Update: Female Submarine Diver(s)

September 13, 2007 - Aussie diver in hospital after Gallipoli sub salvage accident The woman was working with a joint Australian and Turkish team studying the wreck, which sunk in 1915 during the Gallipoli campaign.

Updated Fri Sep 14, 2007 - The woman was working with a joint Australian and Turkish team studying the wreck, which sunk in 1915 during the Gallipoli campaign. A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman says first reports are that the 35-year-old experienced equipment problems, and after resurfacing, was rushed to hospital where she is in a stable condition.

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M.E. is cheered that the above diver's condition is stable and we certainly wish this young lady the most complete and speediest recovery possible.

Scuba diving is not a very familiar topic to non-divers. The question was asked about comparative safety and accident rates for female versus male divers. Readers should be relieved to know that there seem to be no significant gender differences (except during later pregnancy).

DOES ONE'S SEX AFFECT SCUBA DIVING? "There are two answers to this important question. The short answer is "no." Much has been written about the difference between men and women divers, and no self respecting dive columnist would stop with such a simple answer. But the fact is, the differences between men and women regarding scuba diving are, with one exception, minor and not significant." Lawrence Martin, M.D. here

Diving Accidents. Analyses of Underlying Variables "Older divers were disproportionately and appropriately assigned to deep dives." NAVAL HEALTH RESEARCH CENTER SAN DIEGO CA here

Scuba Diving Accidents in Japan:

A Review and Approach for the Forensic Pathologist.

"In the last 10 years, an average of 51 and 25 people was involved in accidents and killed each year, respectively. The ratio of male to female was 2.5..." MUKAI TOSHIJI (et al) here

Whew!