The Scuba Ranch in Terrell, Texas, has released an official statement following the death of a 12-year-old girl during a scuba diving class in August, a story first reported by The Scuba News.
The facility confirmed that, in the aftermath of the tragedy, it permanently suspended the instructor involved and temporarily suspended the dive shop pending the results of the ongoing investigation.
In its statement, The Scuba Ranch expressed deep sorrow and clarified its position regarding instructor independence and safety protocols.
“We are heartbroken by the recent tragic loss of a young life at our lake this past August. Our deepest sympathy and prayers are with her family and friends, during this unimaginably difficult time.
The Scuba Ranch exists to provide a safe and accessible freshwater environment for qualified Dive Instructors to conduct their training. The Scuba Ranch does not employ Dive Instructors, and does not provide, direct, or supervise instruction received. All Dive Instructors are independent of The Scuba Ranch and not affiliated with us other than as a customer. We do require that all instructors using our facilities follow recognized scuba safety standards outlined by their credentialing agency, as well as professional judgement, to train students safely.
Immediately after this event occurred, out of an abundance of caution, we permanently suspended the instructor from teaching at our facility. The dive shop involved was also suspended from training pending the results of this investigation. This step was taken solely to ensure that safety remains the top priority for divers while at The Scuba Ranch.
This tragedy has deeply affected the entire dive community, and we will continue to support those impacted as best we can. We, along with all of you, are awaiting the facts and details to be released with complete transparency so that we may learn from what happened.
The Scuba Ranch has and continues to be fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation and remains committed to supporting all efforts to understand what happened. We pray this family receives the answers, justice, and closure they deserve, and that all of the dive community would be strengthened through what we learn.”
The Scuba Ranch, a popular freshwater diving site in North Texas, is frequently used by independent instructors for certification courses and training. The facility emphasized that instructors are not its employees and that it requires them to adhere to the standards set by their certifying agencies.
As reported earlier by The Scuba News, the young diver was participating in a junior scuba course when the fatal incident occurred. Her family continues to seek answers as investigations by law enforcement and diving authorities proceed.
The Scuba News will continue to follow the story and provide updates as new details emerge.
Comments
