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Diver's death ruled 'human error' accident
A Miami-Dade medical examiner determined that the death of a professional diver was accidental.
BY SUSAN COCKING
scocking@MiamiHerald.com
The diving death of a professional scuba instructor off Hallandale Beach last Thanksgiving has been ruled an accident by Miami-Dade's deputy chief medical examiner.
Zak Jones, 30, drowned due to ''hypoxia/anoxia while ocean diving with a closed-circuit rebreather,'' according to the autopsy report by Dr. Emma Lew dated March 27.
A rebreather provides breathing gas containing oxygen to a diver and recycles exhaled gas. It is used mainly for long, deep dives. Hypoxia/anoxia refers to a lack of oxygen in body tissues.
''After having the equipment checked out and talking to his dive buddy, it was human error,'' Lew said of Jones' death.
Jones was diving with six colleagues from Fort Lauderdale's Pro Dive International on the Pro Diver II last November on what company CEO Frank Gernert described as a ''staff technical dive.'' Jones was using a Megalodon closed-circuit rebreather.
According to a U.S. Coast Guard incident report, Jones and his buddy dived to 150 feet deep and separated to explore a reef. A few minutes later, Jones' buddy turned and saw Jones struggling. When he reached him, Jones was unconscious with the rebreather out of his mouth.
Jones' friend sent him quickly to the surface, then followed at a slower rate. At the surface, the friend administered CPR and flagged down the dive boat.
The crew continued CPR on Jones and radioed the Coast Guard. A Coast Guard vessel took the unconscious diver to Haulover Marina, where Miami-Dade paramedics picked him up. He was pronounced dead on arrival at Aventura Hospital.
Jones began his diving career in 1992. He held more than 25 certifications, including course director at Pro Dive International.
Diver's death ruled 'human error' accident
A Miami-Dade medical examiner determined that the death of a professional diver was accidental.
BY SUSAN COCKING
scocking@MiamiHerald.com
The diving death of a professional scuba instructor off Hallandale Beach last Thanksgiving has been ruled an accident by Miami-Dade's deputy chief medical examiner.
Zak Jones, 30, drowned due to ''hypoxia/anoxia while ocean diving with a closed-circuit rebreather,'' according to the autopsy report by Dr. Emma Lew dated March 27.
A rebreather provides breathing gas containing oxygen to a diver and recycles exhaled gas. It is used mainly for long, deep dives. Hypoxia/anoxia refers to a lack of oxygen in body tissues.
''After having the equipment checked out and talking to his dive buddy, it was human error,'' Lew said of Jones' death.
Jones was diving with six colleagues from Fort Lauderdale's Pro Dive International on the Pro Diver II last November on what company CEO Frank Gernert described as a ''staff technical dive.'' Jones was using a Megalodon closed-circuit rebreather.
According to a U.S. Coast Guard incident report, Jones and his buddy dived to 150 feet deep and separated to explore a reef. A few minutes later, Jones' buddy turned and saw Jones struggling. When he reached him, Jones was unconscious with the rebreather out of his mouth.
Jones' friend sent him quickly to the surface, then followed at a slower rate. At the surface, the friend administered CPR and flagged down the dive boat.
The crew continued CPR on Jones and radioed the Coast Guard. A Coast Guard vessel took the unconscious diver to Haulover Marina, where Miami-Dade paramedics picked him up. He was pronounced dead on arrival at Aventura Hospital.
Jones began his diving career in 1992. He held more than 25 certifications, including course director at Pro Dive International.