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An Argentine woman died in Thailand during a dive baptism
Rocío Leticia Gómez was 39 years old
January 9, 2019
Rocio-Leticia-Gomez-Murio-en-Tailandia-en-un-bautismo-de-buceo-8.jpg

Rocío Gómez was 39 years old
Thai authorities are investigating the death of a 39-year-old Argentine citizen who died during a trip on the island of Koh Tao, a low-cost diving destination on the east coast of the Gulf.

According to the first information, last December 17 Rocío Gómez suffered an accident while participating in a diving excursion on her first day of instruction with the school " Pura Vida Diving ", owned by Spanish citizens.
Sources of this company described that the victim was lost in a dive along with another beginner, an experienced diver and the instructor. Those close to the victim claim that there was negligence of the people who were in charge of the excursion.
After a first immersion in which everything apparently was as planned, Rocío Gómez began her second dive with her instructor, also Argentine, Nahuel Martino, and two other people.
Apparently and according to those who were in the boat, Rocío Gómez had some problems with the mask and the instructor had to ascend to the surface with her to solve the problem. After that, the immersion continued but for some unknown reason, the woman disappeared from the instructor's view.
It was another diver who from the surface finally spotted the Argentine tourist without the regulator to breathe in the mouth and about seven meters deep. After emerging, the resuscitation and first aid tasks were carried out by two other tourists who were doctors.
According to those who were with her in the boat, the woman suffered three heart attacks and convulsions during the trip to the mainland. On Wednesday 19, she was transferred by plane to Bangkok, where the following day she was declared brain dead. Rocío Gómez finally died on December 21.
From the Foreign Ministry, they got in touch with the family of Rocío, who would not be interested in carrying out any type of investigation. Decision contrary to that of women's friends, who seek justice and motorize research in the Southeast Asian country.
On January 7, the diving school issued a statement to clarify what happened:

We deeply regret having to issue this statement in view of the erroneous information that is occurring around a terrible event occurred on the island of Koh Tao while a diving activity was being carried out and for which we were moved and found no words to stop. express the pain caused to all the people related to this tragic event, especially to the family.

Our intention has never been to hide what happened and the official silence is due to three reasons: By order of the authorities and the police that investigate what happened. At the express wish of Rocío's family, we have wanted to keep mourning and honor her memory by doing everything possible to accompany them in these moments of immense pain for all and by express recommendation of the Embassy of Argentina in Thailand recommending to keep only the close family informed. In Pura Vida Koh Tao we respect that will, taking it to the extreme of silencing ourselves in the face of erroneous and unfortunately misinformed information in such a necessary moment of respect and mourning. Our intention is to fulfill a family wish, an ongoing investigation and a recommendation. consular

Our priority at this time is Rocío and her family and we appreciate the expressions of affection and solidarity received from her, her family and the Pura Vida Koh Tao family and we sincerely thank all those kindhearted people who wait with us to know everything occurred without making judgments of value without contrasted data and that, like us, think of Rocío and her family.
From the first moment we have maintained a constant and fluid communication with the direct family and with the embassy of Argentina in Thailand informing them of what happened, of the steps taken to manage the incident and of the measures taken to help Rocío, collaborating in all moment in the investigation with the authorities and being on the part of the owners, manager and instructor of Pura Vida Koh Tao by his side at all times. All safety and professional standards were met and the witnesses exculpate the instructor from the event but that does not avoid the total and absolute moral responsibility of the instructor and Pura Vida Koh Tao in the accident. We continue collaborating in everything to clarify every detail that occurred.


Any comment outside the family in spite of pain by people not authorized by family or third parties does not reflect at any time the reality of what happened or the management of what happened by all those involved in the accident, the family is informed and has been and we share the pain of the loss of Rocío that is the only thing that matters while the authorities continue with the investigation. Our only priority is and has been Rocío and her family and we will be by her side forever.

We understand the pain and we are part of it, despite understanding it unfortunately the attacks received at the public level have been brought to the attention of the authorities in Thailand, Spain and Argentina and they have been working for several days with teams of lawyers in Spain and Argentina to bring before the courts each and every one of those unfounded attacks that have already been collected, we will wait a few days for them to be withdrawn because we understand that without having listened to the arguments and our silence people have been upset, starting today Any comment will be studied for your complaint if it is not withdrawn, please understand each feeling but we ask that we be aware that we fulfilled what we have been asked at all times.


