Teen diver dead - Catalina Island, California

[DandyDon]

The story mentions "Great Escape, a popular diving area near Eagle Reef." I know of the dive boat by that name. Is there actually a dive site of the same name...?

Teen dies in Catalina Island diving accident

A teenage diver pulled unconscious from the waters off Catalina Island died Tuesday morning when life-saving efforts failed, officials said.
The unidentified teenager was scuba diving 60 to 90 feet under water at the Great Escape, a popular diving area near Eagle Reef, lifeguard Capt. Ken Haskett said. He was in cardiac arrest when rescuers reached him.
Authorities are investigating the incident and cause of death.
“The emergency happened at depth,” he said. “He may have run out of air, but we don’t know yet.”

Los Angeles County lifeguards and paramedics responded to a rescue call at 11:24 a.m.
The boy, who was believed to be about 14 or 15 years old, was transported to the Catalina Hyperbaric Chambers and later pronounced dead. His 23-year-old diving partner was treated and is in stable condition.

 

[drbill]

I, too, have never heard of a dive site called the Great Escape (and, as you know Don, I've lived and dived on the island for 46 years)... but many boat captains give their own names to sites here that already have accepted geographic names. My guess would be the person who reported this got the boat name mixed up with the dive site although I haven't heard about this specific incident.

 

[iamrushman]

sad news for all the diving community.....condolences to family and friends...

 

[diversteve]

I'm sure it's 'off" not "at" since they were out there yesterday with the Dive Alliance group. And apparently others since they're mostly vets afaik.

 

[Scott]

Terrible news for our local community. The diver was related to a good friend of mine.
Tragic and saddening.


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[drbill]

Very sorry to hear that... my condolences to his friends and family.

Terrible news for our local community. The diver was related to a good friend of mine.
Tragic and saddening.

 

[selo]

As drbill says Eagle Reef is a dive spot and the Great Escape is a charter boat. I had many dives with the Great Escape from 2006-2010 and I remember them as a very nice operation. I have zero knowledge of this particular incident.

Very sad indeed.

 

[David Carver]

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is requesting the diving public's assistance in locating a Tusa integrated weight pocket that was left on the ocean floor during the rescue phase of this dive fatality. The weight pocket is black in color with a silver pull handle. The pocket should contain two soft weights with the initials "D.A." written on the cover in black permanent pen. The pocket was left on the bottom in approximately 94 fsw on a sandy bottom at the Eagle Reef dive site located west of the Isthmus off Santa Catalina Island. If this weight integrated pocket is found, please contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Avalon Station at (310) 510-0174 or Sergeant David Carver at (323) 881-7800.

For clarification, the Sheriff's Department is not asking for recreational divers to specifically look for the integrated weight pocket but would like to be contacted if the pocket is found by divers so arrangements can be made to take possession of the pocket.

 

[mikeycanuk]

This hits close to home as our son is 14 and avid diver. I can't imagine what the family is going through.

 

[Steve_C]

Sad news. I know that many on the board will disagree but if the 14 year old was at 90 ft then that is a deeper than I would want a 14 year old of mine to be at. Not so much the physiology but the consistent judgement and risk appreciation of that age group.