Watersports blog

A Cornwall-based man suffered a serious injury after diving into a shallow pool during a RAF fun day. During the court hearing, this accident would have been avoided if there was a ban on shallow pool diving imposed.

Robert Uren was trying to get toys from a pool during a race. He dove into the pool believing it is deep enough to accommodate his body but suffered an accident. The 24 year old former pilot was allegedly encouraged to dive headfirst into the pool.

The accident caused Uren’s paralysis and he’s suing event organizer Corporate Leisure for negligence and liability on the accident. He’s asking for £6 million in damages.

The RAF event was called “It’s a Knockout” and was held in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire in July 2005.  The case is currently being heard at London’s High Court.

A third fatal scuba diving accident was reported for the past three days in Florida, this time it involves a man diving just 24 miles southeast of Pensacola.

Georgia resident Timothy Teagarden reportedly died while checking out Oriskany, a Navy vessel that was sunk by tourism officials in a bid to attract scuba diving enthusiasts to visit the area. The 51-year old man is said to be a certified scuba diving individual.

Coast Guard search and rescue specialist John Rizzo said that a CPR was made on the victim while the other crew called for medical backup at around noon. Teagarden was immediately transported via a helicopter to a nearby hospital. However, he was already pronounced dead on arrival. This development was confirmed by Florida Medical Examiner’s Office Director Jeff Martin.

Two other divers, Johnsie Hudspeth and Richard McCoy, have died in Florida waters for the past three days. There’s no development as to what the authorities are going to do with this sudden influx of scuba-diving related accidents.

Snorkeling company Key West Company announced in its press released that it will be investing $100,000 in photography equipment. This equipment are said to be hi-tech and similar to those used by teams for Discovery and National Geographic channels.

The images taken by the snorkeling team will be posted on the website on a regular basis. This is Key West Snorkeling Company’s way to educate the public about the beauty of the ocean and that it is best to exert effort to preserve this beauty.

Individuals who want to see marine life and reef conditions can easily check out the company’s site because the images are being shown for free. The upgraded photography equipment guarantees clear and quality pictures.

Key West Snorkeling Lead Photographer Katya Timberly said that this is a big investment and a risky one considering that it is being made in the middle of a recession but she added that this will eventually pay off.

A scuba diver luckily avoided getting serious injuries after being bitten by a shark in Adelaide early this week.

According to reports, the unnamed 24-year old man was scuba diving off Second Valley on the Fleurieu Peninsula, located nearly a hundred kilometers from Adelaide late in the morning when he was bitten by the shark.

A spokeswoman from the South Australian Ambulance revealed that the young man was bitten on the hand and foot. He was immediately rescued and taken to the Flinders Medical Center for immediate treatment. The doctors said that he had incurred minor injuries.

Witnesses shared that the shark that attacked the young man was about two meters long. The aforementioned area has been known to be infested with sharks but there are conflicting statements saying that these occurrences are extremely rare.

Sailing is definitely one of the most dangerous water sports out there but for 14-year old Laura Dekker, it is just a piece of cake. In face, she’s been planning to conduct a global solo sail stunt but this has been postponed until the school year ends and that the court must give the green signal for this dangerous attempt.

According to reports, Dekker is awaiting the court’s decision whether she can proceed with her attempt. The court, and even critics, deemed this attempt too risky for such a young girl. In fact, the Utrecht court has already issued a block on her attempt last August. A global debate sparked whether Dekker should proceed with the attempt and that her parents were being lambasted for supporting this adventure.

Dekker plans to sail around the globe with her 8-meter boat named “Guppy.”

A British couple sailing around the globe has been reported kidnapped by Somali pirates as they passed Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. This development was confirmed by authorities.

According to reports, husband-wife Paul and Rachel Chandler sent a distress signal from their yacht on Friday and since then nothing has been heard from them. The officials believe that they’ve been targeted by pirates. Another development was shared on Tuesday saying that the yacht has been seen towing a pirate’s skiff. However, the authorities have not confirmed whether this news is true or not.

The couple is believed to be headed to Tanzania but when they went past by Seychelles, their yacht was immediately blocked and invaded by Somali pirates.

The authorities are awaiting the ransom demands that these Somali pirates will be making in a few days time. They are hopeful that the British couple is still in good health.

A search crew in Northern Californian coast has been set up to look for a missing abalone diver after they discovered an abandoned diving gear and swimwear and recently used abalone on a beach.

The state’s fire crews were reportedly searching the bluffs located near Sear Ranch beach for clue for the body’s whereabouts.

The crew was deployed after a rope was found dangling in the area. The said area is known for free diving activities because it has been allowed there. Free diving, where the diver doesn’t use oxygen tanks, uses other methods such as the flotation device and abalone. The aforementioned diving gear was found in the beachside.

As of press time, no missing person’s report had been filed. The U.S. Coast Guard stated that there’s no sign of a diver in distress in the area. However, the search continues.

The Alabama rowing team continues its momentum as the team to beat as the sport enters its fourth season in NCAA. To prepare for the upcoming season, the Tide varsity attended the Chattanooga Head Race on October 10. The efforts paid off as the team won three medals during the competition.

In the Collegiate 8+ race, the Tide team took silver and placed fourth and fifth respectively in other major events. Most of their finishes are within the 17-minute barrier which makes it an impressive performance for a young team.

Team coach Larry Davis expressed his confidence on the team and he’s positive that the players will perform better this season, thanks to the intensive rowing training plus the experiences that his players achieved during the competitions.

The Tide team clinched the Women’s Championship Pairs, getting one gold and silver for their efforts.

Bill Oliver, a scuba diving equipment designer, could solve the ongoing murder case involving an American man accused of killing his wife after going scuba diving ten years ago.

David Swain and wife Shelley Tyre went scuba diving on March 12, 1999 where the incident happened. Tyre died from apparent malfunction of the scuba diving equipment she wore.

Oliver, who has more than 35 years of experience on this field, told the court that he found unusual results from the snorkel and mask used by Tyre. He said that the equipment were in fact functioning properly and concluded that these items did not cause her death.

The mask reportedly broke that caused Tyre’s death. Oliver said that the force used to break the mask was more than fifty pounds which was beyond normal diving practices.

His testimony further strengthened the case by the prosecution against Swain.

Rafting has become a big hit in Montenegro and this can be evidenced by the spike of earnings in this adventure alone.
According to reports, revenues from rafting in the first five months of this year in the country reached 740,000 euros. This data was provided by Montenegro’s Department of Public Revenues.

Novo Radovic, the country’s chief tax inspector, said that rafting is now becoming a solid income-generator for Montenegro which is a good development.

As of this year, there are now a total of 25 legal establishments allowed to operating rafting trips in the country. Six of the operators are not yet permanent residents of the country.

Along with the increase in visitors to Montenegro the retail establishments particularly those selling products relating to rafting have see an increase in sales. Swimwear, waterproof clothing and rafting equipment have brought new trade.

Montenegro’s Tara River is one of the most popular rafting destinations. The area boasts of the Tara River Gorge, Europe’s deepest canyon and second longest in the globe.  This area is part of the Dumitor National Park and has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.