Diver Dies in the Galapagos on Peter Hughes boat

[lemon]

I was on another dive boat but heard through the divemasters that a woman died aboard the Peter Hughes Galapagos boat at Darwin in the Galapagos. No details mentioned. This would have been about OCT 6 or 7. Anyone hear anything? Very sad.

 

[drdaddy]

I was on another dive boat but heard through the divemasters that a woman died aboard the Peter Hughes Galapagos boat at Darwin in the Galapagos. No details mentioned. This would have been about OCT 6 or 7. Anyone hear anything? Very sad.

I have not heard anything, but a friend of ours just got back from touring/diving the Galapogos Islands and shared with us. She was impressed with the safety of her diveboat - even being a little disappointed because they called a dive that looked safe enough to her, but the crew said it was a little too rough for the level of training of some on the boat.

Please keep us updated.

 

[ScubaSam]

Very sad to hear indeed. I'd like to dive the Galapagos in the near term so would like to know what happened as well. Keep us posted.

 

[fairybasslet]

I was there a year and a half ago on a different boat. I'll never forget the look on the DM's face when he told us the story of someone dieing right where we were standing on the dive deck. You are so far away from any help, and the crew is limited to what they can do for you.

 

[nick123xyz]

I was on another dive boat but heard through the divemasters that a woman died aboard the Peter Hughes Galapagos boat at Darwin in the Galapagos. No details mentioned. This would have been about OCT 6 or 7. Anyone hear anything? Very sad.

Lemon
I believe this may have been a dear friend of ours from UK, Donna, who died diving in Galapagos area on 6th October. We heard she was diving from a boat some 200 miles from Ecuador and did not surface from a dive, but was found soon after.
There appears to be a lack of information about the incident and friends and family would like to know more to piece together her last hours. I have a little experience of diving following SAA training some years ago and wonder if she was with a buddy?
Donna was a wonderful, fun-loving person who had so many friends who will miss her.

 

[openmindOW]

Nick, thank you for your post. I am sorry about Donna's death. donna's friends adn family memebr have our sympathies.

We try to use this Board for the purpose of helping others divers to be safer divers by reviewing dive accidents. Would you be willing to tell us a little about what you know about Donna's dive experience or age or general health condition?

 

[Cave Diver]

Lemon
I believe this may have been a dear friend of ours from UK, Donna, who died diving in Galapagos area on 6th October. We heard she was diving from a boat some 200 miles from Ecuador and did not surface from a dive, but was found soon after.
There appears to be a lack of information about the incident and friends and family would like to know more to piece together her last hours. I have a little experience of diving following SAA training some years ago and wonder if she was with a buddy?
Donna was a wonderful, fun-loving person who had so many friends who will miss her.

I'm sorry for you loss Nick. Hopefully as information comes to light it is made available to answer the questions that I'm sure everyone will have.

I should mention that sometimes participants in these discussions tend to forget that it's a real person involved in the accident, that left behind real friends and family. At times, the discussions can make a tragic event even more emotional. Your participation is welcomed and I hope it can be discussed here with the proper respect.

 

[lemon]

Lemon
I believe this may have been a dear friend of ours from UK, Donna, who died diving in Galapagos area on 6th October. We heard she was diving from a boat some 200 miles from Ecuador and did not surface from a dive, but was found soon after.
There appears to be a lack of information about the incident and friends and family would like to know more to piece together her last hours. I have a little experience of diving following SAA training some years ago and wonder if she was with a buddy?
Donna was a wonderful, fun-loving person who had so many friends who will miss her.

I'm so sorry for your loss, nick. This is a real tragedy and my thoughts are with you and your family and friends.

I can tell you what I heard, although please realize that this is all second hand and that I cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information. I was told that it was a woman, who possibly was engaged to get married. From what little I heard, she had been complaining of a headache and possibly sea-sickness type symptoms the night before the incident. From what the crew on my boat heard, she may have become separated from her buddy and was later found at the surface unresponsive. I also heard that a possible autopsy may have suggested drowning. Again this is all second hand information and may not be entirely accurate as myself nor anyone I know of was actually on the boat. This is what I gathered from the crew of our boat.

We arrived at Darwin island on the morning of October 7. The Dancer boat had left to return the body to the islands and had then returned to Darwin on the 8th.

All of the information that I had heard I only discovered a couple days after the event.

Very sad news.

 

[nick123xyz]

openmindOW,
Thanks for your response to my post. You make a good point about learning from such incidents so here is some background info I have gathered with the help of friends. Donna was just 40 and very fit and healthy, often in the gym or cycling and actively training for her next marathon. She was a qualified dive master with experience of all conditions, over 300 dives, and had spent a year in Indonesia instructing. She was cautious and professional. I believe she was PADI trained but not absolutely sure about that.

Lemon, what you have said all fits well with the information received back in UK. Donna was apparently sick the day before but had performed 1 or 2 further dives and felt fine to continue. Apparently salt water was found in her lungs suggesting drowning being the cause, although no one knows why, and no mention of equipment.

Again thanks for your responses, and to the others who have expressed their sadness and good wishes to family and friends.

Any further insight would be appreciated.

 

[lemon]

I would add that dive conditions were excellent with good weather on the 7th when I arrived at Darwin Island. The passage to Darwin on the afternoon and night of the 6th was really pretty smooth.