Risky Business: Observations on the Nature of Death in Hazardous Sports

This study considers another dimension of risky sports: most are group sports, thus a death affects others. 2 questions are asked: how do participants involved in the death itself handle such an event & in what ways does the death impact upon other members of the sporting community. The authors studied scuba divers’ responses to 4 fatal accidents & found the victim is frequently blamed. These accounts serve as disclaimers of responsibility that mitigate grief & allow continued participation.