Free-dive warning after Chinese exchange student’s tragic Bruny Island death

A 16-year-old who drowned off Bruny Island while free-diving had gotten his foot caught in a spear gun line, a coroner has revealed. FULL REPORT >>

Bruny Island Lighthouse.

A TEENAGE Chinese exchange student tragically drowned off Bruny Island after his foot became entangled in his spear fish line, a coroner has determined.

On Tuesday, Coroner Robert Webster handed down his findings into the November 2021 free-diving death of Rui Xuan Han, known to his friends as Harry Han, at Lighthouse Bay, South Bruny.

Free-diving requires the diver to hold their breath until resurfacing rather than relying on breathing apparatus, such as that used in scuba diving.

Mr Webster said the 16-year-old, who was in Grade 10 at Taroona High School, had lived with his host parents since Grade 7, was popular and well-liked at school, and was considered “very energetic and a real adventurer”.

Harry had been taking scuba diving lessons, had purchased a wetsuit and “asked on many occasions if he could go out with different people to dive”, Mr Webster said.

The coroner said Harry was not permitted to go with anyone who wasn’t a proficient diver and who his host mother didn’t know.

On November 6, Harry went out free-diving with an experienced diver at Southport, spending the day fishing for abalone and crayfish.

That diver reminded Harry that free-diving was “very dangerous for everyone” and advised him to not use a spear gun.

The following day, the teenager said he was going out diving on Bruny Island with his friend, with his host mother apparently happy with this because the friend’s father was a “very cautious man” who would look after Harry in the water.

But the two teens caught the ferry alone and were picked up by an older friend, not an experienced diver, who Harry had met through a boxing club.

The trio arrived at the lighthouse, with Harry keen to get to the water – taking a spear gun that his host mother had told him not to use – with the other teen waiting behind in the car.

The lighthouse at South Bruny.

During their time in the water looking for lobster and abalone, Harry became entangled in his spear gun fishing line, was unable to free himself and became suspended under water.

His older friend tried to lift him but couldn’t, calling for help to people on the beach who couldn’t hear him.

Mr Webster said free-diving was “a hazardous unregulated leisure activity”, which included the risk of drowning, hypoxic blackout upon surfacing, and environmental dangers.

“In this case, police have reported Lighthouse Bay is not a common destination for such an activity as changing weather conditions make it a dangerous location, which is rarely visited by even experienced divers,” the coroner said.

“Given these very significant risks I recommend to people that wish to participate in this activity that they undertake a free-diving course before doing so.”

He reminded people to never free-dive alone, and that dive buddies should never dive at the same time as their partner, but instead keep a lookout.

Follow @ambervwilson

Originally published as Free-dive warning after Chinese exchange student’s tragic Bruny Island death