By Elena Chong, Court Correspondent and Khushwant Singh

A TRAINEE diver, just one dive away from qualifying as an open-water diver in February last year, never finished his quest.

A scuba tank filled with an exceptionally high level of carbon monoxide ended it for Mr Sue Qing Wen off Pulau Hantu. The 20-year-old sank out of the dive crew's sight and drowned; his body was found three days later, the tank still strapped on.

Lab tests found the tank to contain 785 parts per million (ppm) of carbon monoxide and 12.3 ppm of hydrogen sulphide - both toxic. The compressed air in a normal scuba tank should contain 80 per cent nitrogen and 20 per cent oxygen.

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