British man found dead while diving at Agincourt Reef near Port Douglas
SCUBA DEATH
A British tourist has died while scuba diving at the popular Agincourt Reef near Port Douglas.
It comes just two days after an elderly French couple were found dead while snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef north east of Cairns.
A 60-year-old man on-board the Silversonic boat, which is based in Port Douglas, was found without a regulator while scuba diving at the reef site. Quicksilver confirmed the man was seen unconscious on the ocean floor in 15 metres of water.
A doctor was dropped by an emergency helicopter to Quicksilver’s helipad at the site after responding to an emergency call from crew. After an extended effort performing CPR with no response, the diver was declared dead.
“Resuscitation efforts were not successful despite the company having and using oxygen and defibrillation equipment,” said Col McKenzie, Executive Director of the Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators.
“Doctors were flown to the reef site but the man was unable to be revived."
It was the certified diver’s second dive of the day at Agincourt Reef before the tragedy. It is the most popular Great Barrier Reef site for tourists from Port Douglas.
McKenzie said it was the first diving fatality on board the Silversonic vessel, which has been operating for 11 years.
“Accidents like this are a tragedy for the surviving family members, the crew and the passengers,” he said.
The news comes after French pair Danielle Franck, 74, and Jacques Goron, 76, died on Wednesday while snorkelling at the Michaelmas Cay reef site south of Port Douglas.
It's believed they suffered heart attacks in the water almost simultaneously, leading many experts to believe they were victims of the deadly Irukandi jellyfish.
