CALGARY ? The dive master who was scuba diving in Mexico with a Calgary woman before she died described feeling dizzy and unwell while underwater, but maintains he doesn?t know what led her death.
?I was dizzy in the last three or four minutes of the dive. I was having a super strong pain in the chest. I wasn?t really aware of anything,? said Jorge Duchateau, adding he had little strength when he surfaced.
However, the diving instructor with Conquest Divers declined to elaborate on the events that preceded the death of Ronda Cross.
?Of course, I feel terrible. I feel this is a tragedy for the family, for Ronda,? he said. ?I just don?t want to point at anyone right now before I have some information from the authorities.?
Ronda Cross, 41, was diving Saturday with her cousin, Roxanne Amundson, and the guide at a depth of about 23 metres off Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, when Cross appeared to be overcome due to carbon monoxide in the scuba tanks, said her family, who blame faulty rental equipment.
Amundson also reported feeling ill after the dive.
The Mexican publication El Sudcaliforniano reported that Cross died of asphyxiation by drowning. Her family said she was an experienced diver who had 200 dives under her belt.
Cross did not surface with the guide or her cousin, said her family, saying her floating body was pulled out of the water by the crew of a nearby boat.
The guide declined to divulge where he got his tanks filled.
The family has named Sunshine Dive and Charter as the company that filled the tanks, which manager Jonatan Montes de Oca has denied.
?It?s unfortunate what has happened, but I have no idea why our name is being affiliated,? he said, adding authorities have not approached him. ?We are definitely talking to a lawyer to see what can be done.?
Meanwhile, Cross?s body was returned to Calgary Wednesday afternoon, said her husband, Colin Cross.
A funeral will be held Saturday in Elkford, B.C., where the couple lived part-time.
Colin said he?s been frustrated with the lack of information about the investigation into his wife?s death.
?We haven?t heard a thing from the police at all. It?s just driving me crazy,? he said.
Colin, also an experienced diver, said in addition to the company that filled the tanks, the dive master should be held accountable for ensuring the tanks? air quality.
He said he?s considering taking legal action.
But the main thing is to get the message out for other divers to be careful, Colin said, adding: ?Ronda would want this to not happen again.?
Members of the local scuba diving community are saddened by the news and say carbon monoxide poisonings in scuba diving ? if confirmed to be the case in Cross? death ? are rare.
?This is a fairly uncommon situation and a very unfortunate event,? said John Harcus, owner of Caribbean Dreams Diving in Calgary.
A scuba compressor puts out Grade E breathing air, which is a Compressed Gas Association minimum standard for input into a scuba cylinder, he said.
?The only way this (carbon monoxide poisoning) could likely happen is if a vehicle or boat had its exhaust running and the intake of the compressor was in close proximity to that exhaust,? Harcus said. ?That could happen if the wind would change or if the compressor was too close to a source of exhaust of an internal combustion engine.?
To protect themselves, divers should always seek a reputable dive shop, many of which employ instructors certified by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, and ask to see the qualifications of those responsible for filling the tanks, Harcus said.
Cathie McCuaig, executive director of the recreational non-profit Alberta Underwater Council, based in Edmonton, also recommends that divers look into purchasing carbon monoxide testers if they have concerns or are diving in an unfamiliar area.
She agreed with Harcus that these incidents are very uncommon, but can occur due to poor maintenance, poor positioning of the compressor or if the intake was too close to the source of a contaminant, like a motor.
As well, the air in a tank should be odourless and tasteless so as soon as someone tastes or smells something, the dive should be aborted immediately, McCuaig said.
Cross?s father-in-law, Dennis Cross, hopes to see procedures changed at all dive shops.
?You have carbon monoxide detectors in boats and homes. Why can?t every tank before it?s put on a diver?s back be checked?? he said. ?It would be a simple procedure. It would have saved a life.?
cho@calgaryherald.com
? Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald
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