A coroner has concluded that while the death of a scuba diver in Scapa Flow was accidental, it could have been prevented had appropriate equipment checks been carried out before entering the water.
In the summer of 2021 Divernet reported that the body of an unnamed diver had been recovered the day after his disappearance on 27 June, following a major search centred around the Orkney islands of Barrel of Butter and Cava.
More than three years later, the inquest into the death of 57-year-old David Pleace from Chellaston in Derbyshire has now concluded.
Pleace had been exploring the wreck of the Brummer light cruiser as part of a dive-group on what was described as a week-long “bucket-list” holiday, according to the Daily Record, which covered the proceedings at Derby Coroner’s Court yesterday (26 September).
Reported by fellow-divers to have gone missing on his second dive of the day, Pleace’s body was eventually found by a local diver, face-down some 20m from the wreck, which lies at a maximum depth of 36m.
Fewer team-checks
Assistant coroner Sophie Lomas was told that no mechanical defects had been found on the diving equipment Pleace had been using, but that the wing inflator hose had been disconnected when he entered the water.
The diver’s experience level was not defined, but he was described as having undertaken “several scuba-diving training courses”.
“The reality is that because the hose was not connected, from the moment David entered the water sadly the outcome was set.” said Lomas, adding that while it was unclear what personal checks the diver had carried out, experienced divers tended to do fewer team-checks.
“He was unable to control his buoyancy and descended quickly,” she said. “It is unlikely his team-members would have been able to do anything in the limited time available.
“I would like to highlight to all of the diving community that these checks are very important and that carrying out personal and body checks regardless of your level of expertise can have a significant impact in terms of what then follows.”
The coroner decided not to complete a “Prevention of Future Deaths” report, however, because she said that what happened had been “attitudinal“ rather than representing “a gap in training or knowledge, or something the organisations are not doing properly“.
Also on Divernet: ANOTHER DIVING DEATH IN ORKNEY, DIVER MISSING IN ORKNEY NAMED, SCAPA FLOW 100 HISTORY & WRECKS, WRECK TOUR 46: THE BRUMMER
this is an unfortunate mis-named title. Lack of basic safety procedures, buddy checks, and use of an open-water-required, basic skill of oral BCD inflation caused this divers death, if it was not from a diving-unrelated medical condition.
Forgetting to connect the inflator hose should not lead to drowning. If it is forgotten at the surfce, it can be re-connected at any time during the dive. Moreover, the diver can orally inflate.
Reconnecting an inflator hose is a basic skill taught in the intro open water course. So is oral inflation. How can you suggest that he was doomed as soon as he entered the water? Have you never dived in your life?