Diver Lost in San Juan Islands

[Sasquatch]

[FONT=verdana, Arial,Geneva]Body Of Missing Diver Recovered Near Bellingham[/FONT]

[FONT=verdana, Arial,Geneva][SIZE=-1]June 16, 2006

By Associated Press [/SIZE][/FONT]




[FONT=verdana, arial,geneva]BELLINGHAM - The Coast Guard says a San Juan County dive team has recovered the body of a missing diver near Bellingham.
Petty Officer Jeff Pollinger says the body has been turned over to the Skagit County coroner.
The man in his 40's did not surface with a diving partner Thursday night and his spear gun was found floating. Coast Guard boats and a helicopter searched along with dive teams from Skagit and San Juan counties.

That's all I know. Regrets and prayers to the family and friends. My buddies all checked in safe.
[/FONT]

 

[Kayla]

I cant really add much, because I just cant give out the details, you know how that goes.... (I work for Skagit County).... but everyone I know is safe and accounted for.

 

[Sasquatch]

Actually, for a brief media mention I thought it was pretty informative.

Tragic when we loose one of our own...

 

[whatevah]

I've read three or four brief media mentions now and they've all been inaccurate or misleading - primarily through reporters not getting all the information and deciding to fill in the gaps with assumptions. Really sucks. In any case, it is a very sad situation and one that hits pretty close to home. My friends and I spearfish the same site regularly through the Lingcod season - in fact, we dove the same wall just three days prior. I hope that full details are provided at the appropriate time - there may be valuable lessons which others may use to improve their safety.

 

[jumbo]

Missing Diver-

I work at a dive shop in Bellingham part time and I have to think that at one point I probobly ran into him/her at one point, I just keep waiting for more details I hope its not a name that I am faimilar with. The lincod I shot in my profile pic's was at cypress Island at the same location reported in the news article.

JUMBO

 

[frogoutofwater]

If this is the incident my sister told me about, then my (very limited) understanding of the incident is as follows. She worked with the diver (at the local hospital) and heard the story at work. She said that the diver was out fishing with his wife and another couple. The fishing lines got tangled, and he decided to dive to untangle/cut them. The information she received was that he was diving solo, and that he didn't surface.

 

[Sasquatch]

If this is the incident my sister told me about, then my (very limited) understanding of the incident is as follows. She worked with the diver (at the local hospital) and heard the story at work. She said that the diver was out fishing with his wife and another couple. The fishing lines got tangled, and he decided to dive to untangle/cut them. The information she received was that he was diving solo, and that he didn't surface.

Based on the original article your account sounds like a different incident.

 

[Sasquatch]

Saturday, June 17, 2006
PUBLIC SAFETY
ER doctor dies in diving accident

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060617/NEWS09/606170355/1001/NEWS

A much more detailed update appeared in the Herald on Saturday.

 

[frogoutofwater]

Based on the original article your account sounds like a different incident.

Actually, based on the story in the Herald, it looks like the story my sister gave to me does relate to the same incident and the same individual; the only discrepancy is that the Herald story reports that the diver was spear-fishing, while my sister said that there was a group line-fishing.

 

[Sasquatch]

Could be. Guess it doesn't make sense to me why a diver would suit up/gear up to untangle fishing lines when you just reel in the lines and untangle them on the boat.

Still a tragedy when we lose another local diver especially after 2005.

Sea ya!