Case Study Eight

Camera Complications
Date: 2008
Location: Caribbean, tropical reef
Involved: Male Discover Scuba Diving participant, 64

After completing the Discover Scuba Diving confined water session with five participants, an instruc-
tor took the group on a shore-based tour of a local reef in 6 metres/20 feet of water. A divemaster
escorted the group, shooting the tour with an underwater video system. Visibility was marginal for
the local area – about 10 metres/30 feet.

Shortly into the tour, the instructor noticed that he could not see one of the participants. He signaled
to the divemaster, who indicated that he didn’t see him either. The instructor signaled for the dive-
master to look behind the group while they waited. The divemaster returned briefly and shook his
head. The instructor signaled everyone to surface. At the surface, onlookers on the nearby pier were
shouting and pointing to the missing participant floating face down in the water. The instructor made
contact, finding him unresponsive. He began rescue breaths and towed him back to shore; the dive-
master escorted the four participants.

The victim never regained consciousness. Emergency personnel declared him dead after continuing
CPR and life support efforts for 30 minutes.

During the investigation, autopsy found significant artery blockage and latent heart disease. It was
discovered that the victim had suffered a heart attack two years earlier, though had been cleared for
the experience by his physician. Authorities concluded it was “probably” a heart attack, but were
critical of how they conducted the experience. In particular, they criticized the divemaster shooting
video when he was supposed to be one of the supervisors. They raised the question whether closer
supervision might have provided a faster response with more timely CPR for the victim. The family
filed suit; the matter was settled out of court.

The lessons:
• It is quite possible the instructor and divemaster could not have done anything to prevent the
fatality. Nonetheless, departing from standards by allowing the divemaster to shoot video – es-
pecially in marginal visibility – called their conduct into question.
• There’s nothing wrong with providing people with photos and/or video of their scuba experi-
ence. However, those supervising who are there to meet ratio requirements need their attention
fully on the participants, and should not be handling a camera. Taking video or stills is fine,
provided the person doing so is not there as one of the supervisors.

198 Chapter Eight