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Snorkelling deaths in Australia, 1987–1996
Author(s) -
Edmonds Carl W,
Walker Douglas G
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1999.tb123809.x
Subject(s) - unconsciousness , hyperventilation , medicine , cause of death , medical emergency , occupational safety and health , autopsy , poison control , injury prevention , emergency medicine , forensic engineering , psychiatry , engineering , disease , pathology
Objective To examine the causes and circumstances of snorkelling deaths in Australia from 1987 to 1996. Design Retrospective case extraction. Cases and data sources 60 snorkelling deaths extracted from an ongoing diving fatality survey and from coroners' reports. Further details were obtained from police reports, diving industry (incorporating commercial operators, relevant government departments and instructors' organisations) inquiries and coronial inquests. Main outcome measures Cause of death (determined by the authors from information obtained and from detailed autopsy findings) and the circumstances surrounding death. Results 15 of the 60 snorkellers who died were female. The three major causes of death were drowning (27 cases), cardiac events (18) and hypoxia with breath‐holding after hyperventilation and/or during ascent producing unconsciousness then drowning (12). Overseas tourists were notable among those who drowned, while middle‐aged men dominated the group who died of cardiac events (mostly on the surface). Those who died of breath‐holding hypoxia were all young, Australian and male. The use of “buddy” diving was infrequent overall, and many of those who drowned or suffered cardiac events were not wearing flippers to aid propulsion. Adverse environmental conditions were implicated in 14 deaths. Conclusions Hyperventilation to increase breath‐hold time is a dangerous practice which should be discouraged. Safety measures, such as the use of flippers for propulsion and employment of the “buddy” system, should be encouraged, and made mandatory in commercial diving operations.