Wreck Divers Drowned in Silty Conditions

Stories like this are always tough to read, amplified by the apparent fact that a simple -- not to mention standard -- safety measure was not taken.

David White, 42, and Kaye Moss, 43, ran out of air as they tried to find their way out of a small compartment on the HMS Scylla off Whitsand Bay in Cornwall.

They dived to the artificial reef and entered a room via a hatch but stirred up silt as they went in.

The sediment made it impossible to see and they were unable to find the exit, an inquest in Plymouth, Devon, heard.

Both bodies were later recovered from the room, with Kaye's buried beneath the silt.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of David White and Kaye Moss.

As tragic and sad as this story may be, it's almost impossible to not be at least a bit frustrated. From the article, it doesn't appear the couple laid a dive reel upon entrance. This is the quintessential precaution that should be taken by every wreck diver... every time. And if the couple didn't have wreck training, they shouldn't have penetrated the vessel in the first place.

If you don't know, don't go.

If you do go, lay a line... every time.