Dylan Harrison: Scuba diving instructor suspended after 12-year-old girl dies during training course

An investigation has been launched and a scuba diving instructor has been suspended after a young girl died during a training course.

Dylan Harrison, 12, had been taking part in a diving lesson at a lake known as The Scuba Ranch in Terrel, Texas on August 16 when the tragedy unfolded.

The class was run by Scuba Toys, a separate diving company that rents a section of the quarry and offers group lessons to people who want to complete their certification.

Dylan had wanted to learn how to scuba safely so she could dive with her father and grandfather. Her August 16 dive was meant to be the last part of her qualification, the Rockwall County Herald-Banner reported.

The 12-year-old had descended to a training platform about five metres below the lake’s surface.

There was reportedly a miscommunication and the instructor brought the group all the way back up before taking them down to the underwater platform again.

When the group arrived at the platform, Dylan was missing.

Her body was found by a separate diving group who were doing a training session nearby. She was 12 metres below the surface, 7 metres deeper than the platform her group went to.

It is unclear if the platform was right below the one she had been diving to with the group or if it was further away.

Local police are investigating the incident, and Dylan’s family are seeking a full review of the situation.

Police have not made it clear if the data from Dylan and the instructor’s dive computers was collected after the incident, or if there were any barriers to doing so.

The Scuba Ranch released a statement on Facebook confirming that the unnamed instructor had been suspended from teaching at the lake.

“Immediately after this event occurred, out of an abundance of caution, we permanently suspended the instructor from teaching at our facility,” the statement said.

“The dive shop involved was also suspended from training pending the results of this investigation. This step was taken solely to ensure that safety remains the top priority for divers while at The Scuba Ranch.”

The dive shop, Scuba Toys, has not made a comment on the incident.

Tributes are flowing for Dylan on social media and she is being remembered as a bright, creative and loving person.

“Such a beautiful little girl lost too soon. I hope the family gets answers about her death,” one Facebook user wrote.

“This is so sad, sending love and prayers for Dylan and her family for strength, peace, and healing what a beautiful girl! This just proved how adventurous and strong she was! 12 yrs old and living her best life,” another posted.

In Australia, the minimum age for scuba diving is generally 12-years-old, but some regulations mean children younger than that can participate in junior programs.

Some open water courses, including PADI courses in Queensland, allow children aged 10 to participate. They can only dive up to 12 metres deep and must be with an experienced diver at all times.

When they turn 12, they can dive up to 18 metres deep with the same supervision.