Another Scuba Class Drowning in Washington State - And Potential Wrongful Death Claim

Me in my drysuit a looong time ago.

It seems like every year about this time I write a post about enjoying the water safely. I have enjoyed water activities my whole life - from swimming and kayaking to stand-up paddle boarding (SUP) and Scuba. As a PADI Scuba Divemaster and a wrongful death lawyer, I’ve handled and investigated a number of Scuba death cases . Even when you are experienced in the water, things can go wrong quickly.

The Seattle Times Mike Reicher reports that on Saturday May 14 a military veteran participating in a civilian Scuba dive class drowned in American Lake on Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The diver’s body was eventually recovered using sonar.

Scuba diving is supposed to have safeguards in place for when things go wrong. This is especially true in a dive class with a dive instructor and possibly other divemasters supervising students. While equipment can malfunction (or more often, be misused) and people suffer medical conditions under water, dive partners and instructors should be there to assist and assure the diver’s safe return to the surface.

Because of these safeguards, divers typically do not drown unless multiple things go wrong. When someone drowns during a dive class, that raises serious questions about what went wrong with the equipment, the class supervision, or both. Whether the equipment was defective or improperly maintained, or the dive school failed to adequately supervise dive students, it could be considered a wrongful death under Washington State law.

If you have questions about legal claims related to water safety, injury, or death, please feel free to email me.