Diver died after panic attack 40ft beneath surface
A NOVICE scuba diver died in the North Sea after suffering a panic attack 40ft below the surface, an inquest heard yesterday.
Benjamin Rayner, 38, lost control in the Moray Firth following an equipment issue.
Instructor Natasha Scott told how she battled in vain to save the quantity surveyor as he tried to grab her while ‘flailing his arm and legs’ and filling his buoyancy aid with air.
She was forced to let him go for her own safety as he rapidly rose feet first to the surface, with water leaking into his mask.
Mr Rayner, of Lossiemouth, Moray, weighed 20 stone and was pulled from the sea into a boat.
He died from organ failure despite attempts to revive him.
Details of the tragedy on June 22, 2014, emerged at the inquest in Warrington, Lancashire. Mr Rayner, originally from Knutsford, Cheshire, was diving with Miss Scott and two others near Findochty Harbour, only six weeks after qualifying with the British Swimming Coaches Association as an ocean diver.
Miss Scott said: ‘I had no concerns with him or his equipment. I went in initially with a diver who had problems with her ears and heard Ben having his buddy check being performed.
‘He came into the water and we descended and he signalled that he was OK. The dive was a social dive and not an instruction.
‘The dive started at 12.21pm and lasted for 19 minutes. I noticed he had difficulties with one of his fins and I put it on correctly and tightened it for him. Then he began to ascend quickly and I tried to hold him. He put air in his jacket and I had to let go for my own safety – then he was out of my sight.
‘I had to stop to sort my own breathing and buoyancy while he lost control. I went to the surface,
‘I had to let go for my own safety’
where we were struggling to get him into the boat. We held his head into the boat and gave him rescue breaths but he was unresponsive.’
A report last year by Sula Diving concluded that Mr Rayner’s scuba equipment was in good condition, but there was a mismatch between a valve and a hose, which meant it was not fully functioning.
At an initial post-mortem examination in Scotland, pathologist Dr Matthew Lyall said: ‘This case should be recorded as death by diving. His mask was full of water but the actual cause of death is not drowning.
‘He became disoriented, with air trapped in the legs of the suit and made an uncontrolled ascent to the surface. He was feet first because of the position of the air bubble in his suit. He was in a panic.
‘Water had leaked into his mask and he lost consciousness.’
Brian Rogers, who carried out a second post-mortem examination in England, said: ‘He had difficulties and then was disorientated. He panicked and had air in his suit and rapidly ascended to the surface. There was also water in his mask.’
Recording a verdict of accidental death, coroner Alan Moore said: ‘Sadly, despite all attempts to save him he was pronounced dead.
‘The experts identified a combination of factors which may have contributed to what happened.’