David Pleace, 57, from Derbyshire, drowned while on a week-long diving trip with a group of divers off Orkney in Scotland, after part of his equipment became disconnected
The tragic death of a man who drowned during a “bucket list” scuba diving trip in Scapa Flow, Orkney, could have been preventable had proper equipment checks been carried out before he entered the water, a coroner has determined.
David Pleace, 57, was found deceased roughly 20 metres from the SMS Brummer shipwreck on June 28, 2021, while enjoying his week-long diving getaway with companions. An inquest at Derby Coroner’s Court heard Mr Pleace’s demise was accidental and could have been avoided.
Despite several scuba diving courses under his belt and no mechanical flaws in his gear, Pleace met an untimely fate when he disappeared during a dive on June 27, leading to a desperate search by fellow divers, assistant coroner Sophie Lomas said. His body was discovered the next day by a local diver, “face down” near the wreck site, and he was proclaimed dead upon reaching the shoreline.
The inquest heard from a diving specialist that a crucial part of Pleace’s apparatus had become detached prior to his water entry. Ms Lomas told the court: “The reality is because the hose was not connected, from the moment David entered the water, sadly the outcome was set.”
She added there was ambiguity surrounding the extent of Pleace’s personal safety checks but noted less rigorous procedures were undertaken due to the group’s high level of diving experience. “On the evidence, such checks had not been carried out to an appropriate level,” Ms Lomas said.
“Had those checks happened, the wing inflator hose could have been noticed and corrected prior to Mr Pleace’s entry to the water. He was unable to control his buoyancy and descended quickly. It is unlikely his team members would have been able to do anything in the limited time available.”
“I would like to highlight to all of the diving community that these checks are very important and that carrying out personal and body checks regardless of your level of expertise can have a significant impact in terms of what then follows.” The coroner offered her “sincere condolences” to Mr Pleace’s family, describing him as someone who “clearly had an enthusiasm for life and the activities he enjoyed”.
She also extended her condolences to the diving community, saying: “I would like to extend that to the diving community as a whole. David was a well-liked member of that community and I know it has had a significant impact on them, so they have my condolences too.”
Ms Lomas decided against completing a prevention of future deaths report, stating: “My view is that this is not a gap in training or knowledge, or something the organisations are not doing properly it is attitudinal.”
