The Defence Force ordered to pay heft fine for health and safety failings following death of trainee diver
The Defence Force has been ordered to pay a fine of more than a quarter of a million dollars for health and safety failings following the death of a trainee diver
17 October 2020
Zachary Yarwood died in 2019 as a result of a brain injury due to oxygen deprivation following a night dive.
A Worksafe investigation found the exercise went against the Defence Force's own training standards.
It also found trainees were covertly switching their breathing apparatus from nitrox to oxygen mode, which ran the risk of leading to oxygen deprivation.
Worksafe says while they couldn't find evidence to suggest the Defence Force's action had directly caused his death, health and safety failings were still evident - there was a lack of supervision.
© 2025 Newstalk ZB, NZCity
