Durban - A woman died after a decompression accident while she was scuba diving in Durban on Wednesday, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said.
“The 44-year-old Australian woman, reportedly now living in Durban... had, according to reports, been diving at depth, at a submarine wreck, 10km off-shore of Durban,” NSRI Durban station commander Clifford Ireland said in a statement.
“She reportedly surfaced at speed and this is believed to have caused a decompression accident.”
Ireland said reports suggested the woman was conscious on surfacing from the dive, but soon lapsed into unconsciousness and stopped breathing.
“Her fellow dive crew had initiated CPR... while raising the alarm and speedily heading towards our sea rescue base at the Port of Durban to rendezvous with the rescue teams.”
The woman's body was handed over to forensic pathologists, and an inquest docket was opened by police.
“While family of the deceased have arrived at the sea rescue base, and are being counselled by trauma counsellors, NSRI are not releasing the female's name as the matter is now in the care of the police,” Ireland said.
Sapa