Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Dive Squad Club will conduct a safety awareness session next month following several recent scuba diving deaths in the region.
Club President Sim Fui announced the initiative after three diving fatalities occurred within weeks.
“Last week, a 33-year-old Malaysian man from Kuala Lumpur died while diving off Pulau Weh, near Sabang in Indonesia, after reportedly panicking in strong undercurrents.
“In May, two Chinese nationals also lost their lives in separate scuba diving accidents.
“One was an unsupervised tourist who drowned while diving off Sipadan in Semporna, while the other, a certified dive-master, drowned after attempting to retrieve a lost camera near Kakaban Island, Indonesia.
“These tragic incidents could have been avoided had proper safety guidelines been followed,” Sim said, pointing out that certified divers must adhere to established procedures despite their training.
The safety talk, scheduled for July 20, will feature two military medical experts, Lt Col (Dr) Eugene Tan Choon Li, a diving medical officer, and First Warrant Officer Almudi Eskal, who heads the Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine Department at the Armed Forces Hospital.
The session aims to reinforce proper diving protocols among club members and prevent future accidents. Details will be available on the Club’s Facebook page.
The announcement comes as diving operators face increased scrutiny over safety standards following the string of preventable deaths at regional dive sites.
