Diving Accidents and Fatalities

These papers and categories have been selected based on searches of the Rubicon Research Repository (RRR) and questions found in online forums. They are meant to serve as a starting point for anyone interested in the contents of our collection. This is by NO means an exhaustive search or list of categories. We will continue to build on this resource as we have time so please check back with us.

Autopsy protocols and interpretations:

Caruso. 2006. The Pathologist’s Approach to SCUBA Diving Deaths. American Society for Clinical Pathology Teleconference 4057. RRR ID: 3933

Lawerence. 1997. Interpretation of gas in diving autopsies. SPUMS Volume 27 Number 4. RRR ID: 6093

Calder. Use of postmortem radiographs for the investigation of underwater and hyperbaric deaths. Undersea Biomed Res. 1987 Mar;14(2):113-32. RRR ID: 3082

Calder. Autopsy and experimental observations on factors leading to barotrauma in man. Undersea Biomed Res. 1985 Jun;12(2):165-82. RRR ID: 3010

Caruso and Bell. 2006. The Medicolegal Investigation of a Recreational Diving Fatality. American Academy of Forensic Sciences Workshop. (Not included in the repository but available for Medical examiners, contact us)

Autopsy protocols.

Equipment investigation:

NAVXDIVINGU INSTRUCTION 5102.1A. 2003. Procedures for evaluating diving equipment involved in a diving related mishap. RRR ID:7604

Additional Reading

Richardson. An assessment of risk for recreational dive instructors at work. In: Safe Limits Symposium Proceedings October 21-23 1994. p73-85 (reprint SPUMS 1996 26(2) 108-118.) RRR ID: 6291

Browse collection by title.

Accident and fatality reports

The Divers Alert Network (DAN) reports from 1988 to 2007.

The National Underwater Accident Data Center, University of Rhode Island (URI) reports covering 1970 to 1989.

The Australian reports from project Stickybeak are published in South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society Journal (SPUMS) starting 1972. (added as we index them)

Navy reports (US and Australian Royal Navy) covering various years.

Other reports and abstracts.

Not included in our project but also found online:
The British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC) reports from 2000 to 2007.

Additional Diving Accident Resources Online

*     The 2010 DAN Diving Fatality Conference Videos and Presentations are available for free download through the Divers Alert Network.

*     Cognitas Incident Research and Management was formed to act as a diver training agency independent source of diving safety and incident information whose aim is to improve diver and diving safety by challenging current practices and promoting a ‘Just Culture‘. Their efforts in establishing the Diving Incident and Safety Resource Centre (DISRC) are going a long way toward improving diver safety.

Lock, G. 2010. Incident Reporting in the UK Recreational Diving Industry – An Assessment of Current Practices and Potential Ways to Improve Them. Cognitas Incident Management Ltd

*     The Diving Accidents Yahoo Group was established by Marvin Gozum, MD as a way to aggregate the information available for people to learn from diving accidents in real time. This list contains links and discussions about news articles and other resources related to diving accidents.

*     The International Underwater Cave Rescue and Recovery (IUCRR) maintains records and reports from cave diving accidents.