Diver death at Lovers Point

[Scubaroo]

A local one... condolences to all involved. The exact date is not clear, but I believe it was known but it was either May 30 or 31.

A 51-year-old social worker from Salinas died Friday while scuba diving with her brother off Lovers Point in Pacific Grove, USA.

Marie Murray, a longtime certified diver, may have gotten entangled in kelp during a morning dive. She was found in the water about 20 minutes into the dive, officials said. Her brother and dive buddy, John Murray, visiting from Chicago, apparently lost her in the water.

Pacific Grove fire Capt. Kirk Napier said emergency crews were called to Lovers Point about 8:45 a.m. Three bystanders had jumped into the 50-degree water to help find Murray and pulled her to shore after finding her near a pier, Pacific Grove police said. It isn't clear how they knew she was in trouble.

"She wasn't breathing; she had no pulse," Napier said. "We assisted with CPR and transported her'' to Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, where she was pronounced dead.

Monterey County coroner's investigator Mark Stevens said the cause of death had not been determined. Murray, who had about 20 years experience diving, appeared to have all her gear on, he said. The conditions in the water were cold, but visibility was good.

"It's still under investigation at this time, but we do know that she was with her brother. I don't have all the information to say exactly what happened," he said Friday.

An autopsy is scheduled for Monday.

Murray had just returned from a dive trip to Cozumel, Mexico, last week, where she had gotten at least 14 dives in, said H. Toberman, owner of Aquarius Dive Shop in Monterey, which organized the trip.

While she did have experience, Toberman had remarked recently that Murray's equipment was old and in need of updating. He said he went so far as to get her a new buoyance-control vest last year, but she apparently preferred her old one.

"I took it away from her in Cozumel and told her to rent one," said Toberman, who said Murray's vest was about 25 years old.

"This is just terrible," he said. "It's always bad when accidents happen, but it just stresses the need to press upon safety in the sport."

Toberman said Murray had called Thursday inquiring about a dry suit, and, eerily, an employee had made a comment that her archaic equipment would cost her her life.

"It's really odd that the conversation happened just yesterday, and today it happened," Toberman said.

Source: www.diveoz.com.au

 

[scubasean]

My condolences also...

Found the article, which appeared May 31, and seems to describe the date of occurrance as May 30.

http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/local/5984675.htm

The article seems to reflect "20 minutes" into the dive, "wearing all gear" (must not sure about the reg. though, since it was only 20 minutes into the dive).

Also, found near a pier, but might have gotten caught in kelp....

I'm not familiar with Lovers, but would gladly read insight provided by more experienced folks.....



Sean

 

[Dryglove]

Thats truly a sad loss. Im guessing she didnt have much kelp diving experience.

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

Only 20 minutes into the dive? Well if ya dive in Monterey you dive in kelp, at least that's been my experience the few times I've dove there. I can only wonder what happened. Perhaps equipment failure while under the canopy?

 

[the sharkman]

I have dove Lovers, and there was a lot of kelp when my wife and I dove it. A lot. If you loose your dive buddy, and then try to find them, it could be like trying to find a needle in a haystack by yourself. This is so sad. It just reminds me how important it is to not loose sight of your buddy, especially in that kelp. Most people who dive the kelp alot know that you can easily break the kelp (like a carrot) by bending it, rather that pulling. You can pull forever and it wont break. I know that I have needed a buddy to untangle me a couple of times. Who knows what really happened, and it is really sad to hear of news like this.

 

[joed]

Maybe it was the cold water. She just returned from Cozumel and was used to warm water diving. She was from Salinas, but did she dive CA water alot? I once wen t to lovers without a hood in 50 degree water and I froze. Old gear, torn wetsuit means cold.
Maybe the reg died? Did she have an octopus? I dove outdated gear for years and never had an octopus until my reg mouthpiece fell out one day (just had my yearly service) and I had to make a free accent from 15'. No octopus meant going home early. The next day I had one .I just began to update myself a few years ago. So I know how some like to hold on to old gear. But rubber wears out. God Bless the lady ,she was probably a great person, peace to her family and friends

 

[zeN||]

20 min into dive? It's not too difficult to make it to shore here unless it's high tide, sounds like after only 20 min she prob developed an unknown health problem, even if your bcd malfunctions you can still follow the bottom to the shore, or drop your weights and go toopside, unless she was pretty far out, or deep, no info on that-all in all a sad loss zeN||