Fairhope High School graduate Zach Moore died last week as the result of an aeroembolism caused by barotrauma, according to the man who performed his autopsy. Dr. Stephen F. Boudreau, of the Montgomery County Medical Examiners Office, said the diving accident which took Moore’s life April 17 at the University of Alabama Aquatic Center happened because the 21-year-old junior swam up from a depth of 14 feet without first exhaling.

“We attributed it to aeroembolism from barotrauma caused by going up quickly with his lungs filled with air,” Boudreau said. “As you rise and the water pressure decreases, the air in your lungs expands, much like a balloon increases in size as it goes up from the depths.”

He added, “If you have a lung full of air, it rips tissues, and air is introduced into your bloodstream. It’s almost infinitely fatal at the offset because you do so much damage to the lungs and other organs.”

Boudreau said it’s not uncommon for it to happen to inexperienced divers, even if they are strong swimmers as Moore was known to be, and it can occur in as little as 10 feet of water.

“It’s not drowning. It’s a completely different mechanism,” he said.

Moore was pronounced dead at DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa, after initial attempts at CPR failed. UA spokesperson Cathy Andreen said the business major was taking part in a beginner’s scuba diving class at the time.

Funeral services for Moore were held Sunday afternoon, and he was interred at Memory Gardens of Fairhope. The family is asking that donations in his honor be made to the Zachary A. Moore Memorial Scholarship Fund at your neighborhood Wachovia Bank.