As the leading diving school in Spanish in the world we have received more than 50000 friends in our 7 years, we have received awards for quality, the best diving school in Spanish and even the world this year by our certifier, our instructors have received awards to the best instructors in the world, we love what we do and we do it with all the care and professional attention offering the best facilities, equipment and personnel, we are dismayed and all this has not been enough but we will face it with the family and everyone who wants to accompany us in pain.

Any person directly related to the family and who wants information can contact us in this mail (puravidakohtao@gmail.com) or with the embassy of Argentina in Thailand. By express desire of the family we put ourselves at the disposal of these people to mitigate as much as possible the pain and give detailed explanations of what happened, we must and we want to avoid that this time of mourning is broken by anyone.

Rocío rests in peace, what happened will change us all forever and forever you will be in our hearts.
 
A disturbing aspect of this tragedy is the conspicuous lack of news reporting from the mainstream media within Thailand.

The Samui Times (which is no longer based within the Kingdom) posted this article in English on 14 January 2019:

Koh Tao, AKA Death Island strikes again with yet another tourist death - Samui Times

(The editor of the Samui Times had lived on Koh Tao and Koh Samui for many years and worked as a diving instructor.)

A few days earlier the Maritime Herald published an article in English but there is precious little other English language reporting. This forum is starting to fill that gap.

There has been a great deal of reporting in Spanish within Argentina. A Google search of “Rocio Gomez Tailandia” will reveal those stories. It should be easy enough to extract a rough translation to each article from one’s computer or “Google Translate.”

The nice folks on Koh Tao are big on threatening news services with civil and criminal defamation actions, which might help explain why news of this tragedy took over 2 weeks to reach the outside world.
 
Here is a music video “Death Island of the Setting Sun” which is a cover of HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN:


And here is a video about the non-reporting of the tragic death of Rocio Gomez following her scuba lesson with Pura Vida Diving on Koh Tao Thailand (Tailandia):


Please note that it was a Pura Vida Diving boat that struck and killed Silje Mathisen on her first diving lesson with Scuba Junction on Koh Tao on 22 December 2014. He pleaded guilty to negligence causing death but the instructor, Ricky Collins managed to return to England and has not faced justice despite being charged.
 
I did not post this for the same "death island" nonsense people love to share about Koh Tao.

This was a scuba diving accident and xonpcomple unrelated. Also as someone who lived on the island for many years I can tell you that most of those stories are just that, stories, untrue and uncorroborated. This Samui times does not even live in Thailand anymore. She is simply trying to ruin the islands reputations, for her own pleasure it seems.

Now back to the original post, here is what Rocio's ex boyfriend has been sharing, after visiting the island to try to get more information.

"Hace solo un mes Rocio Leticia Gomez fallecía en Tailandia luego de un accidente con la empresa PURA VIDA DIVING KOH TAO. Por ahora, ningún responsable…

El día lunes 17/12/18 ROCIO LETICIA GOMEZ argentina de 39 años contrato un buceo de bautismo en Pura Vida Koh Tao. Su instructor fue NAHUEL OSCAR MARTINO también argentino.

Primera inmersión ok.
Segunda inmersión: la perdieron de vista, desapareció, no saben cuánto tiempo estuvo debajo del agua. La encontró otro instructor de Pura Vida con snorkel desde la superficie. Estaba sin la boquilla, 7 metros en el fondo del mar e inconsciente. (Según informe del Hospital, realizado por staff de Pura Vida)

Sufrió Anoxia, que es la falta de oxigeno en el cerebro. La reanimaron en el barco 2 clientes que eran médicos (Fernando peruano viviendo en Barcelona y su pareja, una chica holandesa si mal no recuerdo, no tenemos ningún dato de ellos). Tuvo 3 ataques cardiacos y convulsiones. llegaron a la orilla y no sé si directo al hospital de Ko samui. a los dos días, voló en avión sanitario a Bangkok. El jueves el pronostico no era alentador y ya se había declarado con muerte cerebral. Falleció el viernes a ultima hora.

Al llegar a Koh Tao para pedir una explicación de lo que había pasado nos encontramos con Arlet, manager de Pura Vida, lo primero que dijo fue ROCIO SE PERDIÓ, no siguió el protocolo de seguridad que si uno se pierde debe buscar por un minuto y subir a la superficie. Cómo una persona que se mete a bucear por primera vez podría hacer esto si quizás sufrió un paro cardiorrespiratorio o se puso nerviosa porque se le salió la boquilla y no supo volver a ponérsela.
No sabemos qué pasó, y nunca lo vamos a saber. Su instructor NAHUEL OSCAR MARTINO fue negligente y no hizo su trabajo correctamente que es cuidar de las personas bajo el agua, más en un bautismo!

