Coroner's warning

Written by Graeme Gourlay Wednesday, 15 February 2012 12:00

The inquest into the death of experienced diver Clive Robert Jones, 60, heard that he had become separated from his buddy during a dive on a reef off Porthscatho, Cornwall and was spotted on the surface waving for help.
After a minute he slipped under the water and fellow divers later found him on the lying on the seabed and brought him to the surface before he was airlifted to The Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro, where he was pronounced dead.
Post-mortem tests showed he died from a cerebral arterial gas embolism. His computer showed  he ascended from 30 metres in less than a minute.
The court was told that Mr Jones was found still wearing all his weights.
The married father-of-three had 28 years’ diving experience before the tragedy in July 2010 while diving with Falmouth Sub-Aqua Club.
Nick Bailey, Health and Safety inspector who examined the weight-belt said the Velcro surrounding the weights was too strong.
Dr Emma Carlyon, coroner for Cornwall said she could find no evidence why Mr Jones had surfaced so quickly and recorded an open verdict.
She said she accepted Mr Bailey’s report that the weight harness Mr Jones was wearing had been difficult to remove.
After recording an open verdict, Dr Carlyon said: 'I think it would be appropriate to write to diving organisations and to the manufacturers of this belt to highlight the difficulty, as highlighted in his case, in removing the belt and the need for divers to check they are able to release the belts.'