Famous PADI course director killed while diving

The world diving community is in shock. Famous and recognisable Andy Phillips, who was a PADI Platinum Course Director and trainer of technical diving instructors, has died in a diving accident. The accident occurred while diving in the St. Lawrence River, Canada.

The incident occurred on Tuesday, June 11, near Cornwall, Ontario. According to local police, the call regarding the diving incident came in at 9 a.m. Two divers entered the water at a popular location called Lock 21, on Macdonnell Island in South Stormont Township. Unfortunately, only one of them returned to the surface.

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Multiple services were involved in the search operation, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, South Stormont and Cornwall fire services, US Customs and Border Protection and a helicopter from CFB Trenton. Local residents were asked to avoid the area while a search was conducted for the missing diver. Unfortunately, after several fruitless days, they were called off.

Andy Phillips obtained his first diving certification in 1990 while on holiday in Greece. In 1997, after graduating from university and a six-month career adventure in the insurance world, he decided to change careers and became a PADI Divemaster on the island of Koh Tao in Thailand. His employer convinced him that he had the aptitude to become a good instructor, which he did in 1998. After some time on the Andean island he moved to Costa Rica and then to Dahab, where he discovered his passion for deep technical diving in 1999.

In 2000 he returned to the Caribbean and began managing Utila Dive Center. Two years later he became a PADI Director’s Course (and has maintained Platinum level since 2005), and then at the age of 28 was one of the youngest PADI Tec Rec instructor trainers in the world.

Source: scubadivermag.com