A scuba diving instructor has been charged in connection with the death of a young diver who disappeared in Argentina earlier this year, according to local reports.
Thiago Nahuel Pocovi, 26, is facing a manslaughter charge over the death of Sofia Devries, 23, whose body was recovered two days after she vanished during a scuba lesson off Puerto Madryn in southern Argentina on Feb. 16, Todo Noticias reported.
Pocovi had been guiding a group of seven divers working toward an advanced scuba certification at an underwater park near the Hu Shun Yu 809, a well-known dive site in the area, when the incident occurred, the outlet said.
Devries — who frequently shared travel posts and social media videos of herself testing new beauty products — was allegedly diving with her boyfriend in low-visibility conditions and without direct supervision when she appeared to become distressed and tried to remove her breathing regulator.
Prosecutor Alex Williams said Devries experienced a medical emergency while ascending from the dive, and that her partner attempted to assist her to the surface but was unable to do so, Argentinian station Radio Rafaela reported.
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Members of the dive team then began an urgent search for Devries, but they were unable to find her at the time, the station reported.
Two days later, a specialized dive team located Devries’ body about 82 feet below the surface, according to the report.
Prosecutors allege Pocovi failed to follow required safety procedures and professional diving instructor regulations during the fatal outing.
The diving instructor attended a court hearing virtually and did not give a statement of defense, Todo Noticias said.
The prosecutor’s office has now launched a full investigation into the diver’s death to determine whether to hold a trial.
The tragedy occurred just months before a group of five Italian scuba divers died 200 feet below the surface during a deep-water dive to a cave in the Maldives.
The group vanished on May 14, with most not having proper cave diving equipment, including a diving reel or guide rope.
