Provisional report on diving-related fatalities in Australian waters 2002.
This report covers a total of 33 deaths, of which 17 were in people using a snorkel (three breath-hold diving), 13 in those using scuba, and three in those using surface-supply (hookah) breathing apparatus. There was a wide range of causes of death among the snorkel users, the most unusual being two cases of 'stroke' due to acute, severe hypertensive responses to box jellyfish envenomation. Cardiovascular factors were implicated in nine cases, including a significant history of cardiac disease in three, and single cases of 'silent' cardiomyopathy, 'stroke' in association with hypertension, and obesity. Two cases occurred during the victims' probable first use of a snorkel. In the scuba group, cardiac factors were implicated in 10 of the 13 fatalities, though other factors were also present. Inexperience was critical in at least two cases, and one died when an unsuspected congenital bronchogenic cyst ruptured during an apparently normal ascent. These reports are based on presently available coronial or published reports.
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