The widow of a man who drowned during an open water training dive has said she now fears water following her husband’s death.
A technical diving instructor has been sentenced after a diver drowned during a training dive in June 2018.
A father-of-two from Stafford, was a recreational diver on an entry level Technical Diving International (TDI) Closed Circuit Rebreather Course and lost his life during a training dive. The dive was planned, managed, and supervised by the instructor.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the trainer was responsible for multiple failings This included not adequately maintaining and checking their students breathing apparatus; failing to remain in close enough proximity to monitor their student which meant they did not notice the audible and visual alarms sounding on breathing apparatus; contravening TDI rules for exceeding maximum diving depths on repeat dives, and failing to have an adequately qualified rescue diver in the water with them and the student.
Follow the link to the HSE website which provides information on recreational diving projects.
At Leicester Magistrates’ Court on 25 January, the instructor pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 (2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. They were ordered to undertake 50 hours unpaid work and costs of £3,085.
In a impact statement from a family member: “From the day I lost them, to this day I cannot get into water, not even a bath and I can’t put my face into a shower.
“We had a good lifestyle. We had everything. I lost my world and reason to live.”
“I have only one regret in my life – not being with them when they died.”
Speaking after the case HSE Inspector Richard Martins said “Technical diving is a high-risk activity where student divers are totally reliant on their instructors.
“This was a tragic and wholly avoidable incident, caused by the failure of the instructor to plan, manage and conduct their diving training in accordance with the law and their training agency’s rules.”