Scuba divers outraged at ‘absurd’ ruling that will discourage buddy diving

Scuba divers have expressed grave concern over their welfare and that of the diving industry in the future after a diver was found guilty of the involuntary homicide of his dive buddy on Friday. Professional divers told Times of Malta yesterday that the “absurd” court judgment was now prompting some to consider diving on their own, rather than with a partner for safety. Nobody wanted to be held responsible for the accidental death of their dive buddy, they said. “This sentence is a horrible precedent,” said Mark Busuttil, vice chair of the Professional Diving Schools Association. “All the divers I spoke to after the news of the conviction said they were seriously considering going solo, which would be even more dangerous. The magistrate’s decision goes against the premise of buddy diving – which is a golden rule in our sport – to always dive in groups to look out for each other.” Divers are also seriously concerned that the judgment will impact the tourist diving industry, an important niche for Malta. “News travels fast within diving communities and tourist divers will soon realise that Malta may not be the diving haven they thought it was,” explained underwater archaeologist...