SPLASH

Este post é todo ele dedicado ao mergulho. Nas recentes férias pela Austrália, tive a oportunidade de experimentar essa maravilha que é andar de garrafa às costas. O desfecho podia ter sido trágico. Em breve escreverei o relato; por hoje ficam as histórias dos 'outros', e a minha foto a fazer snorkeling.

Divernet News,31st August 2006
Deepest dive ever
An American naval diver has become the deepest in history, with a 610m (2000ft) dive off the coast of Jolla, California.
Chief Navy Diver Daniel Jackson, of the US Navy Reserve Deep Submergence Unit, dived in a newly developed hardsuit. Previous designs have been limited to about 370m.

"I had topside turn off all the lights, and it was like a star show," he is reported to have said of the life at 2000m. "The phosphorescence that was naturally in the water and in most of the sea life down there started to glow."



1st September 2006
A 47-year-old English national was drowned on Monday afternoon. The incident happened during a routine scuba diving expedition off the headland at La Cala del Ximo at the north end of the Levante beach.
The man, who has yet to be named, got into difficulties and had to be rescued by other members of the group. It is understood that there was a malfunction with his oxygen bottle or breathing apparatus. On receipt of an emergency call the police sent a boat to pick up the unconscious man and transferred him to the port area. By the time he arrived at the port he is believed to have died, however from there he was rushed to the Benidorm Clinic but was declared dead by a Doctor on arrival.
According to a later statement issued by the Councillor for Security, Jose Ramon Gonzalez de Zarate, the breathing apparatus malfunction caused the dead man to inhale carbon monoxide instead of oxygen. Under normal conditions this would only occur if the bottle were not charged with oxygen before being used. Each diver usually carries sufficient 'air' to last for approximately 45 minutes under water, including descent and ascent. This type of diving accident is extremely unusual as, before each dive, it is customary to check the pressure (oxygen content) of the bottle. Each bottle has it's own pressure gauge which the diver observes before and during each dive to see how much 'air' is left. Depending on the efficiency of the diver and their lung capacity, the 'air' is used at a slightly different rate giving some longer than the normal 45 minutes.
The victim was part of a group of tourists on a summer holiday and staying in a Benidorm hotel.