TERRELL, Texas — A recently resurfaced video from 2017 has sparked outrage and raised serious concerns following the tragic death of a 12-year-old girl during a diving class at Scuba Toys, a local dive shop. The video appears to show the shop’s owner making statements that suggest a troubling history of fatalities associated with the business.
The surfacing of this footage has prompted individuals, including former instructors, to come forward with additional alarming information about Scuba Toys. In the video, Joe Johnson, the shop’s owner, allegedly acknowledged that the dive shop had been connected to several deaths, claiming that the business faced no legal repercussions for these incidents. His remarks have ignited serious discussions about safety standards in scuba diving and the accountability of dive shops.
The 2017 meeting, recorded by an instructor concerned about the shop’s safety protocols, features Johnson making inappropriate comments about legal liability and fatalities linked to their operations. A former instructor, who provided the video, shared his shock at Johnson’s casual admission that the shop had “killed” four or five people without facing deposition or significant legal ramifications. The instructor decided to cease his association with the dive shop after this disturbing exchange.
Following the recording, the instructor sent the entire 45-minute video to John Banks, the regional director for the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) at the time. Banks then forwarded the video to NAUI headquarters for review. However, he stated that the organization deemed the information “not actionable,” leaving many questions unanswered regarding safety standards at Scuba Toys.
In light of the recent tragedy involving the young diver, Banks expressed deep concern over the apparent indifference toward student safety displayed by Johnson. He emphasized that no child under 15 should be left unattended while diving and that heightened caution is essential in such instruction sessions. Additionally, he affirmed that proper protocols should be in place to manage situations where a diver may panic or experience distress underwater.
Experts have emphasized the need for better regulation in scuba diving, highlighting that the industry often relies on self-regulation. Banks lamented the lack of formal oversight and urged for reforms to ensure student safety takes precedence over profit margins.
The state authorities have now stepped in. The Texas Rangers are assisting the Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office in the investigation related to the recent incident, and the controversial 2017 footage has been submitted as part of their inquiry.
As this situation develops, many in the diving community are calling for broader discussions around safety practices and accountability within the industry, advocating for measures that would prevent future tragedies.