Diver missing off the Palm Beaches

[Loneranger]

Just got word of a diver missing off the DEEP OBSESSION boat out of Riviera Beach. No word yet on any further status.

 

[deeper thoughts]

I read that the Coast Guard found him within the hour alive but unconscious.
My prayers are with him.

 

[DannyT]

My sincere condolences go out to the family of this diver. I was diving aboard the Deep Obsession yesterday and it was just a heart wrenching experience. The diver was missing for over two hours and was eventually found on the bottom at the Flower Gardens dive site. He had two daughters with him and it was very difficult watching this situation unfold. Please keep his daughters, along with the rest of his family, in your thoughts and prayers.

 

[DennisW]

My prayers go out to his family and friends.

 

[stevetim]

Utah Father Of Two Found Dead While On Diving Trip
(CBS4/AP) Palm Beach A scuba diving outing in South Florida ends in tragedy when a 69-year old Utah man dies while on a diving outing with wife and two daughters.

Palm Beach County investigators say Hyo Copinga of Salt Lake City, his wife Charlotte and two daughters were aboard the dive boat "Deep Obsession,” when Copinga somehow got separated during the group’s second dive.

The family was a part of a group of ten people who took a commercial dive boat to Flower Patches reef Thursday.

The Coast Guard says the group went down for a 45-minute dive about a mile off the coast in 60 feet of water. Copinga never resurfaced.

His disappearance sparked a massive search by the Coast Guard and several other agencies.

Divers in the area, aboard another commercial dive boat, found Copinga under the water.

He was pronounced dead at the Riviera Beach Marina after several CPR attempts.

According to officials, during the second dive, a bad squall passed through the area.

Investigators are determining if bad weather, a lightning strike, or something else is to blame for this accident.

 

[stevetim]

I read that the Coast Guard found him within the hour alive but unconscious.
My prayers are with him.

Where did you read that?

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

Sad.... My condolences to his family...

 

[DannyT]

These are the facts. His wife WAS NOT on board the Deep O. His two daughters were. He was found on the bottom by another dive operator who had sent divers down in search of the missing diver. He had been missing for more than two hours and was presumably on the bottom for much (or all) of that time. There was indeed a bad storm that popped up during the dive and, upon surfacing, conditions were lousy. It seems like when something like this happens that facts sometimes get confused and, since I was on the dive boat with him, just wanted to clear up any misconceptions as reported by the media.

These were very nice folks and, again, let's keep them in our thoughts and prayers.

 

[Dr. Doug Ebersole]

DannyT:

Thanks for keeping everyone straight on the facts of the story. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family as well as to all of you who were on Deep Obsession yesterday. I'm sure it has also been tough for all of you also, especially with the daughters of the missing diver onboard. The owner, staff, and crew of Deep Obsession are all very good friends of mine and I'm sure they are heartbroken as well. Thanks again for for your report.

Doug

 

[DannyT]

Doug, thank you for your kind comments. The crew of the Deep O took this very hard. During this ordeal they handled the situation swiftly, professionally and compassionately. The missing diver was discovered during roll call and, when it was apparent he wasn't on the boat, the staff went into search mode immediately. Help was summoned and we had an ocean full of boats and a helicopter in the sky aiding in the search. In all the years I have been diving this is the first time I have experienced something like this. The other passengers also took this very hard and, of course, the daughters were devastated. We can only hope that, one day, they will realize that their father was doing what he enjoyed and wanted to do.

Danny