What class?

Sorry no links.  Didn't even  copy all of the reports to my hard drive.
However, If you are interested, here are some  edited notices I have
seen on dive deaths and serious accident since August 12th.  Please
note I collect this information for a study I am working on, not for
entertainment. I have missed or not collected a  number of other dive
death news items.

Here are some of  the stories.

A scuba diver drowned during a trip to the waters off Brooklyn
yesterday afternoon, police said.
The victim, 33-year-old Dmitrey Satyukov of Brooklyn, was among a group
of divers who took a boat 10 miles off Gerritsen Beach around noon,
sources said.
Divers on the 42-foot craft, the Dive Boat Karen, were allotted an hour
and a half to scuba dive, but Satyukov didn't surface along with the
others, sources said. The boat's captain, 60-year-old Robert Hayes of
Brooklyn, called the Coast Guard, sources said. Rescuers found Satyukov
dead underwater about 30 minutes later, at 2 p.m.
-- Originally published on August 28, 2005

ALBANY, Oregon (27 Aug 2005) -- Search and rescue divers have recovered
the body of a man who drowned scuba diving in the South Santium River
below Foster Dam. Police said they believe Kevin Lee Club, 28, was
attempting to recover an anchor, became entangled in rope and drowned.
The victim had been missing since Tuesday when he was last seen diving
at Wiley Creek Park.
Police divers found Clubb's body at a depth of less than four meters
(12 feet).

By Gerry Holt, South Wales Echo

A father of four has died after a diving expedition went wrong. Tony
Blake is understood to have suffered breathing difficulties during a
20-metre dive off the coast of Pembrokeshire.
Despite attempts to resuscitate him, he died at hospital in
Haverfordwest. Tony, 50, who had been diving for 10 years, was with a
group off Stack Rock, near Little Haven, in Pembrokeshire, when the
tragedy happened.
His wife of 21 years, Kathryn, 44, said Tony went into the water off a
boat for a four-minute dive. Tony and another diver were the second
pair to go in. It took about one minute to go the 20 metres to the
bottom. At the bottom Tony was having trouble with one of his breathing
hoses. They couldn't fix the problem so Tony gave the signal to abort
the dive and they began making their ascent to the surface.
'We don't really know what happened then. They were holding on to each
other and Tony just stopped moving upwards.'

Monday, August 29, 2005

A diver with Lower Burrell Volunteer Fire Department No. 3 died Sunday
as a result of a diving accident in the line of duty Saturday, Fire
Chief Mark Marmo said in a release.
Michael Switala, 50, of Oregon Drive in Lower Burrell was an 18-year
member of the department,  Switala died as a result of accidental
drowning in Lawrence County, the Allegheny County coroner's office said
Sunday night.  Switala was participating in a night diving exercise at
a lake near Slippery Rock when the accident occurred.
"It appears to have been some type of medical condition that caused him
to go unconscious under water," Camerlo said.  Switala is survived by
his wife, Aimee, daughter Heather and two sons, Marine Lance Cpl. Aaron
Switala and Matt Switala.

Authorities rule out equipment failure as friends recall day.

Tuesday, August 30, 2005

By ANDREA EILENBERGER The Express-Times

Investigators ruled out equipment failure in the death of renowned
deep-sea diver and instructor Stephen Hardick but haven't determined
what caused his death.  Hardick, 60, died Sunday while filming the
wreck of a sunken German submarine off the coast of Block Island, R.I.
He had been trying to make the trip for almost two years before he and
three friends were able to explore the U-boat.

"It was one of those days where it seemed everything was finally
working with this dive. He had tried five times to do this," said Dave
Firth Sr., of Phillipsburg, who was diving with Hardick on Sunday. "He
was feeling fine, and his spirits were up."

CHERRY POINT, North Carolina (29 Aug 2005) -- The
search has resumed for a scuba diver missing off
Ocracoke Island.
Two Coast Guard aircraft, a C-130H and a HH-60 Jayhawk
are searching waters off Buxton for Richar Pryor of
New Market, Maryland.
Pryor, 34, was one of a 10-person tour group diving
with Dive Hatteras on the dive boat Akyla.  The
missing diver was last seen at a depth of about 27
meters (90 feet) at about 11am on Saturday morning.

Yesterday, a diver diving the Bald Eagle with the Karen, was found
dead.  So far the
facts are the following: When the crew of the Karen noticed that there
was a  diver missing, the radioed for help. The dive boat Jeanne II,
pulled the  hook from the wreck they were diving and joined the Karen
for the search of  the body. A mate from the Jeanne found the body
floating face up. He tried  to put air in the BC but failed. Either
there was no air left or the LP hose
was not connected properly. He tied a lift bag to the body and shot him
up.
The diver was using a full face mask.  In a strange twist of fate  the
dead man received his rebreathing training from an instructor who
recently died  in 4' of water in a pool a few months ago.
The Bald Eagle is a broken up wreck lying on 85 fsw about 15 miles of
the NJ  coast.

