2015 Already One of the Deadliest Years in Caymanian Waters

[KathyV]

2015 already one of deadliest years in local waters :: Cayman Compass

 

[mikeycanuk]

I remember getting into a little "tussle" here back in 2013 when one senior citizen after another kept dying while diving or snorkeling. The overwhelming option on here was that's how most of them would like to pass on.

It makes for bad headlines but what can you do? Martin on CB told me many stories of people who flat out lied on the medical form and didn't surface alive.

I guess the Cayman Islands being a pricer destination attracts the older more monied tourists.


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[Doctorfish]

I'm not geriatric yet but have a bit of perspective on this issue as I will be soon. Diving and snorkeling inherently have some risk, which the diver accepts by participating.
As the population ages, there will be more older divers and snorkelers and inevitably, some will die in the act.

I do not think that older divers should be restricted or monitored differently than younger ones.

If you gotta go, there are a lot of worse ways than underwater.

 

[keyshunter]

The death of anyone who dies near the water is termed a "water related death" by the press. The man who died on an LCBR boat in February was a friend of mine. I have dived with him a number of times. He was not overweight, fairly fit, an experienced diver, and not old (60) by LCBR standards. There was no way he would have been stressed by any of Little Cayman's baby dives. He was standing on the boat talking to someone when he collapsed. I wonder had it happened during an after dive shower in his condo would it still be called dive related?

 

[billinwilliamston]

Deadly day on the water in the Florida Keys | KeysNews.com

It might just be one of those years...

 

[Drew Sailbum]

... Martin on CB told me many stories of people who flat out lied on the medical form and didn't surface alive.
...

I stopped a Discover Scuba Diving class cold when I saw that one elderly male student clearly was a member of the zipper club. On his medical form he denied any history of chest surgery.

Happens ALL. THE. TIME.

 

[Doctorfish]

Prior sternotomy should not preclude going diving if the surgery was successful. Lying on the medical questionnaire should.

 

[Drew Sailbum]

Sigh. Another death.

Scuba diver dies off East End


Male, age 62, went missing. Was a passenger on the Cayman Aggressor. Ocean Frontiers assisted with the search and recovered the body floating on the surface.

From the linked article:

Seven people have died and a eighth is missing and presumed drowned in local waters since the start of 2015, one of the deadliest years so far over the past decade.

Long term average is closer to 8 deaths per year amongst all water related activities. One of the seven deaths this year was a Cuban migrant who drowned when his makeshift boat capsized off South Sound.

 

[Alex777]

It seems to me that the average age of a diver here is increasing, which probably has an effect. Fifteen years ago, I would have placed the average age at about 45. Now, it's more like 55. There are lots of 70+ divers here every week.

 

[caymaniac]

It seems to me that the average age of a diver here is increasing, which probably has an effect. Fifteen years ago, I would have placed the average age at about 45. Now, it's more like 55. There are lots of 70+ divers here every week.

That is good, it gives us hope!