NEWPORT, R.I. (WPRI) Police are investigating what appears to be the drowning death of a Middletown man who was diving off the coast of Newport this weekend.
The man, who police identified as Mark Gruchy, 58, was pulled from the water off Fort Adams and Brenton Cove Sunday, around 7 p.m.
A boat worker at a nearby yacht club spotted a man wearing scuba gear floating in the water, and pulled the body to land.
Police said crews on scene performed CPR on Gruchy before emergency workers took him to Newport Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Deputy Fire Chief Wayne Bebee told Eyewitness News Sunday night that investigators are looking into Gruchys diving equipment.
Police said at this point, the death does not appear to be suspicious. However, as a matter of protocol, they said the case will remain open until the medical examiner formally rules the cause of death, which should happen by Tuesday morning.
Hes a 58-year-old male. He leaves behind a wife and family members so obviously our heart goes out to those family members and its a sad situation, said Newport Police Sgt. Corey Huck.
Gruchys friend of three decades, Rudy Borgeta, said he was a longtime members of the Newport Yacht Club. I felt very sad for him I mean everybody is full of life and Mark was too, Borgeta said. Mark was his own man, okay. He kind of went with a different drummer.
Neighbors said Gruchy who shared his Middletown home with his wife Karen was a salvage diver and worked on boats. They told Eyewitness News he was a hard worker and a great diver.
