Lizard Island fatality - Australia

[DandyDon]

Scuba diver dies on Great Barrier Reef

A woman has died while scuba diving in far north Queensland.

Queensland police say the woman, aged in her 60s, was diving at a popular site known as Cod's Hole at Ribbon Reef, near Lizard Island, with three others about 11.15am and failed to resurface.

She was pronounced dead a short time later.

A Queensland ambulance spokeswoman said a helicopter had been dispatched from Cooktown to try and revive the woman.

Police are currently on their way to Lizard Island to bring back the woman's body and will prepare a report for the coroner.

 

[chillyinCanada]

More often than not reading these news reports is useless and painful. Other than her gender, approx age and general locale, we know nothing. Frankly I'd probably rather know nothing about it at all in the first place.

 

[DandyDon]

More often than not reading these news reports is useless and painful. Other than her gender, approx age and general locale, we know nothing. Frankly I'd probably rather know nothing about it at all in the first place.

I am sorry you feel that way, but posting what little I find is in hope that others will add to the discussion when they learn more. May I suggest that you not read this forum.

 

[iamrushman]

i'm just sorry to hear such news.....condolences to family and friends...

 

[WetPup]

Slightly more information provided in this article in the Cairns Post.

A PAIR of holidaying doctors worked frantically to help revive a US woman who failed to surface while diving off Lizard Island yesterday.

The 60-year-old had been scuba diving with two other family members, when she was found unconscious in about 8m of water at the Cod Hole, a popular dive site at Ribbon Reefs about 11.15am.

Police said she was pronounced dead a short time later.

The incident happened only 10 minutes into the woman’s dive, her eighth during the four-day Coral Sea expedition on-board the MV Spirit of Freedom.

Association of Marine Park Tour Operators chief executive Col McKenzie said the woman was immediately taken to the vessel, where attempts were made to revive her.

“There were two doctors on board and they tried to resuscitate her, but she unfortunately did not respond,’’ he said.

The Cod Hole is a pretty easy dive, they often take people there to do their check out dives, and even students doing their OW cert dives...Given the age of the diver, and the ease of this particular dive, I would guess she possibly had a heart condition?

 

[Iralub]

How sad. I did the cod hole dive on the Spirit of Freedom as well. Easy dive, even for a very inexperienced diver and the team on the boat were fantastic. Sad for the lady's family and that it should happen on a very good liveaboard too.

 

[ScubaWanderer]

I just came across this. My condolences to the family.

I was on the Spirit of Freedom right before this group boarded (same crew). I also echo the crew's professionalism and attention to safety when we were there. The Cod Hole dive was not difficult. Very tragic loss.

 

[Kevrumbo]

More often than not reading these news reports is useless and painful. Other than her gender, approx age and general locale, we know nothing. Frankly I'd probably rather know nothing about it at all in the first place.

May you die then in your sleep (and ignorance). . .

". . .Fatality statistics indicate at least one-third of all dive fatalities are related to an acute cardiac event. The risk of cardiac-related death in divers is continuous, steadily increasing with age; divers older than 50 have a risk 10 times that of divers under 50. While some suspected cardiac events may be provoked by specific dive effects, some may be not related to diving at all, as sudden cardiac deaths occur in swimming, land-based sports, at rest and during sleep. . ."

Alert Diver | Matters of the Heart

 

[outofofficebrb]

I think what @chillyinCanada is trying to say is that he was hoping that the news outlet would have reported on more than just the age, place, etc. in the article so that it would paint more of a picture of what happened. We get news reports here that say someone died on the freeway in an early morning crash, here is their age and where it was but not much else. Not so much that he doesn't appreciate the OP's post to share the news...

So sad for the diver and her family.

I'm headed onto the Spirit of Freedom in October and am really looking forward to it after hearing such great things.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Yes, just so. Thank you, outofofficebrb.