Coast Guard rescues diver stuck in kelp - California

[DandyDon]

Coast Guard helicopter rescues diver from kelp bed - MyNewsLA.com

A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter on routine patrol off of San Pedro rescued a diver from a kelp bed. The crew aboard a MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from the Air Station Los Angeles saw someone trying to get their attention with a flashlight at about 6:30 p.m. Saturday about 30 yards off of White Point, said the Coast Guard’s SondraKay Kneen.
“The rescue crew then hovered and lowered the rescue basket down to hoist the scuba diver out of the water,” Kneen said.
The 19-year-old man was reported to be diving alone when he got trapped in a kelp bed for two hours before signaling the helicopter, she said.
The man was taken to the Air Station Los Angeles, Kneen said.

 

[billt4sf]

Diving solo -- no knife?

 

[MaxBottomtime]

You would think that in two hours he would have been able to break every kelp stipe at White Point. I'm guessing panic set it, but still, two hours?

 

[Herb-alaska]

If he was entangled for 2 hours why does he still have his spear gun with him. Gear is replaceable jettison gear that is not required for survival should be the first thought when you are in a situation that you can not control on your own. It does no good to die with your camera in your hands and your weight belt still on you hips

 

[spoolin01]

Prolly ran out of air and decided it was too exhausting to crawl over the kelp. I doubt he meant "captured" by trapped. After a couple of trips back to base over the top, you learn it's much nicer to save enough air for that last leg.

 

[Mr Carcharodon]

There's kelp off San Pedro seriously? I swim the other side of Palos Verdes several times a week. There is less kelp there than there has been in decades. We spent months last summer with water temperatures at 74 F. That killed off essentially all of the kelp. Nothing like that has been seen in my lifetime. Water temperature at 100 fsw never dropped either.

 

[BRT]

My wife and I were caught in kelp one time in the 90's and it gave us a real respect. We wouldn't make it now, too old. We swam out, around and through the kelp on an out going tide. Finally got to the point where the kelp was so tangled down below that we couldn't get through. Almost worse on the surface. Took us a long time and was exhausting. I didn't even take my knife out. I'd still be there if I had tried to cut my way out.

 

[Hatul]

He's a spearo; that explains it.

 

[kelemvor]

2 hours? Was he somehow trapped and on the surface?

 

[Herb-alaska]

He's a spearo; that explains it.

To be called a spearo doesn't he have to have some experience? If you look at his gear (looks bright and new ) it appears to me that he is more of a diver with more money than bottom time who go caught up in a situation that he shouldn't have been in