British diver died off Ċirkewwa because he surfaced too quickly, inquest finds
The exact reason why the experienced diver surfaced quickly remains unknown
A British diver's death off Ċirkewwa was caused by pulmonary barotrauma after a rapid ascent, a UK inquest has concluded
The inquest followed Darrel Nicholas Pascoe’s sudden death in Malta in October 2024.
A local British newspaper, Cornwall Live, reported on Monday that Pascoe had only been submerged for three minutes when he signalled that he was going back up to the surface.
The inquest heard that while Pascoe’s dive buddy followed regular protocol and ascended from a depth of 30 metres slowly, the 66-year-old experienced diver went straight up to the surface.
Ascending too quickly while scuba diving can lead to decompression sickness because of the sudden change of pressure. However a medical expert concluded that Pascoe died from a diving related pulmonary trauma due to a too-rapid ascent, and not because of pressure sickness.
Exact reason for diver surfacing too quickly remains unknown
It was not possible to determine the exact reason why Pascoe ascended so quickly. Consultant pathologist Thomas Grigor gave some possible reasons to the inquest, pointing to a possible medical episode, a panic attack, an equipment malfunction or the type of gas mix in Pascoe’s diving cylinder.
Grigor added that excruciating head pain after failing to equalise pressure while submerged was also a likely reason for Pascoe’s rapid resurfacing.
The inquest heard that when he reached the surface, Pascoe quickly suffered cardiac arrest.
The 66-year-old's dive buddy and another person pulled him ashore and began performing CPR. Paramedics soon took over as Pascoe was rushed to hospital. Their efforts proved futile and the diver was declared dead at Mater Dei hospital.
No medical certificate provided before dive
The coroner’s court heard how Pascoe had not dived for a year and a half before his death and should have provided a medical certificate that he was physically fit to scuba dive. He did not do so and chose a diving company which only relied on his diving experience instead of medical clearance.
However medical expert Grigor said a medical test might not have revealed an undiagnosed heart condition that Pascoe had, although the condition probably only played a minor role in his death.
In the UK, the sudden death of a British national abroad is always followed by an inquest by British authorities.
Pascoe had been on a diving trip in Malta with his wife Sue.