Scuba diving accident claims Chimacum High teacher
Port Townsend resident and Chimacum High School math teacher and
basketball coach Vic Porter died Aug. 20 after an accident that
occurred while he was scuba diving off Cape Flattery, near Tattoosh
Island, U.S. Coast Guard officials announced.
An autopsy revealed that Porter drowned, officials from the Clallam
County Sheriff's office said.
Porter, 58, was out with his brother-in-law and a friend on Saturday in
the Pacific Ocean. He had only been underwater 10 minutes before he
floated to the surface unconscious, Clallam County Sheriff's Sgt. Dave
Lenahan said. Lenahan said Porter's air tank was empty when he came up.
His diving partners attempted artificial resuscitation and called the
Coast Guard. Lenahan said he was told by one of the divers that
Porter's pressure gauge showed that he had descended to 184 feet before
surfacing. Lenahan said Porter was an experienced diver and it is not
clear why his tank was empty. He said the divers appeared to be taking
all necessary safety precautions.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (28 Aug 2005) -- A diver is missing and another
seriously ill with the bends after they were dragged deep under the
waters of Cook Strait about 2.30pm today. The divers had been caught in
severe underwater turbulence and dragged down to 64m (209 feet) below
the surface near The Brothers Islands, just north of Tory Channel, Life
Flight Trust Wellington operations manager Dave Greenberg said.
One had returned to the surface and been taken aboard the dive boat, a
16.5m launch, suffering from the bends.The vessel's skipper had put out
a mayday call, and the Wellington-based Westpac Rescue Helicopter had
been on the way to the scene within four minutes of being alerted, Mr
Greenberg said.
After a Wellington Free Ambulance paramedic had been winched on to the
launch in 40kmh winds and 2m seas the diver had been put into a harness
and winched, with the paramedic, up to the helicopter.
Mr Greenberg told National Radio tonight the two divers had been
fighting the whole way as they were sucked down.Unfortunately they just
kept on going down then managed to get free of the turbulence and on
the way back up the diver that we did rescue lost sight of his buddy,
his friend. It is not known if he ever reached the surface," Mr
Greenberg said.

15 08 2005, by Okke Ornstein

Three Panamanian Navy divers died in a strange accident Sunday during
operation Panamax 2005, the US-led multinational navy drill which is
supposed to protect the Canal from terrorist attacks.  The three were
diving in the Gatun Lake during an exercise to conquer Huacha island
which was taken over by terrorists in the simulation. According to the
official version, they got trapped by algae or other underwater
vegetation.

DORSET, UK (22 Aug 2005) -- A second diver exploring the wreck of the
Kyarra has gone missing.
The 22-year-old male diver was reported missing by the crew of the
Killer Prawn, the dive boat involved in a similar accident just over
two weeks ago when a 48-year-old female disappeared while scuba diving
on the same wreck.

According to witnesses, the diver involved in yesterday's accident
surfaced briefly and then suddenly disappeared. The Portland coastguard
deployed a helicopter and five lifeboats but the air and sea search has
turned up no trace of the missing diver. The Kyarra is 30 meters deep
and one of the most popular UK wreck diving sites.

SYDNEY -- The parents of an Australian marine biologist attacked and
presumed killed by a shark said on Thursday they did not want the shark
destroyed, while rescuers held little hope of finding the man alive.
Jarrod Stehbens, 23, was looking for cuttlefish eggs with three
University of Adelaide colleagues about 5 km (3 miles) off Glenelg,
near the South Australia state capital of Adelaide, when he was
attacked on Wednesday.
"Jarrod was doing exactly what he wanted to do. He loved the sea, loved
anything to do with water, boats, and helping out other people,"
Stehbens' distraught father David said.
"Horrific injuries would have been inflicted and there's little chance
of finding the person alive," police superintendent Jim Jeffrey told
reporters. Two men were in the water when the shark struck. Colleagues
hauled the second man into the boat but the shark used its snout to
push the first diver back into the water.

The man's shocked colleagues were unable to save him. All they found
was his oxygen tank and a buoyancy vest. Last December, an 18-year-old
surfer was killed near Glenelg by what witnesses said was a great white
shark. David Stehbens said he had discussed that attack with his son,
who was aware of the risks of diving in the area.

"He was a marine biologist, he wouldn't want anything killed," he told
reporters. Local shark experts say the latest attack was most likely
also by a great white.  The latest presumed death is the fifth from a
shark attack in South Australia since 2000. Most recently a tourist
boat captain was bitten in half as he snorkeled off the remote west
coast in March.

