KOTA KINABALU: Divers must reinforce best practices for safety and environmental reasons, says the Sabah Dive Squad Club.
Club president Sim Fui stated that, given the recent scuba diving fatalities, they have organised a safety awareness talk to reinforce best practices among members.
He emphasised that safety must always be the top priority for divers, and regular reminders, refresher courses, or awareness talks are necessary.
"Every certified diver is taught the correct procedures during training, and the number one rule is always to return safely," he said in a statement on Saturday (June 7).
"Unfortunately, recent incidents show that some divers are disregarding these procedures with fatal consequences," Sim added.
Last week, a 33-year-old Malaysian man from Kuala Lumpur died while diving off Pulau Weh, near Sabang in Indonesia, after reportedly panicking in strong undercurrents.
In May, two Chinese nationals also lost their lives in separate scuba diving accidents.
"One was an unsupervised tourist who drowned while diving off Sipadan in Semporna, while the other, a certified divemaster, drowned after attempting to retrieve a lost camera near Kakaban Island, Indonesia" Sim said.
"These tragic incidents could have been avoided had proper safety guidelines been followed," he added.
The diving safety awareness talk scheduled for July 20 aims to prevent further loss of life and remind members of the importance of adhering to established procedures.
Sim said the club has appointed two experts to lead the session: Lt Col (Dr) Eugene Tan Choon Li as scuba diving medical adviser and First Warrant Officer Almudi Eskal as technical diving adviser.
Dr Eugene is an internal medicine specialist and diving medical officer at the Kota Kinabalu Regional Armed Forces Hospital.
Almudi is the Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine Department Chief Supervisor at the Armed Forces Hospital and is also an Army Submarine Escape Instructor.
Both will discuss medical emergencies related to diving and offer guidance on technical skills and safe diving practices, Sim said.
More information about the talk will be shared on the Sabah Dive Squad Club's Facebook page.
