Unknown German diver dies in Florida Keys

[DandyDon]

German man dies after scuba diving in the Florida Keys, deputies say. What we know

A German man died in the hospital after losing consciousness while scuba diving in the Florida Keys, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. Vitaliy Demchuk, 59, was diving the Christ of the Abyss site off Key Largo when the incident happened Sunday morning, said sheriff’s office spokesman Adam Linhardt. Crew with the Amoray Dive Resort immediately began CPR, and paramedics took him to Mariners Hospital in Tavernier, where Linhardt added he was pronounced dead at 11:10 a.m. Autopsy results are pending to determine cause of death, but the sheriff’s office does not suspect foul play, Linhardt said.

 

[touny71]

There is a thread on reddit from witness perspective.

 

[Biotech Diver]

I doubt he had 44 lbs of weight, maybe 22 lbs. i would be skeptical of the some observations from someone who only had 9 dives. If it’s only 10 minutes into the dive it makes me think either a medical event or he didn’t have his air valve open or critical equipment failure.

 

[hehatemefrisbee]

Commented on the Reddit thread as well, but 44LBs is such an insane number it's hard to get my head around. You have to HOPE he meant LBs not KGs but that OP insisted he was asking for KGs

 

[touny71]

Commented on the Reddit thread as well, but 44LBs is such an insane number it's hard to get my head around. You have to HOPE he meant LBs not KGs but that OP insisted he was asking for KGs

Seems crazy but then again somebody died, so maybe isn't that crazy.

I can see somebody really big and fat needing 10kg to dive with a 5mm wetsuit.

 

[Biotech Diver]

If he had 44 lbs of weight he would have sank right to the bottom. My Apeks BC I used for doubles only had 40 lbs of lift and I think my BC2 BC only has 36 lbs of lift. I think it’s safe to assume this German didn’t have anything more than a 5mm dive suit, if that, so I can’t imagine he would be asking for 44 lbs of weight.

 

[Tripp]

.

 

[touny71]

If he had 44 lbs of weight he would have sank right to the bottom. My Apeks BC I used for doubles only had 40 lbs of lift and I think my BC2 BC only has 36 lbs of lift. I think it’s safe to assume this German didn’t have anything more than a 5mm dive suit, if that, so I can’t imagine he would be asking for 44 lbs of weight.

To ask for 44 lbs and the dive shop actually giving him 44 lbs are different things. But the first one is indicative of possible problems

 

[Snoweman]

The water temp today at Key Largo is 81° F. I seriously doubt he wore any wetsuit.

I've seen plenty of people in CZM wear a wetsuit in 85° water. I don't understand it, but they do.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

44 lbs can't possibly be correct. BCDs won't even hold that much. Even a drysuit with thick cold water undergarments doesn't require that much, even for an obese person. Key Largo in 80 degree water, NO ONE needs 44 lbs. Not even close. So I call BS on the 44 lbs until it is corroborated by a reputable source, if that ever happens.