How to Kill a Mermaid: accountability after the worst day
by: Gareth LockPublished on: 01/11/2026Linnea Mills drowned on a training dive in 2020. Ahead of How to Kill a Mermaid at DEMA, Gareth Lock asks why diving reaches for blame after a death, and what restorative accountability and learning from near misses could offer instead.
What Did "Closed" Mean? Learning from a Diving Fatality in Alberta
by: Gareth LockPublished on: 01/11/2026A diver died in Alberta after being told a reservoir gate was closed. Gareth Lock looks at how the dive made sense at the time, the signals that were lost, and what creative sentencing can offer the diving community. This builds on a blog from 2025
What if I am wrong? How would I know?
by: Gareth LockPublished on: 01/11/2026Why do divers stay quiet when they have doubts? Gareth Lock looks at pluralistic ignorance - group think and alignment - what it means for turn pressure, checks and calling dives, and how dive teams can make their real views visible.
Learning from setbacks without losing confidence or lowering standards
by: Emma BarrowPublished on: 01/11/2026Mistakes trigger harsh self-talk that narrows learning. Emma Barrow shows how the RESET approach (mindfulness, connection, encouragement, productive feedback) helps divers stay accountable and keep high standards without attacking themselves.
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