Diver's death could have been avoided - coroner

3:23 pm on 22 February 2017

A diver off Wellington's south coast might not have died if he and his diving buddies had stayed together, a coroner has found.

Coroner Tim Scott released his findings today into the death of William Collins, who died while diving at Sharktooth Point in Lyall Bay in December 2015.

One of the three men involved in the dive went his own way, leaving just one person to help when Mr Collins got into trouble.

He had used about three times as much air as his diving companion and the companion indicated Mr Collins should head back to shore.

Mr Scott said that man carried on with his dive and it was not until he returned to shore that he realised the other man was missing.

A police report into the incident suggested fatigue and a moderately narrowed coronary artery may have contributed to Mr Collins' rapid consumption of air.

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