Unknown Fossil diver found dead - St. Simons Island, Georgia, US

[DandyDon]

St. Simons Island diver dies during dive in Frederica River​

A St. Simons Island man died Monday during a diving trip in the Frederica River.
The body of Jameson “Jay” Gregg Jr., 38, was recovered from the river at around 9 p.m. on Monday near the St. Simons Marina at Gascoigne Bluff on St. Simons Island, Capt. Chris Hodge of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division said.
The DNR received a call at around 6 p.m. on Monday when someone reported that Gregg’s boat had been in the same place for a long time. The DNR and the Camden County Sheriff’s Office dive team began searching the area using divers and boat-mounted sonar devices, Hodge said.
After a roughly three-hour search, Gregg’s body was found.


Hodge said they believe Gregg was fossil diving for things like shark’s teeth, something that was a known regular activity of Gregg’s.
Gregg’s air tank was empty when he was found, Hodge said, but he does not believe running out of air is what caused Gregg’s death.
The DNR and the Camden County dive team are investigating the circumstances and plan to look at Gregg’s dive computer, a specialized diving watch, to try to learn a little more about the dive and piece together what happened, Hodge said.
“We’re going to put our heads together to find out what was the most likely scenario,” he said.

 

[Umuntu]

@DandyDon, you do have a morbid fascination with Scuba fatalities … do you dive too ? Or do all these accidents stop you from dipping below the surface?

BTW: Where’s the next eclipse?

 

[The Chairman]

Don has been an active diver for many, many years. He provides this info as a service to us divers. Don't read it if you have no use for it.

 

[Umuntu]

Don has been an active diver for many, many years. He provides this info as a service to us divers. Don't read it if you have no use for it.

I meant no disrespect, and apologise to @DandyDon if my post is seen as disrespectful in any way. I was genuinely curious.

I do read his posts, but I avoid the ensuing discussion and comments because they are generally speculative and often uninformed, and sometimes disrespectful to the deceased.

I also read DAN’s and BSAC’s annual summaries of incidents, which are forensic as to causes etc.

I like to say that scuba diving is statistically safer than cycling, though the news media would generally give the opposite impression.

Thanks for your post.

 

[The Chairman]

I like to say that scuba diving is statistically safer than cycling, though the news media would generally give the opposite impression.

I would agree with this. However...

Deaths remind us of our mortality. Even more so when they die while doing our sport, Scuba. That reminder elicits different responses from each of us. No one reacts in the same manner. Some only want the facts, as sparse as they might be. Others feel a need to speculate, while others need to assign blame. It's my opinion that the dead feel no disrespect for any of these discussions. Sure, some of the living might be offended, because that's the way they deal with death. It's all very personal, but it helps us to cope. It really doesn't matter that Scuba is safer. What matters is that we can reconcile that death in our minds and become relatively sure that we won't fall victim in the same way.

 

[DandyDon]

@DandyDon, you do have a morbid fascination with Scuba fatalities … do you dive too ? Or do all these accidents stop you from dipping below the surface?

I consider myself a diver altho at my increased age and medical challenges I am still debating continuing. I'd hate for my news reports from accidents to discourage anyone from diving. On the contrary, I hope they encourage safer diving.

Don has been an active diver for many, many years. He provides this info as a service to us divers. Don't read it if you have no use for it.

Thanks, Pete. Death is part of life and I do have varied interests that address it. Not many others make concrete headstones for unmarked graves in my local cemetery or regularly serve on Honor Guards for Veterans' funerals. Still, I have other interests in my yard and flower bed, my cotton and wheat fields, and my family which range 70 living years, helping keep up my little farm town, etc. Maybe I need more but honestly, I enjoy relaxing in my old age.

BTW: Where’s the next eclipse?

Google says "The next total solar eclipse will be on August 12, 2026, and will be visible in Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia, and a small portion of Portugal. A partial eclipse will be visible in parts of Europe, Africa, and North America." I am tempted to travel to Spain, but fighting crowds in a different country that speaks a different language is probably beyond me.

 

[Umuntu]

Google says "The next total solar eclipse will be on August 12, 2026, and will be visible in Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia, and a small portion of Portugal. A partial eclipse will be visible in parts of Europe, Africa, and North America." I am tempted to travel to Spain, but fighting crowds in a different country that speaks a different language is probably beyond me.

Thank you !

Spain is a wonderful friendly country … I spent most of the summer there walking the Camino Finisterre with a friend, our dogs, and her 80 year old aunt.

My dog and I then walked the Camino dos Faros together. The weather there should be wonderful in August.

Apologies again … I didn’t mean to cause any offence with my earlier post.

 

[Steelyeyes]

I meant no disrespect, and apologise to @DandyDon if my post is seen as disrespectful in any way. I was genuinely curious.

I do read his posts, but I avoid the ensuing discussion and comments because they are generally speculative and often uninformed, and sometimes disrespectful to the deceased.

I also read DAN’s and BSAC’s annual summaries of incidents, which are forensic as to causes etc.

I like to say that scuba diving is statistically safer than cycling, though the news media would generally give the opposite impression.

Thanks for your post.

Well, I did give up cycling to increase the odds of a longer lifespan....

 

[The Chairman]

Well, I did give up cycling to increase the odds of a longer lifespan....

You can die on the couch, out of shape just as easily as you can die on a bike having fun. No, you won't get hurt on the couch, but it's not much of a life or death either.

 

[Steelyeyes]

You can die on the couch, out of shape just as easily as you can die on a bike having fun. No, you won't get hurt on the couch, but it's not much of a life or death either.

One of the biggest advocates for creating safe cycling options on the island of Bonaire and a guy I interacted with over lion fish hunting was killed at 0600 on Christmas morning a couple of years ago by a drunk driver.

My wife was hit twice by drivers that didn't know the rules of the road. Once she had to ride in the ambulance. I had close calls more than a few times myself and we were following all of the rules including common sense. It only takes one driver out of a few hundred to really ruin your day, or end your life. I like my odds in the ocean better. I can stay fit a lot of other, safer ways.