Robert Fox, 43, was one of a group of twelve which had travelled to Safaga in January to dive with Orca Dive Club.
His death was one of two suffered by the group during the holiday, in separate incidents.
At the time it was reported that Fox, a PADI Divemaster, did not surface from a dive on Safaga’s 35m-deep El Tur/El Arish wreck, drifting away and disappearing from view in the wreck’s bow area once he had helped his buddy, who had buoyancy problems.
His body was recovered from the seabed near the wreck four days later by searching divers.
Fox, it was revealed at the inquest in Worcester, was found to have suffered a heart attack, caused by a piece of dislocated arterial cholesterol.
“A stressful incident can trigger the movement of a plaque like this,” noted the coroner. “It can only be speculation, but going to the aid of a buddy in distress while diving may be that stressful incident.”
Examination showed that Fox’s equipment had remained in good order. His air supply was still half full and his mask still in place, filled with air.
Fox’s buddy, Michael O’Brien, was overweighted and descended to the seabed more quickly than Fox. When Fox reached him he realised that O’Brian was in difficulty and passed to him his alternative gas supply, whereupon O’Brian made a rapid ascent.
The inquest heard how the cover boat crew, concerned that O’Brien may have suffered decompression illness, accidentally left Fox behind as they whisked O’Brian ashore.
However, if Fox never surfaced, this will not have been a factor in any stress leading to the diver’s death.
When it was realised that Fox was not aboard, the boat returned to the wreck and the group’s dive leader descended to the wreck’s bow area but did not see him.
Rough weather then hampered searches for four days, after which Fox’s body was found quickly.
The coroner recorded a verdict of death by natural causes.
Five days after Fox’s death and just a day after the discovery of his body, the group lost its second member.
Rebreather diver David Allseybrook, 42, from Derby died after getting into difficulty during his ascent from the wreck Chrisoula K, in the Abu Nuhas area.
Related links
Diving group loses two
Incidents report published
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