A dive trip off Procida, the small island in the Bay of Naples, turned into an emergency on Sunday 6 September when a scuba cylinder suddenly burst on board a RIB near the popular site at Punta Pizzaco.
The blast, described by witnesses as a loud bang, threw the 60-year-old diver overboard. According to Italian news agency ANSA's initial reporting, the man — said to be from Naples — stayed conscious, but suffered facial injuries and severe abdominal trauma. The RIB carried him straight back to Marina Grande, the island's main port, where medics were waiting. After checks at the small Gaetanina Scotto di Perrotolo hospital on Procida, doctors decided he needed specialist care and had him airlifted to a hospital in Naples under a code-red emergency. Reports suggest the injuries were serious but not life-threatening. No update on his condition has been released.
The Italian Coast Guard is investigating and will inspect the equipment involved. It's not yet known what caused the tank to fail, whether it held standard compressed air or something else, or what the diver was doing at the moment of the rupture. Beyond the apparent structural failure, the circumstances remain unclear.
Tank explosions are rare, but when they happen the consequences can be catastrophic. The article points to two recent examples: in March of last year a 27-year-old man was killed at a dive centre in Pointe-aux-Piments, Mauritius, when a cylinder burst while he was filling it. A few months later, a 14-year-old boy lost a hand when a tank exploded at Ploče Beach in Budva, Montenegro — and he was around 50 metres away when it went off.
For anyone booking a diving holiday, the practical takeaway is straightforward: ask operators how their cylinders are maintained, when they were last visually inspected and hydrostatically tested, and whether staff hold current compressor and fill-station certifications. Reputable dive centres should answer without hesitation. If you're filling your own tanks, keep them out of direct sun, never exceed rated pressure, and stand clear during fills.
Procida itself is one of the quieter islands in the Bay of Naples — smaller and less glitzy than Capri or Ischia — and diving around its waters remains popular. This incident shouldn't put anyone off, but it's a reminder that the gear matters as much as the fish. Story first reported by Dive Magazine.