Call for snorkel health waiver

WE HAVE NO LEGAL RIGHT TO PREVENT PEOPLE FROM GETTING INTO THE WATER. SO I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT TOUGHENING THAT LAW UP SO THAT WE, AS THE OPERATORS, CAN MAKE A JUDGMENT CALL. ASSOCIATION OF MARINE PARK TOURISM OPERATORS DIRECTOR, COL MCKENZIE

THE British tourist, who died from a heart attack while snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef, did not tell the tour operator he had a heart condition.

Reef tourism operators are demanding the Queensland Government introduce a new law to allow them to approach would-be snorkellers they deem “at risk” and have them fill in a medical declaration form.

Currently, divers are required to complete a waiver, but there is no such requirement for snorkellers.

Robert Duff, 63, was believed to have died from a heart attack while snorkelling at Moore Reef, just after noon on Wednesday.

He had been hanging onto a life ring about 5m from the Reef Magic vessel docked at the reef pontoon.

Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators director Col McKenzie revealed yesterday it wasn’t until after Mr Duff was unable to be resuscitated that his travelling companion informed emergency services he had been on heart medication.

He said, if they had known about his condition, they may have advised him against strenuous activity such as snorkelling.

“If we know, we can deal with it,” he said.

“But we have no legal right to insist on people telling us that information.

“We have no legal right to prevent people from getting into the water.

“So I think we need to look at toughening that law up so that we, as the operators, can make a judgment call.”

Mr Duff was the sixth person to die on the Reef in the Far North since November.

Most of the victims were elderly and had pre-existing medical conditions.

Two others, who were pulled unconscious from the water at Green Island and Agincourt Reef earlier this week, were still in stable conditions in Cairns Hospital yesterday.

Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace was convening a roundtable meeting in Cairns with the local dive sector on February 22 to develop strategies to reduce the visitor death toll on the Reef.