Inquest into the Death of Jarrod Arthur HAMPTON
Deceased
Jarrod Arthur HAMPTON
Demographics
22y, male
Date of death
2012-04-14
Cause of death
drowning secondary to incapacitation from air embolism
AI-generated summary
A 22-year-old skilled and experienced pearl shell drift diver with over 600 logged dives died from drowning secondary to air embolism and cerebral arterial gas embolism while diving for Paspaley Pearling Company off Broome, Western Australia. Following a rapid, uncontrolled ascent from approximately 30-35 minutes into his eighth dive, he surfaced twice and shouted for help before submerging and remaining underwater for at least 12 minutes until retrieved. The coroner found the cause of death was drowning secondary to incapacitation from air embolism. Critical deficiencies were identified: Paspaley lacked emergency procedures for diver retrieval and had failed to conduct rescue drills, resulting in chaotic retrieval once the diver was pulled to surface. While survival chances were remote given the 5-6 hour transport time to hyperbaric treatment, the absence of retrieval procedures and rescue diver protocols represented a failure to comply with Code of Practice requirements. Since his death, Paspaley has implemented comprehensive improvements including formal retrieval procedures, rescue diver training, modified equipment, and enhanced supervision of new divers.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Clinical conditions
Contributing factors
- uncontrolled rapid ascent during dive
- pulmonary barotrauma leading to cerebral arterial gas embolism (CAGE)
- lack of emergency diver retrieval procedures
- absence of diver rescue drills
- delayed retrieval of incapacitated diver
- possible panic reaction
- fatigue in new diver
- potential saltwater aspiration
Coroner's recommendations
- Pearling industry employers and PPA should continue to explore the possibility of using full-face masks to reduce the likelihood of divers drowning
- Employers in the pearl industry and PPA should consider adopting the practice of having a small air bottle available for rescue swimmers as standard practice
- Implementation of formal documented emergency procedures covering search, recovery and retrieval of injured divers
- Conduct of regular diver rescue and emergency response drills
- Provision of training in emergency and rescue procedures for all personnel
- Implementation of enhanced diver monitoring systems with constant watch over divers
- Provision of oxygen therapy equipment and automated external defibrillators on diving vessels
- Implementation of buoyancy compensator devices (BCDs) for all drift divers
- Enhanced medical fitness assessments including functional capability evaluation of diver applicants
- Stepped induction and supervision program for new divers
- Development and implementation of formal diving operation manuals, risk assessments, dive plans and emergency plans
- Consideration of enhanced communication systems including emergency signal systems
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