title: Dirty diving. Sudden death of a SCUBA diver in a water treatment facility.
abstract: We report a case of a sudden death in a SCUBA diver working at a water treatment facility. The victim, an employee of the facility with a specialty in electronics, was a sport diver not qualified in commercial diving. While attempting to clean sludge from a blocked drain 25 ft under water, the diver was suddenly pinned against the drain valve when the sludge plug was broken up. We review the mechanics of the incident and the actual cause of death, asphyxia, as opposed to drowning. We believe this to be the first reported case of traumatic (pressure) asphyxia in a SCUBA diver.
authors.affiliation: Office of the Medical Examiner, Commonwealth of Kentucky, Louisville.
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Nichols
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Parola
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001237:Asphyxia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D002423:Cause of Death; D003645:Death, Sudden / Q000209:etiology*; D004242:Diving / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011312:Pressure; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid