PORTSMOUTH, UK (22 May 2005) -- The parents of a Royal Navy lieutenant who died after he ran out of oxygen on a diver training course today welcomed changes being put into place to prevent further deaths. David Christie died on March 14, 2002, while carrying out a practice dive underneath the warship HMS Grafton in Portsmouth Naval Base. An inquest at Portsmouth heard that the 28-year-old, who had a chemistry doctorate, may have become trapped under the ship and used up all his oxygen while attempting to free himself. The inquest heard that fellow trainee diver Simon Parry discovered him limp and after he gave him a push, which apparently loosened him, he shot to the surface, propelled by a buoyancy device being inflated.
A jury returned a verdict of accidental death after the inquest was told that Lt Christie died of intrapulmonary haemorrhage and diffuse gas embolism combined with pulmonary barotrauma. This involved his lungs being fatally damaged by rising to the surface too quickly although it is believed he may already been dead because of lack of oxygen. After the inquest, Commander Chris Lade, current commanding officer of the Defence Diving School, said a number of measures had been put in place as a result of Lt Christie's death. These include a warning light in the diver's mask when the oxygen level is low as well as a facility for an extra bottle of oxygen to be brought to a diver who may be stuck. | | He added that training procedures had been improved with extra instructors being used in the water in a bid to prevent further accidents. He said: "The risk of a diver being fouled and being unable to rescue him and bring him to the surface has been significantly reduced. "The Royal Navy would like to offer its sincere regrets over the death of Lt Christie and I would personally like to offer my condolences to Mr and Mrs Christie." Portsmouth and South East Hampshire Coroner David Horsley said of the new measures: "It is a very sensible and responsible attitude in response to Lt Christie's death and hopefully now further fatalities will be avoided by the change in equipment and safety procedures." Lt Christie's father, Rev Peter Christie, 60, a minister in the United Reformed Church from Castle Road, Tipton, West Midlands, said he and his wife Christine, 62, appreciated the navy's actions. He said: "We are very happy that the navy have responded very seriously to the issues raised by the death and a lot of changes have taken place. "We can only hope these changes will create a better context for people training amongst the risks that always will be part of navy diving." SOURCE - PA |
