Three divers, two Britons and an Austrian, died in Gozo in two separate accidents that shocked the diving community yesterday.
A 67-year-old Austrian man died at Reqqa Point, off Żebbuġ, at about noon, while the Britons, a man and a woman, died at Dwejra in the afternoon.
Divers told Times of Malta the Britons were part of a larger group of 10 divers. At one point, the woman experienced difficulties and surfaced too fast. Her partner tried to slow her down but ended up being dragged to the surface with her.
It feels like a blow to the stomach whenever I hear this kind of news
Fast surfacing causes decompression sickness because nitrogen bubbles form in the body’s tissues.
A third diver also surfaced before finishing his decompression but, although he was taken for treatment at Gozo’s hyperbaric unit, his condition was not serious, though he was suffering from shock.
For a while, rescuers feared that a fourth diver was missing. However, he was only unaccounted for a brief while.
Both sites are very popular for diving and attract thousands of enthusiasts every year. They are also known to be exposed to the effects of northwesterly (mistral) wind, which was blowing strong yesterday at almost seven knots.
Sources said that, in the case of the Austrian man, it appears that he could have been suffering from a medical condition.
Retired diving instructor Antonio Anastasi was shocked by the news. “It feels like a blow to the stomach whenever I hear this kind of news,” he said, shortly after he heard about the second diving accident.
“Unfortunately, experience tells me that, very often, accidents are the result of bad decisions. I cannot understand how, with today’s level of training, such accidents still occur,” he said.
Diving is a growing industry that attracts thousands of tourists, particularly to Gozo, which has built a reputation for its spectacular underwater geology and crystal waters.
Since 2008, 10 divers have died, five in Gozo and five in Ċirkewwa, another very popular dive site. Most accidents involved foreigners and there were a number of cases when people were saved after experiencing difficulties while diving.
In many cases, divers die because of medical conditions unrelated to the sport.