Fatality at Stage Fort Park - Massachusetts

[DandyDon]

Diver dies after incident in waters off Stage Fort Park » Breaking news » GloucesterTimes.com, Gloucester, MA

A 38-year-old scuba diver from Everett has died following an incident this afternoon in the waters off Gloucester’s Stage Fort Park.
According to Gloucester Police Chief Leonard Campanello, the diver suffered some type of “health emergency” while he was underwater sometime around 1:30 p.m., and came to the surface, calling out for help.
Bystanders at the scene helped pull the diver to shore and attempted to administer CPR at the scene, while Gloucester police and the Fire Department’s ambulance squad responded and also attempted to revive the man on shore.
He was transported to Addison Gilbert Hospital, but was pronounced dead there this afternoon, Campanello said. Authorities have not released the victim’s name, pending notification of next of kin.
Campanello said the man had been diving off Stage Fort Park with a group, but the chief said it was not clear whether it was part of a formal program. The incident remains under investigation, he said.

 

[Malpaso]

I was there for the DAN/DUI dry suit demo day yesterday. I left shortly before the time mentioned. I wonder if this guy was part of that as well. Thanks for posting.

 

[Mr.X]

Very sad. Condolences to the family.

 

[Malpaso]

Update - Update: Diver who died off Stage Fort Identified » Breaking news » GloucesterTimes.com, Gloucester, MA

May 11, 2014 [h=3]Update: Diver who died off Stage Fort Identified[/h] By Times Staff Gloucester Daily Times
A 38-year-old scuba diver from Everett who died Saturday after experiencing what Gloucester police said was “some type of medical emergency” in the waters off Stage Fort Park was participating with a group of 40 or more colleagues as part of a diving workshop and drysuit demonstration, police say.
According to Gloucester Police Chief Leonard Campanello, the diver — identified by police this afternoon as Gregg C. O’Brien of Everett — had been diving, but surfaced at around 1:30 p.m. crying out for help.
He was helped to shore by both fellow divers and bystanders, and they attempted to administer CPR at the scene — as did Gloucester police and a Fire Department ambulance crew that arrived moments later.
But O’Brien, transported by the Fire Department ambulance to Addison Gilbert Hospital, was pronounced dead at AGH Saturday at around 2:30 p.m., Campanello said.
Campanello said the state medical examiner’s office had not released a cause of death as of this evening, adding that Gloucester police are continuing to investigate the case in conjunction with the Essex District Attorney’s office.
Campanello said the group was apparently part of a program headed by a diving equipment company called DUI — for Diving Unlimited International
DUI’s website Sunday indicated that the corporation is billed as the leading producer of diving drysuits, and was presenting an “in-water workshop” and demonstration of drysuits Saturday in Gloucester.
We will update this story as more information becomes available.
For more on this story, look to Monday’s print and online editions of the Gloucester Daily Times and gloucestertimes.com.

 

[The Laconic]

Ugh. I wonder if it was a neck seal that was too tight, although I realize that's a bit of a leap from what little information we have.

 

[Malpaso]

Latest update: GPD: Diver had no drysuit clearance » Latest Cape Ann News » GloucesterTimes.com, Gloucester, MA

May 13, 2014 [h=3]GPD: Diver had no drysuit clearance[/h] By James Niedzinski Staff Writer

The Everett man who lost his life scuba diving off Stage Fort Park Saturday was a certified diver but did not have certification for at least one piece of equipment he was using at the time, according to the Gloucester police report from the incident.

According to the report by Gloucester Detective Steve Mizzoni, police arrived at 1:40 p.m. at Stage Fort Park, where dozens were taking part in a diving seminar with Diving Unlimited International, a San Diego-based company specializing in diving equipment.

According to the other 40 to 50 divers present, Gregg C. O’Brien, 38, of Everett was testing a new drysuit for diving. But while he was a certified diver, the report notes, he was not certified for drysuit diving. He was fitted for a drysuit by a DUI employee, witnesses told police.

Diving Unlimited’s president and chief executive officer, Susan Long, said Monday that a drysuit essentially acts as a raincoat and helps to keep the body warm. A wetsuit, on the other hand, takes in water.

The company’s event at Stage Fort Park was an annual equipment seminar in Gloucester, according to Mizzoni. The company’s website notes that the Gloucester visit was part of a national DUI tour that began in San Diego and later includes a stop in Portland, Maine.

“Typically what happens, people who are not drysuit certified, go into water with a diving instructor (to) take them on a tour,” Long said, although she was not in Gloucester on this outing and could not confirm whether that was the case Saturday.

Mizzoni’s report notes that O’Brien was assigned to a group under a dive master for a test dive. But around 1:30 p.m., O’Brien came to the surface in 8 to 10 feet of water, screaming for help, police said.

According to the police report, he was taking his breathing regulator in and out as he screamed; he was told to fill his buoyancy control device and remove his weight belt, but he was unable to do so.

Other divers swam toward him, but he did not resurface, the report indicates. Divers and bystanders onshore were trying to trying to resuscitate O’Brien before police and others arrived, and crews continued to do so, Chief Leonard Campanello said. He was transported to AGH, where he was pronounced dead at 2:30 p.m.

The equipment O’Brien was using was confiscated by state police.

Essex County District Attorney spokeswoman Carrie Kimball Monahan said the office is investigating the case, but she emphasized Monday that does not imply any indication of criminal wrongdoing.

“We are investigating it, as is the protocol,” she said, adding that the DA’s office is still waiting for an autopsy from the office of the state medical examiner.

“The diving community is a very tight group,” DUI’s Long added in an email to the Times. “When something like this happens, it is very sad for everyone. My heart goes out to his family and all of the people who were there who tried to help that day.”



*************************************************************************
A couple of clarifying points:

The people fitting us for drysuits, at least myself who had never used a drysuit, were volunteers, not DUI "employees".
If you told the check in/check out person that you had never dove dry, they would match you with an experienced volunteer to do your dive. Mine was one-on-one, but I was there early. Not sure what the ratio was later on.

 

[large_diver]

Very sad and condolences to his friends and family.

Water was likely still cold (low-mid 40s); dive was at a sheltered, shallow site.

 

[Malpaso]

Water was likely still cold (low-mid 40s)

Wasn't too bad, 50*F.

 

[large_diver]

Wow. Things have warmed up fast (39 a few weeks ago)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Hatul]

Perhaps he had air embolism from lung overexpansion. He would not be expected to have medical problems given his age. As far as him not being certified to dive with drysuit, such certification is optional though it's helpful to have someone provide some guidance. In any case, at some point you're going to end up in a drysuit in water without certification; there is no way around it.