A diving instructor has been charged in the death of a young scuba diver who vanished in Argentina earlier this year, according to reports.
Thiago Nahuel Pocovi, 26, was hit with manslaughter charges in the death of Sofia Devries, 23, who was found dead two days after she disappeared during scuba diving lessons off Puerto Madryn in southern Argentina on Feb 16, Todo Noticias reported.
Pocovi was leading a group of seven divers advancing their scuba certification to an underwater park by the Hu Shun Yu 809, a popular diving spot in the region, when the tragedy unfolded, the local outlet said.
Devries — who often posted about her travels and filmed videos of herself trying new beauty products on social media — and her boyfriend were allegedly diving in poor visibility conditions without immediate supervision when she began to show signs of distress and scrambled to pull off her breathing regulator.
Prosecutor Alex Williams said that Devries suffered a medical emergency as she ascended during the dive, and that her partner tried to help her reach the surface, but was unsuccessful, Argentinian station Radio Rafaela reported.
Other members of the diving crew then launched a desperate search to find her, but could not locate her, the station said.
A team of specialized divers eventually discovered Devries’ body at a depth of roughly 82 feet underwater two days later, the outlet reported.
Pocovi allegedly violated safety protocols and regulations for professional diving instructors during the fateful expedition, prosecutors argued.
The diving instructor attended a court hearing virtually and did not give a statement of defense, Todo Noticias said.
The prosecutor’s office has now launched a full investigation into the diver’s death to determine whether to hold a trial.
The tragedy occurred just months before a group of five Italian scuba divers died 200 feet below the surface during a deep-water dive to a cave in the Maldives.
The group vanished on May 14, with most not having proper cave diving equipment, including a diving reel or guide rope.
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