HAYMAN ISLAND, Australia (14 Nov 2003) -- IF Ryan Walkden could have chosen the spot for his final adventure, it would have been in the warm tropical waters lapping near his birthplace. Skippering the dive vessel Krackerjack, the 25-year-old went missing on Monday night in picturesque Blue Pearl Bay on Hayman Island, 225km southeast of Townsville, while snorkeling beside the vessel. Police believe he may be the latest victim of shallow-water blackout while free diving. Passengers aboard the Reef Dive vessel reported Ryan perched on the back of the Krackerjack taking several large breaths before plunging into the still water. They watched him do one snorkel dive beside the boat, surface, take a couple of breaths, then disappear at 6.10pm on Monday. A search involving two vessels and water police started soon after and continued until 11.30 that night. The search resumed at first light yesterday but was called off at 10.30am. His brother Dylan, 28, told The Courier-Mail his younger sibling had died "where he would have wanted to and doing what he loved". "Anything to do with the water, it is definitively something in his blood and even as a small kid he never had any fear of the seas," he said. "He would have lived on the water if he could. "He has done it in the past, the free diving. I think it has to do with pushing himself to the limits – he was very adventurous." It was Queensland's seventh snorkeling or scuba diving death in the past 12 months, including five suspected hyperventilation deaths. In order to free dive, snorkellers hyperventilate in a bid to stay under water longer by delaying the urge to breathe. | | On their ascent to shallower water they can pass out because of an oxygen shortage and drown. Former employer David Walker said Ryan was fit, active, pleasant with customers and a reliable crew member. "He was a hell of a nice lad," Mr Walker said. "He was a bit gung-ho and I could see him pushing himself to the limit. The only reason he left my company was to advance himself." Dive Queensland spokesman Col McKenzie said shallow-water blackout mostly happened to apparently fit, healthy and experienced young men pushing their boundaries. He said experienced "breath-divers" were at particular risk because of their ability to dive deeper and longer. The water where Ryan disappeared was 20m deep. Snorkeling deaths are not uncommon in Queensland, with an average of five a year since 1995. Late last year the State Government tightened safety regulations for recreational diving following a spate of deaths. Ryan had been living in Airlie Beach with his brother for less than a month after working with his father, also a ship's captain, in Tasmania. He had previously been diving in areas ranging from the Kimberley in the Northern Territory to Tasmania. SOURCE - The Courier Mail |
