Diver's death could have been prevented - coroner

David Pleace, from Derby, died at Scapa Flow - an important Royal Navy base during both world wars

The death of a man who drowned while on a scuba diving trip could have been prevented if appropriate equipment checks had taken place, a coroner has ruled.

David Pleace's body was found close to the SMS Brummer shipwreck in Scapa Flow, off Orkney in Scotland, on 28 June 2021.

At an inquest at Derby Coroner's Court on Thursday, assistant coroner Sophie Lomas said the 57-year-old's death was accidental but could have been prevented.

Mr Pleace, from Chellaston in Derby, had undertaken several training courses and "no mechanical defects" were found on his equipment.

Scapa Flow was an important Royal Navy base during both world wars and was the scene of the scuttling of the German High Seas Fleet in 1919.

The sunken German ships are a popular diving spot.

The inquest heard Mr Pleace was on a "bucket list" week-long holiday with a group of divers but went missing during a dive on 27 June.

A local diver found him "face down" near the shipwreck the following day and he was pronounced dead at the shore.

A diving expert who inspected Mr Pleace's equipment previously told the inquest that part of it had become disconnected prior to him entering the water.

Ms Lomas said: "The reality is because the hose was not connected, from the moment David entered the water, sadly the outcome was set."

She added it was "not entirely clear" what checks Mr Pleace personally took, but that fewer checks took place on the dive because experienced divers tend to do fewer team checks.

'Significant impact'

The coroner said: "On the evidence, such checks had not been carried out to an appropriate level.

"Had those checks happened, the wing inflator hose could have been noticed and corrected prior to Mr Pleace's entry to the water.

"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."

In her condolences to Ms Pleace's family, Ms Lomas said the diver "clearly had an enthusiasm for life and the activities he enjoyed", extending her thoughts to the diving community.

She added: "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."

The coroner decided not to complete a prevention of future deaths report, describing the issue as "attitudinal" but "not a gap in training or knowledge, or something the organisations are not doing properly".