Coroner's Finding: QR

42y · Female·Drowning due to combined drug (tramadol, venlafaxine, diazepam, quetiapine and cannabis) intoxication while scuba diving

A 42-year-old woman with bipolar disorder, chronic pain, and emphysema died by drowning while scuba diving in shallow water after a 3-year hiatus from diving. She was taking multiple CNS-depressant medications (tramadol, venlafaxine, diazepam, quetiapine) prescribed by her GP and psychiatrist, plus cannabis. Toxicology showed elevated levels of these drugs. The coroner found her medication regime was necessary and appropriate, and there was adequate communication between her prescribers. However, neither her GP nor psychiatrist had specifically discussed the risks of diving given her medications and lung disease, particularly as she resumed diving. The combination of drug effects, reduced diving experience, and excessive weights in her buoyancy vest likely contributed to loss of consciousness and inability to protect her airway. No criticism was made of her treating doctors.