 Coroner's Concerns
Divers dying after failing to dump weightbelts
North West Wales coroner Dewi Pritchard Jones has highlighted the number of diver deaths from drowning where the divers involved failed to dump their weightbelts - a move which would have ensured they remained at the surface.
-->The coroner's comments came during the inquest into the death of 31-year-old Jason Dean, lost in Dorothea Quarry in March 2004.
Dean's diving buddy Matthew McNeil described how Dean had experienced buoyancy problems, and instead of ascending from a shallow depth, had struggled to maintain buoyancy, descending rapidly. McNeil was unable to reach him and had surfaced to raise the alarm.
Dean's body was later recovered from depth, with his weightbelt still in place.
"This has become a common characteristic in recent deaths and is causing some concern. Why are divers reluctant to dump their weight belts to allow them to surface when they get into difficulties?
"If Mr Dean had dumped his weight belt at the shallow depth when he got into difficulties he might have survived." Coroner Dewi Pritchard Jones commented during the inquest.  |