Rocio bajo con su instructor y una pareja de españoles. Es sabido que cuando se bucea siempre es mejor hacerlo en parejas, p/ que uno siempre esta pendiente del otro y este de nosotros.
Dnd estaba Nahuel cuando Rocio lo necesitó?
En la policía local nos informaron que Rocio había tenido problemas con la mascarilla o boquilla, no recuerdo bien, Nahuel subió a la superficie con Rocio y la ayudo a corregir el problema. Con este antecedente debería haber sido todavía más cuidadoso con ella.

La versión de la empresa es que SE PERDIÓ! UNA VERGÜENZA! Arlet nos dijo que creía que Nahuel había actuado 100% como correspondía, a lo cual le contesté que con una muerte en el medio era imposible afirmar esto!
SIGOR, español, dueño de Pura Vida, nunca dio la cara. Cuando hablamos con él para decirle que íbamos a Koh Tao para hablar con él y Nahuel jamas asintió. Esa misma tarde viernes 28/12/18 voló para España para pasar las fiestas.
Nahuel según Arlet, “YA HABIA TENIDO SUFICIENTE”.

Compré pasaje para viajar con mi hermana sabiendo que Rocio ya tenia muerte cerebral.
El día que viajábamos nos enteramos que ya había fallecido.
Después de pasar x 3 hospitales en Bangkok dimos con su cuerpo.
Hablamos con el medico que la atendió y nos dijo que su estado era muy delicado.
Presenciamos la cremación en un templo alejado en las afuera de Bangkok y nos fuimos a dejar sus cenizas en el mar de Tailandia.
Mínimamente podrían haber estado presentes todas las personas involucradas ese día.

Nunca nos dieron los nombres ni los contactos de los testigos, nunca se hizo una pericia del tanque de oxigeno de Rocio. Al ser su ex pareja y no ser familiar directo no pudimos pedir una autopsia y saber realmente la causa de muerte (la familia no quiso). Tampoco obtener una copia de la denuncia. A la semana de haber fallecido, NAHUEL OSCAR MARTINO ya estaba rehaciendo su vida social en un bar de Koh Tao.

Este post es para que la gente sepa qué fue lo que paso con Rocio Leticia Gomez.
los accidente pasan y muchas veces no son públicos.
Muchas casas de buceo en Tailandia cuando les contaba quien era me decían que Koh tao es una isla pequeña y ya todos se conoce y saben cómo trabaja cada uno.

SIGOR, te llamamos x teléfono 2 veces cuando nos enteramos que habías estado en Bangkok el mismo día que nosotros entregando las cosas de Rocio en la embajada, y nunca nos atendiste, te mandamos un audio y nunca lo contestaste. Me das asco como te has manejado con este tema.
Todo vuelve en la vida. Y cada uno sabrá si puede o no vivir con su conciencia limpia.
Lo mismo para NAHUEL OSCAR MARTINO. No sé que hacías en Koh Tao todavía si no era para vernos a los ojos y explicarnos como hiciste para que Rocio terminara muerta.

Rechazo absoluto me genera Pura Vida. No deberían seguir operando si se tiene en cuenta el accidente fatal que se cometió en Diciembre 2014 con la chica noruega, Silje Mathisen que fue embestida por una lancha de la empresa Pura Vida también en Koh Tao.

Mi nombre es Franco y soy la ex pareja de Rocio."
 
And in English:

A MONTH AGO, ROCIO LETICIA GOMEZ DIED AFTER HER BAPTISM DIVE WITH DIVING SCHOOL PURA VIDA DIVING KOH TAO. NO NEWS ON THE “INVESTIGATION”, MAYBE SSI HAS ALREADY STARTED TO INVESTIGATE THE ACCIDENT, DIVING SCHOOL OR THE INSTRUCTOR NAHUEL OSCAR MARTINO? HOPEFULLY THEY HAD!

Monday December 17th 2018 Rocio Leticia Gomez, argentinian 39 years old hired her first ever dive with Escuela Pura Vida in Koh Tao Thailand. Her instructor was Nahuel Oscar Martino, also argentinian.

