This is a personal account — the Editor's own firsthand experience. If you love the ocean as much as we do, we hope you'll read this all the way through, so that diving accidents like this one never happen to you. If you can, please share it with the ocean lovers around you. "The ocean will always be there — but if a diving accident happens, you won't get a second chance..."
Never underestimate the risks — always plan your dive thoroughly
Whether you're just beginning to explore the underwater world or you're already an experienced diver gliding freely through the sea, please make sure you practice proper risk management and dive planning before every entry. Everything from buddy assignments to mapping out your dive route and timing should be covered in a briefing that every diver attends before getting in the water — even when it's just a casual outing with friends. Make sure everyone knows the dive plan, so that potential hazards are minimised. If you're unfamiliar with the terrain or currents, always seek out a local dive guide — and follow the guide's instructions without straying from the group.
Always dive with a buddy — never enter the water alone. photo credit：小均
Diving accidents happen when you least expect them
It was a sunny Saturday. Traffic was backed up near Chao Jing as usual. Visibility was under 3 m, water temperature had climbed to 28°C — a perfectly ordinary diving day on the Northeast Coast. It couldn't have been a better time to get in the water.
By 9 a.m. there were already several freediving and scuba groups on the surface. Following the Editor's monthly routine, it was time to randomly pick a weekend day to survey the seafloor at Chao Jing and check whether anyone had been damaging the protected area. During the patrol, the current felt a little strong and pushing through it was tiring, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary — everything appeared to be running smoothly.
Then the Editor suddenly remembered seeing quite a few freediving surface marker buoys above the Rose Garden on the way down, and decided to swing by to check whether any divers were using bottom weights improperly and damaging the rose coral habitat. After sweeping the entire length of the Rose Garden, however, there was no descent line to be found. Thinking the search depth of 20 m had simply been wrong, the Editor turned to head back — and that's when a pair of bright fins came into view. No bubbles. A sinking feeling set in immediately. Moving closer confirmed it: a diver, face-down on the bottom. The scooter was dropped without a second thought — whether the dive buddy caught it didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was racing against death.
The diving accident occurred at Chao Jing Park. photo credit：小均
A relay rescue
The moment the situation registered, only one thing came to mind — what a rescue instructor had once said: "If you find a diver face-down underwater with no bubbles, don't think about anything else. Just pull them to the surface." At 21 m down, without any hesitation, the Editor grabbed the diver from behind and began moving upward toward the surface. The dive buddy kept both divers in sight the entire time, watching the depth gauge carefully, worried that ascending too fast might cause harm. In the end, it took about 1 minute and 10 seconds to reach the surface.
Breaking the surface and looking around felt overwhelming. We were approximately 200 m — possibly more — from the entry point. Getting the victim to shore quickly alone was impossible. Fortunately, there were quite a few freediving groups nearby, and an SUP board happened to be less than 20 m away. The dive buddy began calling out loudly to the surrounding divers while the Editor started performing surface-level first aid — supporting the victim against the chest, removing the mask, keeping the airway clear, and slowly making progress toward shore. The victim's face was covered in blood. Perhaps no one had ever witnessed a distress call at sea before; everyone hesitated for a few seconds. But with repeated calls for help, the instructors on the surface began to converge, and the SUP reached the Editor's side quickly.
With a freediving instructor taking over, the SUP became a makeshift first-aid platform. CPR was continued on the board while the freediving instructors acted as human propellers, pushing the board — now carrying three people — swiftly toward shore. Every second counted.
Once the victim was brought ashore, the sight of a blood-soaked face was harrowing — yet the Editor's friend, Xin Hua, was the first to step forward and take over CPR. He kept going, rotating with other divers, until emergency medical personnel arrived on the scene. When asked afterward about his reaction in that moment, Xin Hua said simply: "If someone who's an EMT-1 doesn't dare face this, do you think anyone else will?" The Editor felt nothing but the deepest admiration for him.
Facing the truth
The victim was taken to hospital but did not survive. Reviewing the dive log and depth profile afterward, it appeared the victim had experienced a blackout (BO), lost consciousness, and slowly sunk to the bottom. By the time the Editor found them, approximately 15 minutes had already passed — which explains everything. But if the victim's companions had noticed in time and given immediate aid, this tragedy might never have happened. They might have had the chance to dive together again and share the beauty of the underwater world.
After learning the full story, the Editor discovered that the victim and their companions had made no dive plan whatsoever, done no risk management, and made no buddy assignments. Everyone assumed they were just there to have fun — no need to be so serious about it. They weren't planning to go deep, just splashing around. And the victim was considered capable enough that surely nothing "should" go wrong after being in the water so long. The underwater visibility that day was poor, the current was significant, and the diver had entered the water alone with no one watching — and that is what led to this tragedy. The victim, too, bore responsibility. But they have already paid the ultimate price.
If it could be done over, no one would want this to happen again. But this is not a game — you only get one chance.
Always respect nature. Never underestimate the risks. Always put safety first. Only by being careful and vigilant can you make it home safely. Dive safe!
5 tips to help prevent diving accidents
- Never dive alone! No matter how experienced a diver or instructor you are, always dive with a buddy.
- Before entering the water, re-check surf conditions and weather, and honestly assess your current physical and mental state.
- Inform your surface support personnel of the day's dive plan.
- Listen carefully to the dive briefing, resolve any questions before getting in, and confirm lost-buddy procedures with your dive guide.
- Most importantly — take your training seriously and practise consistently.
3 common questions about diving accidents
Q1: If I witness a diving accident, what can I do in that very first moment?
A: Look around immediately to see if anyone nearby can help, and call 119 for emergency services right away.
Q2: If a diving accident happens to me, what should I do?
A: Stay calm — stay calm — stay calm! The Editor knows that sounds abstract, but when an accident actually happens, the first and most important thing is to calm yourself down so you can assess the situation and take the most appropriate action.
Q3: What are the most common causes of diving accidents?
A: It's often the small, overlooked details that lead to diving accidents. For example:
- Not sharing your dive plan with your companions before entering the water, meaning no one is in a position to notice if something goes wrong.
- Forgetting to monitor your pressure gauge (SPG) during the dive — when your air runs dangerously low, you may be forced into a rapid ascent, which can itself cause an accident.
Never take nature lightly, and never be overconfident. Any outdoor activity demands careful attention to detail — don't let experience make you complacent about the small things.
Cover image source: Allen Beilschmidt sr.
Editor-in-charge: Jenny
