The Wesley Skiles Case: A Tragic Diving Death

Not only was Wesley Skiles a pioneering cave diver, he was an acclaimed underwater photographer and cinematographer. At the time of his death on July 21st of 2010, he was diving near West Palm Beach, Florida. The cause of Skiles’ death is officially “accidental drowning,” but what caused this expert diver to drown? Here, we will look at what is known, and ponder some disturbing questions that remain.

A Life Underwater

Wesley Skiles began diving at the young age of eight, taking to water like a fish. A classmate recalled that during a school trip to Ginnie Springs during the early 1970’s, Skiles saw a group of cave divers emerging from the springs, and quizzed them about their hobby. All the way home, he told his friends he wanted to do the same thing. By 1985, he had founded Karst Productions and was well on his way to creating a fantastic career in underwater film. In addition, he and a fellow cave diving instructor mapped and laid lines in many underwater caves throughout Florida. 

Eventually, Skiles attracted the attention of the National Geographic Society, conducting a number of film projects for them over the years, recording deep water shark activity and much more. He also created, directed, or produced over 100 additional films, including the PBS Series Water’s Journey.  Throughout his career, he received many awards, including a regional Emmy. 

A Deadly Accident

On the day of his death, Skiles and three other divers were shooting underwater footage for a film while exploring a reef about a mile offshore. Skiles was using an O2Ptima FX rebreather he had borrowed from a fellow diver.

Just before he died, Wesley Skiles signaled to other photographers that he was “out of film”, though this was technically not true as he was using digital equipment. He made an ascent, and was found dead on the reef shortly thereafter. While attempts were made to revive him, he was pronounced deceased after being transported to the hospital. 

The Palm Beach County Medical Examiner ruled that the cause of death was accidental drowning, stating that there was “nothing to indicate natural causes or outside forces” in the death. Even so, Wesley Skiles’ widow, Terri Skiles, filed a lawsuit implicating that the rebreather failed, causing her husband to pass out underwater and die. 

A Question of Evidence

A company called Dive Rite, which supplies rebreathers and parts for those rebreathers, has been named as a defendant in the case, along with company owners. After the accident happened, the diver who owned the rebreather Wesley Skiles was wearing when he died sent it back to the company to be refurbished after the medical examiner returned it to him. Terri Skiles claim states that Dive Rite replaced nearly all the parts in question, effectively destroying evidence left behind which could have showed that the rebreather was in fact faulty. 

Other parties in the case include Juergensen Marine, the company which manufactured the rebreather’s electronics, and another company called Analytical Industries, which manufactures oxygen sensors for rebreathers. 

Despite the fact that safety checks were conducted on the rebreather prior to its use the day Skiles drowned, some disturbing questions remain. Quality control issues with the O2Ptima FX Rebreather have surfaced, and some batches of oxygen sensors from Analytical Industries have been recalled due to being defective. It remains to be seen whether this talented, dedicated individual lost his life due to equipment failure or due to a simple accident.