First dive ok.
Second dive, they lost her, she disappeared, they don’t know how long she was underwater without the mouthpiece breathing. Another instructor from Pura Vida found her from the surface using snorkel gear. She was lying unconscious on the bottom, 7 meters depth with no regulator on her mouth (according to Ko Samui Hospital report from Pura Vida Staff statement)

She suffered anoxia, her brain was deprived of an adequate oxygen supply. She got RCP from 2 clients, a guy from Peru who was a doctor, Fernando and her partner, a dutch girl, also doctor. We haven’t got any information of them, but they did their best I can imagine. All I have to say to them is Thanks. She suffered 3 cardiac arrest when rescued and she has develop GTC seizure en route to hospital the night of the accident while reaching Ko Samui Hospital. She was flown to Bangkok on Wednesday late afternoon, Thursday she was declared with brain death. She was given mechanical ventilator and had heart medicine. She died on friday night.
 
When we got to Koh Tao for an explanation, Arlet, Spanish Manager of Pura Vida started the conversation saying Rocio got lost, she didn’t follow safety procedures which says if someone get lost she must search for a minute their fellow divers and go back to surface to wait for their instructor. How can someone follow the safety procedures if she had a hard attack, if she got nervous and couldn’t handle the situation, if she by any chance took the mouthpiece regulator because she felt it was not working right. We don’t know what happened and I don’t think we will ever know. We were expecting to have a conversation with the instructor NAHUEL OSCAR
MARTINO or the head of the Diving School, a spanish guy called Sigor. None was there to look at us and explained what happened. NAHUEL OSCAR MARTINO was negligent, he wasn’t taking care of his customers underwater, or at least of Rocio. And as being a baptism he should have been more than present.

Rocio went down with NAHUEL OSCAR MARTINO, her instructor and a couple of Spain. Its well know that is always better to dive with a buddy, in order to take care of this person and he/she take care of you. Where was NAHUEL OSCAR MARTINO when Rocio needed him?
On the local police station they informed us Rocio had some issues while she was going underwater the second time. She went up again with her instructor and fix the mouthpiece regulator or diving mask. With this situation going on, I would assume he should have been with her at all times!

Pura Vida version was SHE GOT LOST! UNBELIEVABLE!!! IT WAS HER FAULT SHE DIDNT FOLLOW SAFETY MEASURES. Arlet, Pura Vida manager said to us she believed NAHUEL OSCAR MARTINO had done everything he should do on a situation like that, he acted 100% correctly, and I answered her with Rocio’s death that was impossible!

Sigor, spanish owner of Pura Vida, NEVER SHOWED UP. We spoke on the phone on December 28th, one day before getting to koh Tao and told him we wanted to get together with him and NAHUEL OSCAR MARTINO, but he never replied. That day he flew to Span to spend his holidays with his family. He was in Bangkok dropping Rocio’s stuff at Argentina Embassy and he didn’t tell us. He didn’t want to see us.
Arlet, said Nahuel “HAD ALREADY HAD ENOUGH”

I bought plane tickets to fly with my sister knowing Rocio had brain death.
The day we flew we found out she had died already.
After going to 3 different hospital in Bangkok we found her body.
We spoke to the doctor who took care of her and he said she arrived in a very unstable condition.
We were in the cremation ceremony in a temple in the outskirts of Bangkok and got her ashes to drop them in Thailand sea.
We think the least they could have done is to be present the day we went to KOH TAO for an explanation…
 
We never got the names or contact details of the witness of the event. We don’t have proof of any test to the oxygen tanks Rocio used. Being her ex partner, not officially family member I couldn’t request for an autopsy to find real cause of death (family dint want to). Neither have a copy of the police report. A week after Rocio’s death, NAHUEL OSCAR MARTINO was again on a bar at night in KOH TAO.

This post is written so people can find out what happened to ROCIO LETICIA GOMEZ.
Accidents do happen and most of the time they are not made public. Most Diving Schools in Koh Tao when I talked to them weren’t surprised this accident happened in Pura Vida.

Sigor, we called you twice when we found out you were in Bangkok leaving Rocio’s stuff. You never answered. We sent you an audio thru whatsapp and again, never answered it.
Its really shameful how you handle this situation.
What goes around, comes around. Everyone involved here knows whether if they will be able to sleep again with the clean conscious. Cant understand what NAHUEL OSCAR MARTINO was doing in Koh Tao the day we were there if it wasn’t to talk to us. We wanted to see you in the eyes so you could explain us how YOU LOST ROCIO and she ended up dead!
 

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