Diver died as he tried to ascend too quickly, inquest hears

An experienced diver died when he wrongly believed he had run out of air and tried to ascend to the surface too quickly, an inquest has heard.

Richard Sanders, 52, died at the National Diving Centre in Tidenham, Gloucestershire, on 11 April 2019.

Diving instructor Mark Culwick said he tried to stop Mr Sanders bolting to the surface before he lost consciousness.

The jury at the inquest in Gloucester returned a conclusion of accidental death.

On the day of the incident Mr Sanders, of Bradwell, Great Yarmouth, was being trained in using a different gas composition in his oxygen tanks ahead of an expedition to the Orkneys.

He signalled to Mr Culwick that he was out of oxygen but the instructor could see on Mr Sanders' gauges that his cylinder was still around half-full.

Mr Culwick told the inquest that he then got into a "fight for survival" as Mr Sanders "was trying to pull me up, I was trying to pull him down".

Gloucestershire coroner Katie Skerrett told the jury: "The instructor said that the alarms on his wrist were telling him they were ascending too fast; the average rate for complete safety is six metres a minute.

"The instructor was terrified as the lines became entangled. It is at this point that the instructor believes Mr Sanders became unconscious and just passed away."

The alarm was raised on the surface but paramedics were unable to revive Mr Sanders.

The inquest was told that the medical cause of Mr Sanders' death was immersion pulmonary oedema.

A medical expert said that a diver suffering from this condition would become breathless and disorientated.

Ms Skerrett said she was considering making a prevention of future deaths report to address issues arising from the inquest, including better awareness of immersion pulmonary oedema.

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