A CORONER has returned a verdict of death by misadventure on a mute diver who died after hours of chasing fish into a net held by his partner.
Cheng Wai-lun, 29, had been working off Nightingale Island, Vietnam, breathing through a pipe attached to a compressor on board the ship.
He was one of 28 workers recruited by Shek Wah-cheong, the owner and master of a Hong Kong fishing vessel, from Toi Shan, Guangdong, on July 6 last year.
Four days later, they arrived at their destination. The divers worked in pairs off sampans. The teams took turns to chase garoupa into a net which was held by the partner aboard the sampan.
At 8 am on July 31, Cheng started his dive while partner Ah Fei operated the compressor.
Four hours later, Cheng finished diving at a depth of about 38 metres. He had been taking 30-minute breaks every 30 minutes. Cheng did not show signs of sickness.
