Death of tourist at Agincourt Reef, north of Cairns, under investigation
- Two tourists dead at popular Great Barrier Reef site
- Two French tourists die of suspected heart attacks
UPDATE: POLICE and workplace health and safety officers are investigating how a 60-year-old tourist died while diving on the Great Barrier Reef off Port Douglas.
Passengers on-board Silversonic yesterday consoled the man’s wife after efforts to save him were unsuccessful.
The pair had been taking part in a dive tour that left Port Douglas marina at 8.30am and the man had already conducted a certified dive when he was spotted by another diver on the sea floor at a depth of 15m.
Tourism operators say they have no idea how the certified diver died.
YESTERDAY: THE British tourist who died while scuba diving at Agincourt Reef had been on his second certified dive of the day before tragedy struck.
Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators executive director Colonel McKenzie said the 60-year-old man was seen to have his regulator out of his mouth while underwater on the ocean bottom, at a depth of 15m.
He said the man was retrieved to the surface, and taken on-board the Quicksilver Group’s Silversonic vessel, where CPR was administered.
He said the emergency helicopter flew a doctor to the Quicksilver helicopter pad at the reef, 100km north of Cairns, where he was met by the dive boat.
The doctor assisted with CPR, however after an extended effort with no response, the diver was declared dead.
He said resuscitation efforts were not successful despite the company having oxygen and defibrillation equipment on site.
“The dive boat, Silversonic, has operated for 11 years and carried 230,000 divers during that time with no diving fatalities,” Mr McKenzie said.
“Accidents like this are a tragedy for the surviving family members, the crew and the passengers.”
EARLIER
TOUR operator Quicksilver has confirmed a British tourist has died while diving at Agincourt Reef.
The 60-year-old man, a passenger on-board the vessel Silversonic, was found without a regulator during a certified scuba dive with another person at the reef, 100km north of Cairns, earlier this afternoon.
Crew on-board the vessel attempted to revive him with a defibrillator, and contacted emergency services.
A doctor was flown to the reef, however attempts to resuscitate the man failed.
The man was travelling with his wife.
BREAKING
Emergency services are responding to reports of another tourist who has died while swimming on the Great Barrier Reef.
Police said the male in his 60s, believed to be a tourist, had been on a certified dive, and a passenger on-board a Quicksilver vessel at Agincourt Reef, about 100km north of Cairns.
A Queensland Ambulance Service spokeswoman said a doctor and nurse flown to the scene were attempting to revive him.
A Quicksilver spokeswoman said the company could not yet confirm whether the man was still alive.
It is the third major incident on the Reef off Cairns this week.
Jacques Goron, 76, and Danielle Franck, 74, were found floating motionless in the water at Michaelmas Cay, off Cairns, within minutes of each other on Wednesday morning. Both had pre-existing medical conditions and it is believed they had heart attacks.
Originally published as Another death on Great Barrier Reef
