of death was determined to be a cardiac event.
Drowning / Cardiac
Cause of Death: Drowning due to Cardiac Dysrhythmia
This 51-year-old male had recently received his initial open-water certification and had only made 6 lifetime dives. He was making a shore entry dive down to a wreck with a group of divers. The water in the area was 50 fsw (15 msw) but the decedent only made it down to 13 fsw (4 msw) for a bottom time of 4 minutes. The decedent was witnessed swimming away from the group and then was brought to the beach by two surfers who found him unconscious on the surface. There was no evidence of pulmonary barotrauma at autopsy but there was significant coronary artery disease and left ventricular hypertrophy. The death was determined to be a drowning due to a cardiac event. An evaluation of the decedents equipment showed that he was wearing 24 ½-pounds.
Proximate Cause: Drowning / Insufficient Air
Cause of Death: Drowning due to Insufficient Air due to Entrapment (anchor line)
This 33-year-old male was an experienced diver with advanced open-water certification. His past medical history included seizures that required medication for control. This was due to a cocaine addiction but according to reports he had been off medication and free of seizures for some time. The planned dive was a night dive off a boat in order to collect lobsters. As the diver and his buddy descended, the buddy saw a light on the bottom and swam toward it, thinking it was the decedent. It turned out to be just the decedents light and weights. The buddy then saw the decedent 10 fsw (3 msw) above him and entangled in the anchor line. The buddy could not untangle the divers equipment from the line so he removed the divers buoyancy compensator and brought the stricken diver to the surface. The diver was taken to a recompression chamber where he was pronounced dead. When the tank was found, the pressure gauge read zero psi. An evaluation of the divers equipment revealed that his air was turned off and that there was plenty of air in the tank. The logical conclusion is that the air was initially turned on and for whatever reason was turned off before the diver entered the water. The diver would have been able to take a few breaths before there would have been no air in his hose. He also had integrated weights as well as weights in the pockets of his buoyancy compensator, in addition to the weight belt he had dropped. The autopsy revealed an obese diver with liver steatosis, a tongue contusion, and changes associated with drowning.
Drowning / Various Causes
Cause of Death: Drowning due to Cocaine Intoxication
This 53-year-old male had been certified over 10-years ago but apparently had made only 5 or 6 lifetime dives. The divers health history included insomnia, depression, and anxiety for which he took numerous medications. Coincidentally his wife had died in a diving accident five years ago. He entered the water alone to retrieve something that had gone over the side of his boat in 10 fsw (3 msw) using surface supplied air. The diver returned to the boat within a short period of time to adjust a leaking regulator. He then descended again and when he did not return others entered the water to find him. The divers body was recovered later in the day. The autopsy disclosed focally moderate coronary atherosclerosis and changes consistent with drowning. Toxicology studies revealed cocaine and cocaine metabolites in the divers blood, as well as diazepam, doxepin, and meclazine. The medical examiner signed the case out as a drowning with cocaine intoxication as a contributing factor. An equipment evaluation revealed that a knot in the air hose might have prevented air from flowing to the regulator. Also, the diver was overweighted and not wearing fins.
Cause of Death: Drowning due to Ethanol Intoxication
This 24-year-old male had been a certified diver for 2 years with advanced open-water certification. His level of experience is unknown but he did not have documented cave diving training or certification. The diver was in a boat with three friends at 2 AM. Two friends stayed in the boat and the other snorkeled in the area. The diver made three short, five to ten minutes each, excursions to a depth of approximately 50 to 60-feet, entering a freshwater cave system. Prior to diving and in between dives he was drinking beer, as were his colleagues. After the fourth excursion to depth the diver did not surface. A rescue diver recovered the body from the cave an hour later. The autopsy disclosed changes associated with drowning. Toxicology studies revealed a blood alcohol concentration of 110 mg/dL (80 mg/dL is considered too intoxicated to drive in most states). The decedents tank was also empty. He had used it for all four dives and began the last dive with 500 psi remaining.
All Data Provided by DAN.
