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Updated: May 20, 2026

Training Rats to Voluntarily Dive Underwater: Investigations of the Mammalian Diving Response
Published on: November 12, 2014
Analysis of a complex recreational scuba diving accident: French Pass, New Zealand, 2000
Graham McGeoch1, F Michael Davis
1General practitioner and a consultant in the Hyperbaric Medicine Unit, Christchurch Hospital, New Zealand, Private Bag 4710, Christchurch, New Zealand, Phone: +64-(0)3-364-0045, Fax: +64-(0)3-364-0187,
Abstract:
In March 2000, six students and an instructor dived using open-circuit scuba in a narrow pass and were swept by a strong current to a depth of 90 metres' sea water. Three died and four were injured, which makes the incident the worst diving accident in New Zealand history. The group was on an officially-sanctioned course with many factors contributing to the final tragic events. The dive is described and the medical response examined. The legal consequences are reported and their implications for diver training and employment are discussed.
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