The use of dive computers in forensic investigations of fatal breath-hold diving accidents: a case study.

Abstract

Freediving is a type of diving in which divers rely solely on how long they can hold their breath underwater during their dive, which is why it can also be referred to as 'breath-hold diving'. Unlike scuba (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus) diving, individuals do not require training or licencing to perform freediving and may not be aware of the risks of this activity. This paper presents a case in which coastguards retrieved a free diver's lifeless body from the seafloor. In most cases such as this, the deceased individual's cause of death would be ruled as drowning. With the deceased diver's dive computer, we concluded that a shallow water blackout caused him to drown. Data from the dive computer were extracted, graphed, and analysed to explain how a skilled swimmer and diver drowned on one of his seemingly ordinary diving trips. The dive computer can be the sole witness to a fatal dive event and provide invaluable information to forensic scientists since the diver is almost always alone. To our knowledge of the available literature, dive computers have been used in scuba diving fatality investigations; however, we believe that they have not been used in death investigations of breath-hold divers. Deficient or hasty conclusions are often based solely on autopsy findings without data collected by diving technicians and investigators. It is crucial to wait to draw conclusions until all possible dive information has been gathered and studied. This study discusses the deficiency in presenting a reasonable idea to the grieving family and friends of how their beloved relative could have drowned even though he was known to be a fit and skilled diver and avid swimmer.