Diving Fatality -> Canada -> West Coast -> Victoria, BC

The Saanich Inlet is incredibly popular; I dive there all the time. I wasn't diving yesterday because my suit's leaking and I've got a Miflex recall.


Man dies after dive in Saanich Inlet

BY CINDY E. HARNETT, TIMES COLONIST MAY 20, 2012​

A man died Saturday after a scuba-diving accident in the waters of Saanich Inlet, about 1.5 kilometres south of Bamberton. Shawnigan Lake RCMP were called just after 3: 30 p.m. after the man was reported to be unconscious with breathing problems related to the incident.

The man was with two other men.

In the busy boating area, passersby transported the victim and two others across the water to the east side of the peninsula at Brentwood Bay Marina. From there, the man was taken to nearby Saanich Peninsula Hospital.

Shawnigan Lake RCMP Const. Mike O'Connell said police were not providing further details about the victim and the "personnel" involved after requests for privacy from his family and to maintain the integrity of the investigation.

"We are trying to obtain statements and get the last details of what exactly did happen and why," O'Connell said.

Shawnigan Lake RCMP are the lead investigators in the inquiry, but did not deal with the man because he was immediately transported out of their jurisdiction. Several agencies, including Sidney and Central Saanich RCMP, were involved.

Shawnigan Lake RCMP would not say where the man died, whether at the scene, in transit or in hospital.
Barbara McLintock, spokeswoman for the B.C. Coroners Service, said the diver's equipment will be seized for testing. An autopsy may be performed.

"We treat all of these diving deaths seriously," McLintock said. "It is very preliminary at this stage."
The Coroners Service will investigate and produce a report.


Link:
Man dies after dive in Saanich Inlet

Very sad , this is literally in my backyard . Condolonces to family and friends . coldwater

Scuba diver dies off Vancouver Island (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

Possible implication that this may have involved more than basic OW dive equipment.

Text from above link:

Scuba diver dies off Vancouver Island

CBC News

Posted: May 20, 2012 3:31 PM PT

Last Updated: May 20, 2012 5:13 PM PT

The B.C. Coroners Service is investigating after a scuba diver died off the coast of Vancouver Island Saturday.
Officials say three people were diving in Brentwood Bay at about 4 p.m. PT when one of them ran into trouble. The other two divers attempted to rescue the third but were unsuccessful.
Investigators say the divers are experienced and were using sophisticated equipment.
Coroner Barb McClintock said an investigation is underway to determine what went wrong.
She said diving fatalities are not common in B.C., but it can be a high-risk activity.
"I think it's a sport that doesn't allow much room for error," she said.
"Compared to the number of divers that go down around the islands and the coast every year, we actually don't see a lot of deaths but there are a few every year. What you normally do find is that if a small thing goes wrong, and a few more things go wrong, it can be quite hard to rescue or self-rescue."
The diver's equipment has been sent to the Canadian Coast Guard for testing to determine if an equipment failure caused the accident.
The identity of the diver has not been released

Sad news, my condolences. I appreciate the fact that the RCMP is not naming names or personal information until all the facts and statements are confirmed. Scary that it happened at a common dive area I've probably dove recently.

CFB Esquimalt member dies in scuba diving accident

Unclear whether he was uniformed military or a civilian employee, but it was a recreational dive and not a working dive. (The west coast military dive team is based at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt.)

Update: Article has been updated to include victim's name and rank. RIP and thanks for your service. Condolences to his family, friends, and shipmates.

Richard was a friend of mine and he will be missed by many around here.
He was also a member of this forum.
Rest in peace subcookie

He will be missed, we shared a few dives together, very sad.

I remember diving with Richard off his boat... He was a solid diver but more importantly a good person that left me with smile each time.