PORT TOWNSEND, Washington (22 Aug 2005) -- Victor Porter loved
basketball so deeply he changed careers so he could coach the game.
Porter, 58, who took the Chimacum High School Cowboys to the Class 2A
state finals in March, died Saturday morning while scuba diving on a
reef near Tatoosh Island off Cape Flattery.

An autopsy Sunday afternoon determined that Porter drowned.

XETV FOX6 San Diego - San Diego,CA,USA Monday august 22 05
An investigation has concluded that a veteran San Diego scuba diver who
drowned this summer while exploring a sunken ship did not follow basic
safety procedures, it was reported Monday. Scuba instructor Steven
Donathan, 49, of Ocean Beach, put himself in jeopardy on June 25 when
he did not mark his route with a guide line and abandoned his diving
partner to enter the ship's boiler room, a previously sealed
compartment off-limits to divers.
The breaches of safety protocol are explained in a 20-page death
investigation report prepared by San Diego police with assistance from
lifeguard divers, according to the newspaper.
The report concluded that Donathan died inside the Yukon, a former
Canadian warship lying in 105 feet of water off Mission Beach, "as the
result of a diving accident for which he was solely responsible."
Donathan's death was the first to occur inside the Yukon, the site of
more than 10,000 dives since it became an underwater attraction five
years ago. Investigators believe Donathan became disoriented after his
movements inside the silt-filled boiler room created zero-visibility
conditions. His ability to find an exit was further hampered by the
failure of his primary light, which had flooded.
Lt. Nick Lerman, dive team leader for the San Diego Lifeguard Service,
said a review of the report leads him to conclude that Donathan was
"overconfident" and put himself in danger unnecessarily.
Donathan was training a student during the dive that killed him.

<<Scuba death unsolved

HAMILTON CANADA -- An autopsy into the death of an experienced scuba
diver who died while shooting a low-budget film in the Hamilton Harbour
did not determine a cause of death.  Hamilton coroner Dr. Jack
Stanborough says he has ruled out physical trauma, and hopes toxicology
and microscopic tests will reveal if Gerry Tychansky died from an
undetected physical condition or from equipment failure.

Forensic pathologist Dr. John Fernandes is focusing on the condition of
Tychansky's heart, where the post-mortem found physical changes that
were compatible with a 40-plus person.

The 43-year-old Burlington, Ont., man was pulled lifeless from shallow
waters near the Royal Hamilton Yacht Club on Sunday when he was working
underwater with his wife Darlene on a low-budget horror film called
Marina Monster.
.

A Port Townsend man died Saturday while scuba diving off the northwest
tip of Washington near Neah Bay. 58-year-old Victor Porter was
unconscious when he surfaced. His fellow divers did CPR, but couldn't
revive him. Investigators say Porter's air tank was empty, but it's
unclear why.

By April Simpson, Globe Correspondent  |  August 18, 2005

Friends and family described Stephen VanDerwerken as an active Rockport
businessman and outspoken community member, a man who put his family
and friends first and devoted his life to the waterfront community he
called home for almost 20 years.

They also said VanDerwerken enjoyed trying new things. He loved the
water, and scuba diving was his latest adventure. VanDerwerken, 53,
died Tuesday morning while scuba diving alone off Front Beach in
Rockport, just a short distance from the Sunrise Grill, a restaurant he
owned. The cause of his death will not be determined until autopsy
results are released, which are expected within the next few days, said
Sergeant Tony Hilliard of the Rockport Police Department.

STARKEY, New York (15 Aug 2005) -- A scuba diver drowned in Seneca Lake
at a depth of five meters. Eric G. Honsberger, 30, died while scuba
diving to attach new chain to a boat anchor.
According to Eric's uncle, Charles Honsberger, who was in a small boat
to support the dive, his nephew surfaced briefly during to remove
seaweed from his mask. He never resurfaced.
After attempting to find Eric by free diving under the boat, Charles
Honsberger returned to shore and called 911. Fire rescue divers
responded to the emergency and found Eric Honsberger in seaweed at a
depth of five meters (16 feet).

(New London-AP, Aug. 14, 2005 11:00 AM) _ New York state police say a
Connecticut man identified only as in his 40s died yesterday while
diving in Fishers Island Sound.

 The Day of New London reports that the man's diving partner flagged a
passing vessel when the incident occurred and passengers aboard the
vessel called the Coast Guard shortly before 1 o'clock in the
afternoon. Stonington police also responded to the call. The man was
taken from the Stonington Town Dock to the Westerly Hospital in Rhode
Island. An autopsy is scheduled to determine the cause of death.

US Labor probes drowning deaths  By Agnes Donato
Reporter Monday, August 15, 2005

The U.S. Department of Labor has stepped into the investigation of the
diving accident that resulted in the death of a diving instructor and a
tourist last month.  Mayumi Fukuda, 25, a Japanese scuba diving
instructor employed by PADI Gold Palm Pastime Saipan Inc., and Megumi
Morita, 25, a Japanese tourist diver participating in a PADI Advanced
diving course, died at the Grotto on July 16, 2005.

