A 37-year-old woman from central Japan has died after becoming unconscious during a wreck-dive off Kouri Island in Nakijin Village, northern Okinawa – only five days after another diving death elsewhere in the island chain.
According to Nago Coast Guard, as reported by Okinawan media, the woman was diving with an instructor and several other people as part of an organised tour on 23 September.
Kouri is connected by bridge to the northern shore of Okinawa Main Island, and the woman had travelled there alone from Honshu.
The diving began at about 8am, with the second dive starting about two and a half hours later. This was reported to involve a descent onto the wreck of the WW2 destroyer USS Emmons, to a depth of about 35m.
About 10 minutes into the dive the instructor noticed that the woman’s breathing appeared to be abnormal, and brought her back to the boat.
Said by this point to be in cardiopulmonary arrest she was taken to hospital, where her death was confirmed early on 24 September. The Coast Guard has interviewed the dive-tour operator and other participants as it investigates the circumstances.
Lost mouthpiece
The incident occurred days after another fatal scuba dive elsewhere in Okinawa, 350 miles to the south-west. On 18 September a 23-year-old South Korean woman died while diving off Shimoji Island, Miyakojima.
According to Miyakojima Coast Guard she had begun her diving with an instructor at about 9am. At about 11am she was on a dive when her regulator second stage fell out of her mouth, for a reason that has not been established.
Brought back to the dive-boat by the instructor, she subsequently lost consciousness and was taken to hospital, where her death was confirmed some three hours later.
Miyakojima Coast Guard is investigating but took the opportunity to urge anybody taking part in marine leisure activities to pay attention to their physical condition and ensure that equipment was being used appropriately.
Earlier this year in February a 61-year-old Argentine woman died after becoming unconscious while diving off Okinawa’s westernmost island, Yonaguni. She had descended deeper than planned and in this case too the regulator had come out of her mouth.
The following month a 62-year-old Japanese male diver died after being found unconscious at the surface off Seragaki, Onna Village, another fatality that was being investigated by Nago Coast Guard.
Also on Divernet: Safe in snaky seas: Diving Okinawa
AloJapan.com