The British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC) has released its latest annual Diving Incident Report, showing that UK diving had largely returned to pre-pandemic levels by April of 2021, with the number of incidents subsequently reported comparable to 2019.
As the National Governing Body for UK scuba diving, BSAC has been compiling annual reports on diving incidents in the UK, from all diver training agencies, for almost 60 years. The data is gathered mostly from indivuals through the BSAC incident report forms, with additional data being provided by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), Health and Safety Executive (HSE), DDRC Healthcare and other diving organisations and agencies.
The 2021 Diving Incident Report has recorded a total of 235 incidents – 17 of which were overseas – and a total of 16 fatalities for the year, compared to 354 incidents – 84 of which were overseas – and 13 fatalities in 2019.
Decompression illness was the most reported form of incident, followed by surface/boat incidents and injuries. There was also a slight increase in the number of equipment-related incidents, with evidence that some equiment failures may be related to a long layoff in diving.
Of the fatalities, the report indicates that ‘separation and solo diving’ were key factors in the incidents; three cases were confirmed as heart-attacks with the overall average age being 54.9 years of age, compared to 58.2 in 2019
As BSAC continues to monitor the occurence of immersion polumonary oedema (IPO) in scuba diving incidents, the report notes that possible signs or symptoms of IPO were found in 12 of the total number of incidents reported, although none have been confirmed.
BSAC Incident Advisor Jim Watson said: ‘As with previous Incident Reports published over many years, some incidents reported in 2021 could possibly have been avoided had those involved followed a few basic principles of safe diving practice. In addition, many of the unavoidable incidents are prevented from escalating into something more serious by the prompt utilisation of rescue skills and the rapid support of the rescue services.
‘BSAC publishes online advice on ‘Safe Diving‘ summarising all the key elements of safe diving practice, and we urge all divers to ensure equipment is maintained properly and to evaluate their own personal fitness levels,’ added Watson. ‘Incident analysis shows that through continuous training, skills practice and careful dive planning divers are able to greatly reduce their chances of suffering an incident.’
The 2021 incident report is available to download online at bsac.com/incidentreport. BSAC will also present its findings to dive industry professionals through a new webinar on Monday 28 November 2022 at 2pm. Instructors and dive professionals from all agencies are invited to attend on a first-come, first served basis. Anyone wishing to attend can register online, and a recording of the webinar will be available afterwards.
Divers can report incidents confidentially at any time online at bsac.com/incidentreporting
- Survivors speak of Sea Story liveaboard sinking cover up - 16 January 2025
- Scuba divers who suffer IPO should not dive again – report - 14 January 2025
- Whale shark mating behaviour recorded at Ningaloo Reef - 11 January 2025
