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Inquest on diving holiday deaths Mother saw family diving deaths
(about 7 hours later)
Evidence on the deaths of a renowned heritage expert and his son while scuba diving in the Mediterranean is being heard at an inquest in Cardiff. An archaeologist who introduced her husband and teenage son to diving has told how she watched them die on a holiday on the Maltese island of Gozo.
Richard Avent, 58, and son Rhydian, 16, from Raglan, Monmouthshire, drowned after getting into difficulties on a dive near Malta in August 2006. Richard Avent, 58, and son Rhydian, 16, from Raglan in Monmouthshire, drowned during a dive last August.
Both novice divers, they died despite attempts by his wife Dr Sian Rees and others to resuscitate them. Mr Avent's wife, Sian Rees, said it seemed they did not exhale while they ascended, causing their lungs to burst.
Mr Avent was a chief inspector with Cadw, Welsh Historic Monuments. Recording an accidental death verdict, coroner David Bowen said the tragedy could not have been foreseen.
After the deaths, police in Malta launched an investigation and a magistrate on the island appointed court experts to help with the probe. The court heard that Dr Rees, a marine archaeologist for Welsh heritage agency Cadw, began diving in her college days.
A post-mortem examination concluded that the pair died from barotrauma - pressure difference between lungs and the outside atmosphere - and drowning. Her husband - a chief inspector of ancient monuments with Cadw - had taken up an interest in diving and had trained in Croatia with their son, Rhydian.
On the day of their deaths off Gozo Island, Dr Rees, an experienced diver, descended to 70ft (21m) with the instructor while her husband and son stayed above them. They went to Gozo on a diving holiday last August where they joined a group led by an instructor from a diving centre.
Dr Sian Rees was diving near her husband and son They completed three dives without any problems, but on the fourth, Rhydian and Mr Avent got into trouble.
Mr Avent was said to have been planning the holiday with Dr Rees, also a senior official with Cadw, for the past two years. They had been told that the most interesting things to see were below a depth of 20m but that because of their relative inexperience, Mr Avent and his son would have to remain above that depth.
The family's two older children were not on the holiday. Dr Sian Rees said the tragedy in her family was "indescribable"
At the time of their deaths, First Minister Rhodri Morgan paid tribute to Mr Avent, who was a chief inspector with Cadw, the assembly government's historic environment service. An experienced diver, Dr Rees offered to stay with them but they told her to go with the rest of the group.
He said Mr Avent had made a "massive contribution" to the protection and conservation of Wales's historic sites and buildings. She told the hearing that Mr Avent and Rhydian had given the OK signal three times during the dive. But then when she looked back, she saw them ascending and realised they were in trouble.
Once she reached them, she said they were descending again. Rhydian's breathing regulator was no longer in his mouth.
After managing to get Rhydian to the surface, she tried to resuscitate him but there was red foam coming from his mouth and she realised he was dead.
The diving supervisor had attempted to revive Mr Avent with no success.
Dr Rees said she assumed Rhydian had got into trouble and his father had tried to get him to the surface but in their panic, they had forgotten to exhale as they went upwards.
I will have to live for the rest of my life with a perception of culpability in that I was present Sian Rees
The inquest heard that Dr Rees had thought long and hard about why Rhydian had lost his regulator but no theory worked completely.
It was possible he had switched off his air supply without realising when he got into the water or he may have become tangled with his father.
She thought it unlikely the hose had been snagged on rocks.
Asked by the coroner whether her husband and son had been competent divers, she said you could only tell if someone was really competent by their reaction when something went wrong.
Dr Rees, whose two older children had not been with them on the holiday, said she could not help blaming herself for what happened.
"The tragedy that has befallen my family is indescribable and is all the more terrible in that it was avoidable," she said.
"I will have to live for the rest of my life with a perception of culpability in that I was present and will always feel that there must have been something I could have done to prevent this happening."
She also told the inquest she believes the Professional Association of Diving Instructors should review its safety guidance and consider introducing a probationary period for young or inexperienced divers.
The association has issued a statement offering its condolences and says while they do all they can to minimise risks, diving will never be completely safe.
Following the deaths in 2006, a post-mortem examination concluded that the pair died from barotrauma - pressure difference between lungs and the outside atmosphere - and drowning.
At the time, First Minister Rhodri Morgan paid tribute to Mr Avent's "massive contribution" to the protection and conservation of Wales's historic sites and buildings.