Fatality working on pond drain - Pike County, Illinois

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

DandyDon

Colonoscopy Advocate
ScubaBoard Supporter
Messages
53,626
Reaction score
7,815
Location
One kilometer high on the Texas Central Plains
# of dives
500 - 999
FISHHOOK — The death Saturday of a 79-year-old Scott County man was the result of a scuba diving accident, authorities said Monday.

Gerald S. Stocker, 79, of Winchester was performing maintenance on a drain in a pond in rural Pike County when the accident occurred, according to Sheriff David Greenwood.

Deputies were called at 12:37 p.m. Saturday to a location in Fairmont Township. They were assisted by rescue teams from East Pike, Baylis and Griggsville fire departments, according to Sheriff David Greenwood, who also is the county coroner.
Authorities are continuing the investigation.
Funeral arrangements for Stocker were pending Monday at Daws Funeral Home in Winchester.
 
Age may not be related - the story is very light on details. Still, the number does jump out a bit.
 
My initial theories, with minimal details, are:
  • Random medical incident.
  • When he cleared the pond-drain, it causes enough current that he couldn't escape.
I'd also be curious if he had any commercial-dive training. Seeing people engaged in commercial work without appropriate training makes me nervous, because it seems "easy" but that's until you start considering you may be dealing with cables, moving boat, falling hazards, suction, etc which may not be obvious or intuitive.

Is 79 to old to dive?
No; just more likely to have a medical incident of some sort as you age. I'll probably still be diving when I'm that age if I'm in decent health.
 
Interesting. I'm slightly less inclined to say it was him doing something beyond his training. However, it's not impossible. For example, Dive Talk has numerous videos where some instructor who lacks cave-dive training decides to go into a cave, gets lost, and dies. I don't see commercial-dive training listed, although this is obviously an obituary, not a resume. Seems like a cool guy based on the obituary.
 

Back
Top Bottom