No equipment defects found after fatal Lake Constance dive

By Mark ‘Crowley’ Russell

German investigators have found no evidence of technical failure in the equipment used by two tech divers who died following an emergency ascent in Lake Constance.

The tragedy occurred on 2 August at the Tennisplätze dive site in Überlingen, on the German shore of Lake Constance, also known as Bodensee.

A 46-year-old woman, believed to be Séverine Bär, a long-time contributor to the German scuba diving publication Wetnotes, and her 64-year-old dive partner, named only as Frank, died after initiating an emergency ascent from a depth of approximately 80 metres.

Although neither has been officially named by the German police, tributes have been paid to the pair – described as highly experienced technical divers – by friends and colleagues.

According to police reports at the time, the male diver was already unconscious during the ascent, and the woman lost consciousness shortly after reaching the surface while still in the water.

Both divers died at the scene despite attempts to resuscitate them.

A spokesperson for the Konstanz public prosecutor’s office told German broadcaster SWR that the equipment had been examined by police and prosecutors, with no indication that a technical fault had occurred.

The spokesperson said that the post-mortem examination has not yet been fully completed, and described it as ‘extensive’, adding that no further information about the specific causes of death would be released at this stage.

What triggered the emergency ascent that led to the fatalities also remains unknown.

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