A case of deep burns, while diving The Lusitania.

We present the first documented case of severe burns, sustained by a diver as a result of auto-ignition of air-activated heat packs at high partial pressure of oxygen and high ambient pressure. Our patient was diving the shipwreck of The Lusitania off the south coast of Ireland. This is a significant wreck, lying 90 metres down on the seabed. Torpedoed by a German U-boat in 1915, its loss prompted American involvement in WW1. Several unlikely events combined in this case to bring about serious and life threatening injuries. Herein we discuss the case and explore some of the physical and chemical processes that lead to these injuries. Copyright 2009 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.