Nine of 10 nighttime diving accidents in past 5 years proved fatal, safety gaps exposed

The number of underwater leisure participants in South Korea has more than doubled over the past decade, yet safety management for nighttime diving still has significant gaps. Nine of the 10 nighttime underwater leisure accidents recorded over the past five years resulted in fatalities, prompting calls to enshrine qualification standards for safety personnel in law.

Trends in underwater leisure activity participation [Provided by KMI]

According to a study on improving the underwater leisure safety management system published Friday by the Korea Maritime Institute, the number of underwater leisure participants in South Korea grew from 700,000 in 2015 to 1.48 million last year — more than doubling in a decade. The market has expanded rapidly on the back of growing marine tourism demand, but the safety management regime has failed to keep pace, the report found.

The report particularly flagged a safety gap in nighttime underwater leisure activities. Current law — the Act on Safety and Promotion of Underwater Leisure Activities — generally restricts underwater leisure after sunset but allows exceptions when participants are accompanied by a certified safety officer. However, qualification standards for such officers are not clearly defined in law, causing persistent confusion in the field.

Over the past five years, 10 nighttime underwater leisure accidents occurred and nine involved fatalities. Researchers said the expertise of safety personnel is paramount at night, when assessing terrain and water depth is difficult and rescue operations are far more challenging.

Nighttime underwater leisure safety accident statistics [Provided by KMI]

Lee Jeong-a, an associate research fellow at KMI, recommended amending the enforcement rules of the Underwater Leisure Act to codify qualification standards for safety officers and adding related provisions to the underwater leisure safety management regulations. Clearly defined standards are needed to ensure consistent application of the law and reduce confusion in the field, she said.

Lee also said oversight of organizations authorized to train underwater leisure instructors must be strengthened. She recommended writing reporting obligations and data submission requirements for such organizations into law, with detailed standards set out in enforcement rules and official notices to improve the effectiveness of the management system.

Beyond regulatory reform, the report called for building a stronger policy foundation. It recommended that the government establish a statistical system to track the scale of the underwater leisure industry and expand tailored safety education targeting children, teenagers and fishers to foster a broader safety culture.

adastra@heraldcorp.com