Wednesday, May 14, 1997 - North Shore News - 5

Diving death
inquest calls
for changes

By Michael Becker
News Editor
michacl@nsnews.com

A coroner’s court
inquest jury released
findings and recom-
mendations Friday in a
case involving three
divers who died fast
year at Whytecliff
Park.

David  -Nikkel, 24,
Andrew Todd Peters, 23,
and Dale Lionel Benjamin,
44, died April 28, 1996. A
trip to the popular West
Vancouver recreational div-
ing spot went terribly wrong.

Stefan Shubin, 49, was
the sole survivor of a group
of four who participated in a
diving excursion that day.

Shubin testified earlier
last week that Nikkel and
Peters — both novice divers
~~ began to have buoyancy
problems at an approximate
depth of 90 feet (27.4 m).

Benjamin died following a
rapid ascent to the surface.

The jury found
Benjamin’s medical cause of
death as being pulmonary
barotrauma and systemic gas
embolism.

His death was accidental.

Nikkel is presumed to
have drowned. His body was
not recovered. Peters
drowned. Their deaths were
also classified as accidental.

It was recommended to
the Ministry of Attorney
General and the Underwater
Council of British Columbia
(UCBC) that:

@ the governinent of B.C.
suppurt the UCBC safety
committee in its review and
monitoring of safe diving
practices in B.C.;

BM certification cards and
photo identification be pro-
duced for the rental or pur-
chase of compressed air
equipment;

@ compressed air equipment
agreements require informa-
tion regarding diver ability;
@ a mechanism be imple-
mented for collecting statisti-
cal data on dives;

 ] dive site maps and dive site
signage be improved;

™ certification in B.C.
should reflect chalienges spe-
cific to the area.

The jury also recom-
mended that all agencies
involved in the certification
of divers in B.C. should
review the recommendations
and advise the coroner’s
office.

Name the
man of
his word

Your federal
uberal candidate

Oe

id diver survived, swam to rn
Hospitalized with: the Bends. 7

NEWS grephic

DAVID Nikkel, 24, Andrew Todd Peters, 23, and Dais

Lione! Benjamin, 44, died April 28, 1996.

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