Tragedy as international tourist dies during dive trip on the Great Barrier Reef – the third death in the area within a year
An international tourist has died after being found unconscious in the water during a dive on the Great Barrier Reef.
The man, in his 60s, was found last Friday at Ribbon Reef near Cooktown in far north Queensland and was pulled unconscious into the boat.
The boat returned to shore at Cooktown, where an ambulance crew came on board to treat the man, but he could not be revived.
Queensland Police are treating the man’s death as non-suspicious and will prepare a report for the coroner.
The Department of Occupational Safety and Health also conducts research.
It is believed the tourist was on a multi-day LiveAboard diving trip from Cairns when the tragedy occurred, Courier post reported.
The man is the third tourist to die on the Great Barrier Reef in the past 12 months.
A Dutch tourist died in May after fainting while snorkeling at the reef.
A 60-year-old international tourist was found unconscious during a diving trip to the Great Barrier Reef (stock image)
The 51-year-old woman had just returned to the boat from the water at Norman Reef when she lost consciousness.
Emergency services, who arrived on the scene with a Rescue 510 helicopter, tried to resuscitate her, but she died at the scene.
Adrian Meyer from Angaston in South Australia died after he and a group of snorkellers were swept across the reef by a strong current last November.
He was with Nicholas Meyer and his daughter Angela Henson about 60km off the coast northeast of Cairns when disaster struck.
It is believed Mr Meyer, 71, suffered a medical condition while battling the current and was taken aboard a rescue vessel, which sank a short time later.
A nearby boat, described by a witness as an “inflatable duck,” stepped in to pull the unconscious Mr. Meyer from the water and bring him to the main ship.