A 66-year-old British dive master died in Malta after ascending too quickly from a shipwreck dive, an inquest found
Inquest Reveals Details of Diver’s Death in Malta
A British dive master tragically died just minutes into exploring a shipwreck in Malta, an inquest heard.
Darrel Nicholas Pascoe was pronounced dead after swimming to the surface too quickly while on holiday with his wife Sue last year.
The incident occurred near the shipwreck P29 in Malta on October 12 last year.
Details of the Dive
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Darrel Nicholas Pascoe |
| Age | 66 |
| Location | P29 wreck, Malta |
| Date of Incident | October 12, last year |
| Dive Duration | Approximately 3 minutes |
Darrel Pascoe, from Probus, died after ascending to the surface too quickly. He had been diving for around three minutes with a buddy before signaling he wanted to return to the surface.
During the inquest in Truro, Cornwall, it was revealed that Mr. Pascoe, an experienced diver, went straight to the surface without following safety measures to prevent ‘the bends.’
Emergency Response
Mr. Pascoe went into cardiac arrest and was pulled from the water by his dive buddy with assistance from another person. They performed CPR while waiting for paramedics.
Emergency services later rushed Mr. Pascoe to the Mater Dei Hospital in Msida. His cause of death was determined as a fatal diving-related pulmonary barotrauma due to a too-rapid ascent, but it was not classified as decompression sickness.
Investigation Findings
The inquest heard it was not possible to determine why Mr. Pascoe ascended so quickly. He had not dived in 18 months before his death and had an undiagnosed heart condition.
Mr. Pascoe did not provide a medical certificate from his GP showing he was fit to dive, which was necessary. He chose a diving school that did not require this paperwork due to his previous experience.
Consultant pathologist Thomas Grigor stated a medical test in Malta might not have revealed Mr. Pascoe’s heart condition. He noted that the condition likely played a minor role in the tragedy.
Possible Causes of Rapid Ascent
Grigor mentioned various reasons for the diver’s rapid ascent, including a medical episode or equipment malfunction. He suggested that an inability to equalize pressure at the bottom, causing severe head pain, was the most likely reason.
He stated, “It is impossible to say if Mr. Pascoe would have survived the incident if he didn’t have a pre-existing heart issue.”
Coroner’s Conclusion
Assistant coroner for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Guy Davies noted that Mr. Pascoe had been healthy before his death and was an experienced diver. He concluded that it was not possible to determine why Mr. Pascoe rushed to the surface too quickly.
Recording his conclusion, Mr. Davies said: “Mr. Pascoe died from a diving-related pulmonary barotrauma following a rapid ascent for reasons unknown.”
