A death in Bonaire on Apr 29th.

[CuracaoJ]

From: Diving tourist dies after resurfacing too quickly

Thursday, 3 May 2012 11:13 KRALENDIJK — Despite reanimation attempts, a tourist died last Sunday after encountering problems while diving. The victim, the American D.S. (62), stayed at Captain Don’s Habitat.His diving partner said they were resurfacing after a dive at approximately 40 meters. After D.S. resurfaced, he complained about a lack of oxygen. The police and ambulance were alerted. The ambulance personnel attempts to reanimate the victim were of no avail. The victim died on the spot. Doctor Dettwiler pronounced the victim dead.

Inspection of the victim’s dive computer revealed he had resurfaced too quickly. Doctor Dettwiler concluded this had led to a cardiac arrest or an air embolism. After the victim was pronounced dead, the Public Prosecutor ordered his body to be released to his family.

 

[paulw]

Sad news.

 

[gypsyjim]

Very sad. Always hate to hear of a fatality of a diver.

Bonaire may be some of the easiest diving, with a really safe dive profile built in, simply because of the way the reef is laid out, but you still have to obey the basic safety rules no matter where you dive.

Too rapid ascents, breath holding, exceeding safe depth/time limits, etc, all will get you in just as much trouble on Bonaire as they will anywhere else. There is also the possibility that the accident was medical in nature and the ascent was not the underlying cause, but it sounds like we will not learn that unless the family releases info not in the story.

Sympathies to the loved ones who are facing this tragedy.

 

[boulderjohn]

I just want to caution people about drawing conclusions based on that report. There are many possibilities. For example, the diver may have had a cardiac event at depth, realized he was having such a problem, and then gone to the surface as quickly as possible to avoid passing out under water. The rapid ascent may not have been a cause at all. We also don't know what it means when it says the computer indicates a rapid ascent. A Suunto, for example, will give a rapid ascent warning if the diver ascended briefly at a rate of 60 FPM (still considered safe) instead of its preference for 30 FPM. It has been reported that in some cases, a rapid ascent indication has been given when a diver has lifted a console rapidly to look at it at some point during the dive. On the other hand, he may have had a problem due to a rapid ascent. We can't tell anything, really, from the information given so far.

 

[Sorrows]

Shocking news. 40 meters--I wonder what dive site?

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Shocking news. 40 meters--I wonder what dive site?

Could've been the house reef ... there's a little boat down at between 115 and 120 fsw that I've been to, just north of the rope that leads out from the CDH dock ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[gypsyjim]

Exactly my thought.
And as boulderjohn and I both suggested the depth and ascent rate may easily not have been factors in the fatality at all. Not enough of the facts are known, or at least available in that news story.

 

[MM Diver]

Anyone know how fast his accent was.