British diver found dead - Talay Songhong park, Thailand

[DandyDon]

British diver dies in Nakhon Si Thammarat

NAKHON SI THAMMARAT: A British diver was found floating dead on Saturday afternoon in Talay Songhong park, a popular diving site in Thung Yai district of this southern province.

The Briton, a 60-year-old resident of Thailand, still had his diving gear on when his body was found. There were no signs of assault, and his diving companions were at the scene when police arrived.

The man’s name has been withheld pending notification of relatives.


Friends of the victim told police that they often dove at Talay Songhong in tambon Krungyan as it was a popular site among foreigners, said Pol Col Chokdee Rakwattanapong, chief of Thung Yai police station, who was alerted at around 2.30pm on Saturday.

The water at the site is clear and there are beautiful caves underwater, divers say.

Before the incident, the Briton had been diving about 100 metres away from his friends. As they prepared to explore the caves, they noticed that their companion had been underwater for an unusually long time. Suddenly, a tank emerged on the surface and the diver was floating beneath it. The divers called local residents in the area for help.


The cause of the death has not yet been established. Police say the victim might have become exhausted while diving, developed symptoms from an illness or passed out before he drowned. His body was sent to a local hospital for a post-mortem examination, said Pol Col Chokdee.

 

[InTheDrink]

Better description

British cave-diver dies in Thailand - Divernet

translation from other diver from FB

Today after I got up from 70 meters of diving with another 2 students at around 14:30

I've noticed a security diving device (CCR) Yellow box floating on the surface. At First, I understand that teacher Roger would have left it out. When he looked around, he found that teacher Roger fainted with his arms. The appearance was decked out, no mask on the face and didn't get it. Breathing system

After being turned over to check me out, I ran to pick up the phone to ask for help and ran to inform the elders. The nearby house, there was a kid around the area saying that he floated up about almost 1 hours, then in the middle of the water and then floating in. The kids around the area thought you were sleeping in the water.

After that, the leaders of the community are already holding. The Elders of the house have given people to block the area to wait for the police officer.

Teacher Roger came to dive at two seas. A different group and I arrived at the two sea park area before I was about 1 hours, and he was diving at around 12:30 PM.

In Thung Yai District, there is a hotel where the diver likes to stay at 1 places where I meet teacher Roger at that hotel, and last night we also have dinner together.

When the police officer came to interrogate me as an eyewitness, and the first responders, the police have asked for my help as a witness.

The Police officer asked me to click on the record of teacher Roger's diving computer, and I found that he had dive into a depth of 117 meters with a security diving system (CCR) and went up to the surface quickly in 47 minutes after that.

The control computer is still working. There is a 1th battery alarm, but there is still a battery set at 2 working on the oxygen gas that is connected to the system. There are 0 Bars left and the air that uses dilute (diluent) in the system is about 20 bars. I guess the oxygen is out of stock because the device is trying to inject oxygen into the system to maintain the sub-Pressure (Set Point Po2). The air section that is used to dilute (diluent) has been connected from the external tank.

After that, the police have invited me to investigate at the large field police station as a witness and expert. I have provided technical feedback composed.

Teacher Roger used to be the owner of the dive shop at the cuddle th. Called Aquanaut and used to be padi course director, teaching diving teachers for tens of years. You have also become a technical diving instructor, especially diving with CCTV and cave diving.

I'm not very close to teacher Roger, but all I know is that you are a good person, very cute, humble, and like to exchange diving knowledge when you meet.

I would like to express my condolences to teacher Roger Smith's family and may this event be a lesson for everyone to be more careful in diving.

 

[DandyDon]

Thanks, InTheDrink, but that translation is too challenging for me. The English in this one is better, altho the alleged facts may not be accurate: British diver, 60, dies after his air supply ran out while 400ft below the surface in Thai lake | Daily Mail Online

 

[iain/hsm]

altho the alleged facts may not be accurate: British diver, 60, dies after his air supply ran out while 400ft below the surface in Thai lake | Daily Mail Online

To avoid any further misdirection.
The video below shows the said diver prior to recovery still in the water wearing a AP Diving CCR rebreather
and by the look of things (at the end of the video) a pretty new one

 

[Hiszpan]

Thanks, InTheDrink, but that translation is too challenging for me. The English in this one is better, altho the alleged facts may not be accurate: British diver, 60, dies after his air supply ran out while 400ft below the surface in Thai lake | Daily Mail Online

Confusing...it mentions first they wend diving together but later describes how his buddy reached to the surface and only became surprised after seeing his friend already at the surface.

 

[BlueTrin]

Article from the Daily Mail
https://mol.im/a/7822185
https://mol.im/a/7822185

The article implies that the diver rushed to the surface as the rebreather couldn’t adjust the quantity of helium and he was running out of O2.

I do not have experience of CCR but I was under the impression that divers carry a bailout so they can switch and surface in case it goes wrong ?

 

[Hiszpan]

Article from the Daily Mail
https://mol.im/a/7822185

The article implies that the diver rushed to the surface as the rebreather couldn’t adjust the quantity of helium and he was running out of O2.

I do not have experience of CCR but I was under the impression that divers carry a bailout so they can switch and surface in case it goes wrong ?

I was told some don't, as the amount of bailouts needed to safely get back to surface from some longer dives exceeds their "acceptable" level of practicality. Never witnessed it myself, never dove CCR, but I could see it happen...

 

[Apecks]

There are a lot of inaccuracies and all those reports above. A two man team were diving song hong cave to a planned depth of 150m having previously placed bailouts and conducted other dives. One on a AP inspiration and one on both a Revo and triton CCR. Both experienced cave divers and with deceased also been a very experienced tech instructor. Team got seperated at depth with one member conducting the dive and deco and the deceased making a faster than planned ascent from 114m and ascending directly to the surface from approx 10-15m. Reason yet to be ascertained. Unconfirmed rumours locally of out of date cells, running out of o2 and carbon monoxide poisoning all yet to be proven.

 

[Hiszpan]

There are a lot of inaccuracies and all those reports above. A two man team were diving song hong cave to a planned depth of 150m having previously placed bailouts and conducted other dives. One on a AP inspiration and one on both a Revo and triton CCR. Both experienced cave divers and with deceased also been a very experienced tech instructor. Team got seperated at depth with one member conducting the dive and deco and the deceased making a faster than planned ascent from 114m and ascending directly to the surface from approx 10-15m. Reason yet to be ascertained. Unconfirmed rumours locally of out of date cells, running out of o2 and carbon monoxide poisoning all yet to be proven.

Thanks for the information. To me it's still intriguing why after they separated one of them continued the dive as normal and also why such a fast ascent to surface if deco bottles were available on the way. Let's hope for some answers.

 

[Apecks]

Thanks for the information. To me it's still intriguing why after they separated one of them continued the dive as normal and also why such a fast ascent to surface if deco bottles were available on the way. Let's hope for some answers.

Not sure why they separated and I am sure that will come out in the enquiry. Yeah sure I hear you on the bailouts and cannot rationalise that myself. I do know that the other team member brought them all out on ascent, been unaware of situation on the surface.