David MacGregor (30) manager of the Wine Down restaurant in Governor’s Square, West Bay Road, and an American citizen, was found dead on 19^th September 2011.

At a coroner’s inquest into Mr. MacGregor’s death on Friday, 12^th October 2012 a jury of six returned a verdict of death by misadventure. The deceased overdosed himself by ‘huffing’.

Huffing is inhalant abuse and is the intentional inhalation of chemical vapors to attain a mental “high” or euphoric effect. Inhalers abuse a wide variety of substances, including many common household products. Inhalants produce an effect that may be similar to alcohol intoxication.

The inquest heard that on 13 September 2011, MacGregor had been treated at the Cayman Islands Hospital George Town for the ingestion of one can of Duster Desempolvador (Difluoroethane), or what was described in court as computer cleaner spray.

It was not determined by medical practitioners whether this was the direct incident that caused his death or it was an inhalation that took place at a later time, although his cause of death on the autopsy was listed as difluoroethane toxicity.

Dr. Shravana Jyoti, Pathologist from the Health Services Authority, said, “He was addicted to this thing, according to witnesses who were interviewed at his workplace.”

Dr. Jyoti concluded that the death was a result of an overdose of the substance. There were no other drugs found in Mr. MacGregor’s system. He also said the level of toxicity of the chemical that killed Mr. MacGregor was 300 micrograms. The lowest reading known to cause death was 29 micrograms.

In the second death at the same coroner’s inquest the jury returned a verdict of death by natural causes.

American tourist, John O’Sullivan (54) from Texas died after becoming distressed on a dive to the Kittiwake on 23 November 2011 in Grand Cayman. Mr. O’Sullivan had a history of medical problems and was on medication for coronary artery disease and hypertension. He also had just undergone surgery to place a stent into a blocked artery.

However, the deceased was an experienced diver and he had dived the Kittiwake wreck site before.

Detective Constable Nathan Turner said on that day he was notified a male had drowned while diving and had been taken to the West Bay Dock. Upon arrival he was told that the man had been taken away by ambulance.

Turner said he had been told by crew members from Don Foster’s Diving O’Sullivan had been diving with his daughter that day and had ascended rapidly from about 30 feet beneath the surface for no apparent reason.

The look out aboard the Don Foster’s 48 foot dive vessel, Cayman Sky, told the officer that he saw Mr. O’Sullivan surface at which time he was shouting loudly. The crew member dived into the water to assist. Once he got to his aid, O’Sullivan said he did not feel good and started to vomit in the water. Once taken to the back of the dive boat, he passed out.

Dr. Shravana Jyoti testified that after an autopsy that was conducted on 25 November 2011, the cause of death was determined to be an aortic stenosis or narrowing of the aortic wall, which started a chain of events that caused heart failure.

The Inquest also heard from the deceased’s wife and daughter. A report from a Dive Specialist for the Department of Environment confirmed there was no link between the death of O’Sullivan and the equipment used that day.