The Italian Coast Guard has launched an investigation after a scuba cylinder failed on board a RIB off the coast of the island of Procida in the Bay of Naples on 6 September, leaving a 60-year-old male diver badly injured.
The incident occurred while the vessel was at sea off Punta Pizzaco, a headland and dive-site on Procida’s south-eastern tip. According to local authorities, the sudden failure of the tank generated a violent force that threw the victim, a resident of the province of Naples, into the water.
The diver was recovered back onto the RIB and taken to Procida’s main port Marina Grande to be received by emergency medical personnel, remaining conscious throughout the initial care phase.
The medical staff confirmed that the diver had suffered facial injuries and abdominal trauma. He was taken to the local Gaetanina Scotto di Perrotolo hospital but, because of the severity of his injuries, was then airlifted to a regional hospital in Naples under a “code-red” status. The injuries, though serious, were not deemed to be life-threatening.
Coast Guard investigators are examining the equipment involved to determine the exact cause of the cylinder failure. The authorities have released no further details regarding the diver’s identity or updated medical status.
Diver missing in Palau
In a separate incident in the Micronesian state of Palau, search-and-rescue operations are continuing for a Singaporean scuba diver who went missing following a dive on 7 September.
Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is liaising with the Palau authorities and providing consular assistance to the diver’s family but no further details have been issued.
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