Hawaii Snorkelers Drown Using Full-Face Masks

On vacation in Hawaii, 26-year-old Sophia Tsaruk and her husband, Ilya (Billy), from Snohomish, Washington, drowned in mid-September while snorkeling a mere 150 yards from shore, off the coast of the Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve in Maui. They were with her brother and his wife.

It's possible that CO2 builds up inside the mask, leading to an increased breathing rate and even panic by the user. Italian manufacturers like Ocean Reef and Cressi-sub say that their masks are so designed that this cannot happen, although there may be cheaper, less well-thought-out versions available from the Far East online.

While some ocean experts have questioned the safety of this relatively new snorkel design, especially in Hawaii, where several snorkeling businesses ban their use, recent studies found the new design to be safe when made by a reputable manufacturer. Some experts suggest that pulmonary edema may be the true villain of the piece.

This medical condition can cause breathing difficulties, low blood oxygen levels, coughing, frothy or blood-stained spit, and, in some cases, death. In January 2023, The Guardian published an article highlighting the dangers of IPE, in which Dr Peter Wilmshurst, a cardiologist and a member of the UK Diving Medical Committee, who first described IPE in the 1980s, said, "I suspect that the majority of people who die in the water [having entered voluntarily - that is, swimmers or divers] - die from immersion pulmonary edema, not drowning."

That doesn't stop others from blaming the full-face snorkel for such deaths. Those who sell them may take some blame for omitting to tell purchasers how to use them correctly and that if they encounter any difficulty breathing while using one, they must be prepared to remove it instantly.

Snorkeling is the leading cause of tourist deaths in Hawaii, and, incredibly, most of the deaths occur in less than three feet of water. Those suffering difficulty breathing, as is the case from IPE, shouldn't just rip off the mask. They need to get out of the water immediately to recover. (https://tinyurl.com/2a4t3p95)

Diver Alert Network (DAN) says, "Overall, the incidence rate of snorkeling deaths is very small; with an average 10 cases per year and about 2 million snorkelers annually; it is approximately five deaths per 1 million snorkelers. In cases of cardiac death, there are about two deaths per 1 million snorkelers. While this small overall risk does not require any particular intervention, some people may be at much higher risk."