Another Bonaire fatality

[Steelyeyes]

The local news reported that a male diver had difficulties in the water in front of Captain Don's Habitat this morning at about 11:00. He was brought to shore where CPR was administered but it was unsuccessful. The only other "detail" mentioned was that he was a tourist.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Are people getting bad air?

 

[Steelyeyes]

Are people getting bad air?

I guess we'd have to know if they got their air/nitrox from the same place. It's an odd coincidence that it's just been tourists. My wife and I have about 300 dives on the island in the last few years with no problems. There are lots of dive professionals here that are in the water a lot more than us and so far they're all OK too.

 

[chillyinCanada]

May just be a coincidence. But gosh that's a cluster. Any other things in common besides being tourists? Similar sites, eating the same lunch that day, anything?

 

[Marie13]

I’ve been wondering if there might be an uptick in dive accidents due to covid. A lot of people have been out of the water the last two years. Fitness might be less than desired due to gyms being closed/restricted for a good while.

 

[Steelyeyes]

I’ve been wondering if there might be an uptick in dive accidents due to covid. A lot of people have been out of the water the last two years. Fitness might be less than desired due to gyms being closed/restricted for a good while.

I was thinking something similar. Not a lot of people could really travel to dive for a couple of years and time takes it's toll.

 

[arew+4]

If it were bad "air", I would expect to see groups of divers variously effected, as opposed to individual fatalities. I would put more stock into out of shape, out of practice issues, especially given it's been snorkelers and divers.

 

[tursiops]

If it were bad "air", I would expect to see groups of divers variously effected, as opposed to individual fatalities. I would put more stock into out of shape, out of practice issues, especially given it's been snorkelers and divers.

Seems like it is an older crowd that stays at Capt Don's, too.

 

[EFX]

Another issue common to tourists is stress. You would think that vacations should be less stressful. They should be and can be depending on the person's disposition. Planning a vacation can be stressful and when you add that stress on top of not being fit with perhaps being dehydrated you've got a recipe for an accident. Then there is the additional stress of being a vacation diver, not being able to rely on frequent past experience.

 

[Pearlman]

I guess we'd have to know if they got their air/nitrox from the same place. It's an odd coincidence that it's just been tourists. My wife and I have about 300 dives on the island in the last few years with no problems. There are lots of dive professionals here that are in the water a lot more than us and so far they're all OK too.

Maybe just statistics at work? More numbers in the sample overall means more chance of hitting that .001% fatality…