Overview
- The Public Prosecutor's Office of Chubut charged instructor Thiago Nahuel Pocovi with manslaughter in early July 2026 over the February 2026 dive that led to 23-year-old Sofia Devries's death.
- Prosecutors say the group was diving near the Hu Shun Yu wreck in poor visibility that prevented direct supervision and that Devries and her partner were left unsupervised on the seabed.
- Rescuers found Devries's body two days after she disappeared during the certification dive and an autopsy ruled the cause of death as drowning with no signs of third-party physical involvement.
- Authorities have opened parallel investigations into Pocovi's employer, Freediving Patagonia, and the instructor attended a preliminary hearing remotely without offering a statement of defense.
- Under Argentine law manslaughter can carry up to five years in prison, so the case will hinge on the ongoing probe and court review of whether safety protocols were breached and caused the death.