Fatal Dive: A Dry Suit's Deadly Squeeze

Summary

A 18-year-old diver, Lana Mills, tragically drowned in the near-freezing, high-altitude waters of Lake McDonald due to a series of critical errors during an advanced scuba course. Despite having only five prior dives in warm, shallow conditions, Lana was instructed to use a dry suit for the November 1st, 2020 dive. Her newly purchased used dry suit lacked a crucial inflator hose, preventing her from managing the air inside and controlling buoyancy. Instructors Debbie Snow and Seth Lon allegedly found a loophole to bypass PADI's requirement for dry suit training by having students buy their own equipment. Snow, unqualified to teach the dry suit course she was running concurrently, also added 44 lbs of lead to Lana's buoyancy control device, and she was not given a quick-release weight belt. During the dive, Lana struggled as the increasing pressure at depth squeezed the un-inflated suit, restricting her breathing. Another student, Bob Gentry, captured the harrowing event on his GoPro as Lana signaled for help, but was ignored by instructors. Gentry attempted a rescue, but was pulled down by Lana and forced to abandon her to save himself. Lana's body was recovered at 127 feet. A $12 million lawsuit was filed by Lana's family against Gold Dive, its owners, and PADI. The lawsuit alleged unqualified instructors, failure to follow safety standards, and negligence. Investigations revealed Debbie Snow lacked essential certifications for the dive conditions, and Seth Lon held only a junior open water certification. Gold Dive also lacked a commercial use authorization for the park and had a prior drowning incident. In February 2023, an undisclosed settlement was reached. Debbie Snow had her PADI license revoked, and Gold Dive closed. No criminal charges were filed, leading to outrage from Lana's family who felt justice was not served. PADI was not held responsible, as the court ruled dive shops and instructors are independent businesses.