Police reports showed that Fukuda was leading a group of six female
student divers that descended in the Grotto and exited the cavern at a
depth of about 20 meters when Morita panicked. Both divers rapidly
ascended to the surface. Meanwhile, another group of divers approached
the rest of the student divers group and after finding that they were
low on air, led them safely back into the cavern. Volunteer rescue
divers found Morita on the day of the accident. Fukuda was found the
next day.

Another diving incident occurred the following week involving the same
diving company and resulted in severe injuries to a Japanese tourist.
Pastime reportedly ceased operations after the second accident.

<<Wales -- Diver's death was accident  Aug 14 2005

Shipwreck drowning 'was preventable'
Katie Jones, South Wales Echo
A father who died in front of his son on a diving expedition had gone
back to a shipwreck to free a snagged marker buoy worth 30, an inquest
has heard. Father-of-three Raymond Thomas, 47, from Cardiff, died in
May on a trip to the James Egan Layne in Whitsand Bay, Cornwall.

His 16-year-old son, Zachary, was among the group on a weekend visit
with the Cardiff Underwater Swimming Club. Recording a verdict of
accidental death, Plymouth Coroner Nigel Meadows said the drowning was
'wholly preventable'.

The inquest heard that Mr Thomas and his 'dive buddy', Andy Pritchard,
had surfaced, but submerged again to recover the buoy, even though they
were running low on air. Three minutes later they resurfaced in a panic
as the air ran out.

SUBIC BAY, Philippines (15 Aug 2005) -- One diver drowned, one was
arrested and three others are missing after they were busted looting a
shipwreck in Subic Bay.
Maritime officials said a Philippines patrol vessel spotted the looters
before dawn on Thursday.
They were diving off a small boat at the site where the USS New York
sank in 1941. American forces scuttled the vessel in 1941 to prevent
invading Japanese from capturing it.
When the patrol vessel approached the divers, one jumped into the water
and was critically injured attempting to escape. He later died on the
way to a local hospital. A second diver was arrested at the scene and
officials are searching for three other divers who were also looting
the wreck.

Date:    Mon, 15 Aug 2005 17:11:50 -0400
Conn. man dies diving in Fishers Island Sound
Newsday - Long Island,NY,USA
An experienced scuba diver died in Fishers Island Sound after
struggling to swim back to ... Hospital in Westerly, RI An autopsy will
determine his cause of death. ...

August 12, 2005-- Greg Mickey died doing something he loved.  He was
scuba diving off the North Carolina coast.  Thursday his friends and
family revealed their plans for a unique memorial.

One of the last times, Greg Mickey's family and friends met, it was to
look for his body. They never found the Wilmington scuba diver, but now
they are finding a way to give meaning to his passing. As they get
together, they're making plans.  They join at Blue Water to raise money
for a sea memorial.  It's a memorial that will cost $60,000.00 or more.
$60,000.00 to sink a vessel, likely a tug boat in Mickey's name.
Andy Illombre was the last one to see Mickey alive. Illombre narrowly
escaped with his own life. He was rescued 30 miles off the coast of
Bald Head Island after being separated during a spear fishing dive.
Illombre says this memorial would warm his friend's heart.  Mickey's
body was never found.

A MIDLAND scuba diver with severe decompression sickness was seriously
ill in an Egyptian hospital today, unaware he faces a bill of up to
40,000 because his insurers are refusing to cover his treatment.
Divorcee Anthony Allen, aged 68, from Shirley, Solihull, got "type two
bends" - the worst kind - during a dive on Monday in the resort of
Marsa Alam where he had been holidaying alone.

Egyptian medical experts say the retired factory manager needs up to
three weeks of recompression treatment, six hours a day, costing 344
an hour - a bill his LloydsTSB travel insurance policy will not honour.
The firm said it would not pay up as Mr Allen went deeper than the 30m
limit stipulated in its small print. Son Chris, aged 26, from Shirley,
said: "I would imagine he was unaware of the 30m limit on his policy,
otherwise he would have got different insurance, but we don't know."

POSTED: 10:54 am EDT August 12, 2005
LACONIA, N.H. -- A new study into the drowning of Laconia firefighter
Mark Miller last year suggests many safety improvements that the
department already has made.

Fire Chief Ken Erickson said the department already has set up stricter
procedures, including an order that all divers be tethered if they are
diving beneath or anywhere near ice.

Miller, the department's most experienced rescue diver, died in March
2004 during a training dive at Weirs Beach. Erickson said the
department will probably never know know why Miller failed to surface
and became trapped under the ice. The report, from the National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, also recommends the
department designate backup divers, extra air tanks and medical
equipment at any training dive.