Student dead - Nantasket Beach, Massachusetts.

[DandyDon]

Woman who apparently was taking scuba diving lessons at Nantasket Beach dies, State Police say - The Boston Globe

A 67-year-old woman on Sunday afternoon was taken from Nantasket Beach in Hull to South Shore Hospital in Weymouth, where she was pronounced dead, according to State Police.

A State Police representative reached by phone Sunday evening said he was told the woman was taking scuba diving lessons, but that he could not confirm that independently.

The woman, who was not identified by authorities, was hospitalized around 1:30 p.m., police said.

No other information on the incident was immediately available. State Police referred all other questions to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s office. Officials there had not responded to a Globe inquiry as of 7 p.m.

 

[skwirl]

This is the third death involving scuba in Massachusetts over the course of a month. In each case I read about it in the local news and then came here to see if there were more details. It has definitely been noticeable, even if most likely a coincidence.

I'm curious how many deaths involving scuba occur here during a typical year, because my sense is that 3 already is a lot.

 

[Marie13]

What were the other two incidents?

 

[skwirl]

The first was in Rockport on April 29 according to this thread (One correction - I did not read about the first death in the news, only saw it here).

The second was on the Chester Poling wreck last Saturday (May 26).

So the first was a shore dive on Cape Ann, the second was a boat dive just off Cape Ann, and the latest was a good 25 miles away (as the crow flies) on the other side of Boston Harbor on Nantasket Beach.

 

[wgw04024]

IMHO coincidence.

 

[king_of_battle]

I think coincidence as well - a tough start to the New England dive season.

As for conditions yesterday my charter called it after having great difficulty tying into the poling. I tried to salvage the day but found folly and back beach pretty bad. I eventually did a short dive at old garden since the entrance is relatively easy but current was ripping (we literally held onto the bottom more often than not) the whole time and the surf made what is normally an easy exit difficult. If conditions were like that down south I could see an older OW student having great difficulty making the dive.

 

[wgw04024]

My own opinion after doing my OW up here, but also diving in warm water....

I would not recommend to a relative that was either 1. in less than 'fair' shape 2. over 60 3. or both, to do their OW dive in the northeast (in the ocean) unless the conditions were extremely favorable. I just feel there's to much to think about and learn when you compound that with cold water, surge, and low vis.

I know what they told me when I took OW....'If you can learn to dive here you can dive anywhere', which I agree with. However, that doesn't work for everybody and the ones that it doesn't work for, are not going to learn alot, or have a good time.

 

[skwirl]

The article has been updated and no longer refers to the diver as a student but as a "certified scuba diver." It also says that rescuers removed her equipment while she was in the water and her equipment is unaccounted for at the moment with state police divers conducting a search.

 

[plumber123]

Why did they remove her equipment? Do you think she was entangled? I know that area they showed on the news is very rocky, kelpy.

 

[mmerriman]

Why did they remove her equipment? Do you think she was entangled? I know that area they showed on the news is very rocky, kelpy.

removing equipment is standard procedure in a rescue. It enables the rescuers to move faster and get the person out of the water.