Nöbetçi Eczaneler
By Mark ‘Crowley’ Russell
A scuba diving instructor has been charged with homicidio culposo, the Argentinian equivalent of gross negligence manslaughter, following the death of 23-year-old student diver Sofía Devries during a training dive off Puerto Madryn in February.
Devries went missing on 16 February 2026 while participating in an Advanced Open Water certification dive at the wreck of Hu Shun Yu 809, a former Chinese fishing vessel sunk as an artificial reef in Golfo Nuevo.
Argentinian media reports that the group Devries was diving in had completed the Open Water Diver course the previous day, and then went straight into the Advanced Open Water training.
Her body was recovered two days later at a depth of around 25-30 metres near the wreck. The search was criticised at the time by Devries’ boyfriend, Leonardo Alonso, who complained the authorities had not acted quickly enough after Sofia experienced a problem underwater that prevented her from ascending.
Prosecutors allege that Thiago Nahuel Pocovi, 26, a PADI-certified instructor, led a group of four divers (some reports have said seven) in extremely poor visibility which prevented effective direct supervision.
According to a March report in La Nación, Alonso had problems equalising and was slow to descend, while Devries and her instructor waited on the seabed.
At some point the instructor signalled he had a problem with his BCD and began to ascend, leaving Devries on the seabed as her boyfriend continued his descent.
Now separated from the main group, Devries began to show signs of distress at depth, and removed her regulator from her mouth. Alonso attempted to assist her by offering his own regulator and inflating both his and Devries’ BCD.
During the ascent, however, Devries panicked and the pair were separated, with her BCD still only partially inflated. Devries sank and Alonso, now too buoyant, was unable to descend rapidly enough to reach her.
Pocovi made several attempts to locate her but was unsuccessful. An autopsy confirmed Devries’ death as drowning with no third-party intervention.
On 6 July 2026, Judge Marcela Pérez Bogado opened a formal investigation, in which Pocovi is accused of breaching safety protocols and his duty of care by ascending while leaving Devries and her partner at depth.
Pocovi attended the hearing virtually from Buenos Aires, exercised his right not to speak, and his defence did not oppose the proceedings.
The case has raised questions about supervision during continuing education dive training courses, which are taken by people who are, technically, already certified to dive unsupervised.
Which dive of the Advanced Open Water course the couple were taking has not been reported, but the prosecutors are studying PADI training manuals and local regulations to see if Pocovi failed to adhere to appropriate safety standards.
‘The investigation is looking into whether, upon encountering [the problem with his BCD], Pocovi should have said: “We’re all coming up,” and not left [Sofia] behind. That’s the technical argument,’ a judicial spokesperson told La Nación.
‘Everyone agrees that he shouldn’t have left her alone, but what is being analysed is whether that obligation is written in any regulations and whether, even being down there, the outcome could have been avoided.’
The case is now in the preparatory evidence-gathering stage, with further analysis of equipment, PADI manuals, and witness statements expected to be carried out in the coming weeks. No trial date has yet been set.
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