Sudden air pressure change led to Scottish diver’s death

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles...-diver-s-death

The 57-year-old Scottish diver who died off Ċirkewwa on Friday died because of large rapid pressure changes (barotrauma), an autopsy revealed yesterday.

Preliminary investigations found that the lone diver had missed a 10-metre decompression stop, possibly because he ran out of air. This means he probably ascended too quickly and his body tissues were damaged by expanding air.

A decompression stop is a period of time a diver needs to spend in shallower water at the end of a dive to safely eliminate absorbed nitrogen from the body before surfacing.

Although decompression stops can remain safe when missed by slow gradual ascent, barotrauma occurs when the ascent or descent is too quick, and happens against a closed airway. This means the air inside the tissues, which is like a balloon, is given no time or place to escape while expanding and ruptures whatever is containing it.

Sources close to the investigation told The Sunday Times it was almost certain that Dennis O’Hare’s death was connected with his missed 10-minute decompression stop. It was very likely that he shot up at the very last minute when he realised he was out of air, the source said.

However, Mr O’Hare’s dive computer will now be inspected to reveal the exact pattern of the dive, which will provide more information about the final stages when the diver found himself in trouble.

The diver’s regulators and equipment will be checked tomorrow for any faults, even though this seems to be unlikely.

Daryl Borg Cardona, the director of diving in one of Malta’s top diving centres, said divers are always advised to never dive alone.

“When you’re alone underwater there is no one who can help you; even if you run out of air, you can take some reserve air from your buddy,” Mr Borg Cardona said, emphasising this was not only important for life or death situations.

According to local regulations it was not illegal to dive alone, but it was good practice to do so, said the instructor, who has been diving for 10 years.

The incident should not raise alarm among other divers as it was an isolated case in which the diver was unlucky and had no one to help him, Mr Borg Cardona said.

“If people follow safe diving recommendations they have nothing to worry about,” he said.

Members of Mr O’Hare’s family flew to Malta yesterday to start the process of repatriating his body.