Alex Lorente RIP 06/08/12

[vickobcn]

On Monday we lost a great defender of the sea and all its inhabitants.

Alex Lorente disappeared on Monday evening after encountering problems whilst skin-diving in the Medes Islands. His buddy raised the alarm but unfortunately on Tuesday the GEAS recovered his body.

Muere el biólogo Àlex Lorente cuando buceaba en las islas Medes | Cataluña | EL PAÍS

Alex was a technical officer of the Medes Marine Reserve, a widely renowned biologist, conservationist, experienced diver and one of the great ambassadors for the sea here in Spain.

He studied Biology at the University of Barcelona and before working for the Medes Marine Reserve also worked in CRAM (Centre for the Recuperation of Marine Animals) and SUBMON (another marine conservationist and educative group).

He will be missed by all who knew him and the many who knew him only through his tireless efforts to protect the sea and marine fauna.

Condolences to the family and friends.

RIP Alex.

Nos veremos en el azul.

 

[technicalbeast]

What actually happened

 

[vickobcn]

I wasn't there but the 3rd hand information that I've received seems to match up pretty well with this article:

Recuperan el cadver del bilogo desaparecido en Illes Medes cuando buceaba - ABC.es - Noticias Agencias

My translation:

The body of the missing Biologist recovered from the Medes Islands where he was diving.

The Special Group of Underwater Activities of the Civil Guard (GEAS) has recovered the body of the biologist in charge of the management of the Marine Reserve of Montgri early this afternoon. Alex Lorente, 37 years old, disappeared yesterday while diving.

The body was located 50 metres south of where he had been free-diving in the area known as Tasco Petit, in the Medes Islands.

Lorente, a biologist, who lived in l'Estartit, had served for almost 4 years as the as the person in charge of the management of the Marine Reserve of Montgri, the Medes Islands and Baix Ter, after previously working with the Protected Area of the Medes Islands (APIM).

The victim had been free-diving all day yesterday, in a well known zone of l'Estartit called "Els Tascons" in the Medes Islands, and it was there that he met with a Park Ranger who was passing in his boat.

When he surfaced he told the Park Ranger that he was not feeling well, and according to the first hypothesis, he was suffering from hypoxia due to a lack of oxygen and that he would have fainted, then dragged by the current to the sea floor where the ranger could not do anything to save his life.

She immediately alerted emergency services at about 20:15h and rescue teams were immediately activated. They searched without success for the diver.

This morning, a rescue team consisting of Rural Agents by sea and air, underwater units of the Civil Guard from l'Estartit and Barcelona, Mossos d'Esquadra, Fire department and Maritime Service vessels were looking for Lorente.

After more than two hours of searching the area where it was assumed that the diver was missing, the body was located on the rocky sea floor.

After the recovery and removal of the lifeless body, he was transferred to the Port of l'Estartit where agents from the Judicial Police and Civil Guard have proceeded to remove the body.

A rumour that is being spread in some papers is that he dived down to recover the fin that had been dropped by a diving companion but this at the moment is just rumour.

 

[technicalbeast]

well ............may alex rest in peace.........???????????