PETAWA, Ontario (30 Sep 2008) — The Coroner's Inquest into the drowning death of 24-year-old Alex Charles Padulo began Monday at the town's municipal building. Mr. Padulo was completing his third open-water dive with Petawawa's Barracuda Scuba Club in the Petawawa River on April 6, 2006 when he became distressed and after struggling and yelling for help did not return to the surface. His body was recovered three days later by military divers. An inquest is a public hearing which sets out to answer five questions - the identity of the deceased, how, where, when and by what means the deceased died. After hearing evidence in this inquest, which is expected to last more than one week, the one-woman, four-man jury will deliberate to answer these questions in the case of Mr. Padulo. A majority decision is acceptable, a unanimous decision is not necessary, said presiding Coroner Dr. Gordon Watt. The jury is also encouraged to make recommendations that attempt to prevent deaths in similar circumstances in the future. Yesterday, the jury heard that in late 2005 Mr. Padulo and his friend Chris Stoyles decided to take scuba diving lessons with the intention of travelling south to explore the waters once they were certified. As the course requires, both had spent hours in the classroom and in the pool before successfully completing their first two open-water dives in the Ottawa River near the Jubilee Lodge on April 5, 2006. The first dive was not what Mr. Stoyles or his friend expected. He recalls the visibility was poor and they held onto a string, following it down under water. "It was cold and kind of a letdown," he told the inquest. "You could barely see your hand in front of your face." Mr. Stoyles and Mr. Padulo discussed their disappointment among themselves, but didn't say anything to their instructors Dustin and Bruce Proper, so were surprised to learn that the location of the third dive was changed from Jubilee Lodge to a spot known as Dick's House off North Street where the Petawawa and Ottawa Rivers meet. Although they didn't know the reason for the change, the beginner divers were "pumped" about finishing the course so they could get their certificates and seeing more underwater, until they got to the river. "We could see clearly that the water was moving quite fast," Mr. Stoyles testified, referring to the visible current about 25 to 30 feet off shore. As they began to get suited up for the dive, he realized he forgot his hood and went home to get it. When he returned to the dive site, Mr. Stoyles admitted he and Mr. Padulo may have rushed to get into the water. He does not recall any issues with Mr. Padulo's buoyancy compensator, a piece of diving equipment worn by divers to provide life-saving emergency buoyancy both underwater and on the surface and the ability to adjust and control the overall buoyancy of the diver and the diver's heavy equipment allowing the diver to achieve neutral buoyancy, remaining at constant depth, or to descend or ascend in a controlled way. The beginners and their instructor Dustin Proper set out on the dive, travelling about 25 feet before stopping to make sure everyone was OK, according to Mr. Stoyles' testimony. "We were swimming and it was dark," he said. "I was suffering because it was cold. When we stopped I could feel the current push on me." | | Joan Padulo is holding one of her favourite pictures of her son, Alex, who died during the third open water dive of a PADI entry-level scuba diving course.. Minutes later Mr. Proper signalled to stop and Mr. Stoyles recalled that he had to wedge his fins between some rocks as the instructor attempted to readjust the strap holding his air tank which was loosening. Mr. Stoyles said he handed Mr. Padulo the dive flag, which allows the on-shore instructor to see the location of the divers, and within one minute he was gone. When he went to the surface, Mr. Stoyles spotted his friend about 25 feet away in the current. "Alex didn't have his respirator in or his goggles on," he said. "He was flailing his arms and yelling for help." He remembers Bruce Proper yelling from shore for Mr. Padulo to drop his weight belt and inflate his buoyancy compensator, but he said he couldn't. Mr. Stoyles got himself to the opposite shore, dropping his equipment and running to see the location where his friend went underwater, but he never resurfaced. Joan Padulo was visibly upset and crying as Mr. Stoyles recalled the tragic events which led to her son's death. Throughout the course of the first day, the jury had an opportunity to look at maps of the area as well as Mr. Padulo's scuba dive equipment, which Mr. Proper used to explain a number of the terms and techniques he offered during his testimony. Despite Mr. Stoyles' recollection of the strong current, Mr. Proper maintains the conditions, including water temperature, current and visibility were appropriate for beginner divers embarking on their third dive. He did not notice a problem with Mr. Padulo's equipment. The jury heard Mr. Proper had been scuba diving for about eight years at the time of the drowning. He holds a number of advanced certifications and as of April 6, 2006 had completed about 630 dives, including 150 at Dick's House. The inquest continues today. Lawyers for the other parties with standing in the inquest, including Mr. Padulo's estate and his mother Joan, the Department of National Defence, Dustin and Bruce Proper and the Barracuda Scuba Club. |
