The 35-year-old diver, who works at Sea World's Australian Gold Coast centre, was injured after the dugong accidentally became entangled with his equipment. He was taken by ambulance to hospital with suspected spinal injuries, but it was announced later that his injuries amounted to neck ligament strain and bruising
The captive dugong, typically for its species, is non-aggressive but inquisitive, and had been known to hang around divers working in its tank. On this occasion it got caught up in the diver's regulator hose
In natural flight response the eight-year-old, 250kg dugong soared upward, still connected to the diver. It breached the surface before falling back down on the diver's head
Two diving colleagues, also working in the tank, were able to raise their companion and activate the unit alarm. The diver was put in a full neck brace by the centre's emergency response team for the transfer to hospital. He was relieved later to be told that he had suffered no spinal damage. |
