Scuba diver drowns in pond
By TODD SAELHOF, SUN MEDIA
Diving in deep water cost a man his life in a pond near Canmore, say fire officials.
Search and rescue divers from Calgary pulled a body from the water yesterday afternoon at White Man Pass, about 35 km southwest of the mountain town.
The victim, believed to be about 50 years old, was scuba diving with another man when he failed to surface in the pond, said Chief Al Zeller of the Calgary Fire Department West District.
"Apparently, a couple of individuals decided to go diving in this pond," said Zeller, referring to the backcountry body of water located in a mountain area near the Alberta-B.C. border.
"They got down to a certain amount of air and decided to surface, but one didn't make it.
"The other one went back down to find him, but couldn't."
STARS air ambulance was called in to help with the search for the missing diver, who was in full scuba gear.
The water rescue team aboard STARS left the city about 2 p.m., and when they reached the pond, the dive team found the missing man within seconds of plunging into the water at 2:45 p.m., Zeller said.
"As soon as we arrived, it took us 10 seconds to recover the victim," Zeller said.
He was pronounced dead at the scene despite paramedics' efforts to revive him. His name has not been released.
