Missing diver found dead during Florida lobster mini season

[SoFlaDiver954]

This is the first incident I've seen from this year, although DAN reports 20 deaths in the last 10 years during mini season. From the article, it sounds like the mean were diving off a private boat. I wonder if the deceased went down to free the anchor, the article states he returned underwater for an unstated reason.

Article

A nearly four-hour search for a missing diver ended with the recovery of his body approximately half a mile off Pompano Beach, fire officials said.

Four divers went out on a boat early Wednesday morning in search of lobster. The group returned to their boat about 9 a.m., said Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Michael Kane.

“For some reason, this fourth person went back in the water and never resurfaced,” he said. “It is unclear. We don’t know why.”

Kane believes the missing diver vanished in 60 feet of water off the Hillsboro Inlet that connects the Intracoastal Waterway and Atlantic Ocean.

Helicopters from the Coast Guard stations in Fort Lauderdale and Miami, and marine patrol units with the Broward Sheriff’s Office, Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue, Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue, Boca Raton police and Hillsboro Beach police combined search efforts.

“There was a group of lobsterers that found the body submerged in the water,” Kane said. “He was recovered by another group of lobsterers.”

The name of the diver was not immediately available. Kane didn’t know where the rescuers were from.

 

[DandyDon]

This article says he fell off of the boat? I guess it's the same fatality as it also says it's the only one in the county, while times and location seem similar.

Scuba diver dies after hunting for lobster near Hillsboro Inlet, Broward Sheriff's official says

A scuba diver died Wednesday morning after falling off his boat near Hillsboro Inlet, the Broward County Sheriff's Office confirmed.

Coast Guard crews responded to a call just before 9 a.m. about a man who was hunting for lobster during the first day of Florida's annual mini-season, according to Veda Coleman-Wright, director of public information for the Broward County Sheriff's Office.

The man was found by other divers at 1:30 p.m.

It remains unclear how the man died, Coleman-Wright said. His body was taken to the medical examiner's office in Broward County to determine the cause of death.

Coleman-Wright said this is the only mini-season-related death in Broward County and she is unaware of any other incidents reported around the state Wednesday.

In July 2017, a 78-year-old Temple Terrace man died. He was being towed behind a boat near Bahia Honda State Park in the Keys to search for lobsters.

In July 2009, Scott Schichtel, 39, of Port St. Lucie, died from a heart attack after surfacing following scuba diving in 12 to 15 feet of water about 3 miles south of the St. Lucie Inlet. A day before, Shane Slusarz, 36, of Winter Springs died after diving northeast of the Sebastian Inlet in about 100 feet of water.

 

[DandyDon]

Scuba diver who died off Broward County identified as 70-year-old Davie man

 

[SoFlaDiver954]

It turns out I know the "commercial boat" mentioned in the article. The first rec divers to find him didnt surface him. Someone diving with Parrot Island found him and brought him up and the boat crew started CPR.

From what I was told, he was found in SCUBA gear but no fins. Air was on, 2400psi in the tank. BCD was torn around the inflator elbow. Wearing something like 26lbs of lead, still attached.

 

[Dan]

So he might’ve survived had he dumped off the weight & swam up to the surface?

 

[Bob DBF]

So he might’ve survived had he dumped off the weight & swam up to the surface?

Assuming he was in any condition to do that. The fact that he had gas (time), ditchable weight, and probably experience, I would tend to think that a medical event rendered him incapable of self rescue. The torn BC inflator could have been an issue, or torn during the recovery.


Bob

 

[SoFlaDiver954]

I only know the rescuer, not any of the people on the boat with him. His friends would likely have the most relevant information, such as:
Why did he fall in the water?
Where was he is the hearing up/down process when he went in the water?
What was the condition of his gear prior to entering the water? Had any of it been serviced recently?
When was the last time he went diving?
Did anyone try looking for him when he entered the water?
Etc

I also wonder why the first group of divers that found him did not bring him up to the surface?

 

[Manatee Diver]

Wearing something like 26lbs of lead, still attached.

That is a lot of lead for this area.

 

[wgw04024]

Maybe as simple as falling over with the reg out of his mouth and not thinking to ditch weights?

 

[DandyDon]

That is a lot of lead for this area.

Yeah, I guess he overweighted some to help work down hunting for bugs, but that sounds like too much unless he was a large fellow in a 7 mil suit or a dry suit.

It was certainly too much to wear on a moving boat. I've seen divers put on weight belts and sit on the edge of a moving belt, but I suggested that was dangerous.

Maybe as simple as falling over with the reg out of his mouth and not thinking to ditch weights?

Yep, falling off without his reg in could easily lead to choking and panic, especially sinking fast with so much lead.