Tallahassee woman dies diving off Key Largo

[deeper thoughts]

A Tallahassee woman died after surfacing from a dive off Key Largo on Friday.

#####, 51, was scuba diving off the Tropical Adventure dive boat from the Rainbow Reef Dive Center in Key Largo.

According to a Monroe County Sheriff's Office report, #### surfaced with a companion after diving at French Reef, about 25 feet deep, in the afternoon.

The dive buddies "signaled to the boat they were OK," said Deputy Becky Herrin. "They both began to swim back to the boat, but #### began having trouble."

A boat crewman swam out to meet her, but Strickland had lapsed into unconsciousness.

The crew performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the way to shore, but#####was pronounced dead after being carried by ambulance to Mariners Hospital.

It is the second dive death this month off Key Largo, and apparently the second dive-related death in 2010 in Keys waters.

*******, 57, of Rockwall, Texas, died March 3 after a dive at the Elbow Reef, about 20 feet deep.



Prayers to the family

 

[bleeb]

What's the source of this information? Is it a copy of an article from a news outlet?

 

[reefman]

scroll down this page for both dive related deaths,,,,


Crime Reports


reefman
key largo

 

[reefman]

to follow up on the latest incident. the woman in question had dove with sea dwellers for 2 or 3 days prior to last friday. then due to a lack of divers(minimum for their trip) on friday's pm trip, sea dwellers sent the woman in question along with her dive companion to rainbow reef located next door for their pm 2 tanker,,,,


reefman
key largo

 

[deepstops]

TCC Interpreter Dies While Scuba Diving In Florida Keys

TCC Interpreter Dies While Scuba Diving In Florida Keys
51-year-old Carol Strickland who was a deaf and hard of hearing interpreter at the college died in a scuba diving accident in the Florida Keys.
Posted: 2:33 PM Mar 16, 2010
Reporter: Lauren Searcy
Email Address: lauren.searcy@wctv.tv

Students and faculty at Tallahassee Community College are mourning the loss of one of their own.

51-year-old Carol Strickland who was a deaf and hard of hearing interpreter at the college died in a scuba diving accident in the Florida Keys.

The Monroe County Sheriff's Office says Strickland was diving off the coast of Key Largo at the French Reef. When she and her dive partner surfaced they both signaled they were okay, but Strickland began to struggle on her swim back to the boat.

Deputies say CPR was performed on the boat until they reached the shore but Strickland was pronounced dead once she reached the Mariner's Hospital.

At this time rescue workers have not determined the cause of death.

Below is information regarding the arrangements for Carol’s viewing and funeral:

The viewing is at Culley’s Funeral Home on Riggins Road from 4:00 to 7:00 pm on Thursday.

The funeral service is at Thomasville Road Baptist Church at 11:00 am on Friday.

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to the Building Fund of the Pioneer Baptist Church in Crawfordville in memory of Carol:

Pioneer Baptist Church
486 Beechwood Drive
Crawfordville, FL 32327

If you would like to send a card to the family, please send to Carol’s brother:

Stanley Strickland
3514 Lakeshore Drive
Tallahassee, FL 32312

 

[widget]

Phew, its interesting to me that there are so many fatal incidents with seemingly no warning and often on the surface.

I am not a medical person, but I have to wonder if all of these incidents can just be put away in a little box as a "medical issue" like a heart attack and left at that. I understand the actual medical issue may have been the fatal denominator but, I just think factors like stress, overexertion or even a gas issue from a dive or a series of dives can all contribute heavily to sway the odds of experiencing a serious medical issue against you after a dive, especially one which pushes your limits or in a slightly older diver. Yet these factors are seldom discussed or given as a contributing reason.

 

[Full Circle]

Rainbow Reef is one of only two shops (as far as I know) that put guides in the water, the other is Key Dives in Islamorada. I was told that the buddy team chose to dive unguided. I wonder if having had a guide nearby would have made any difference in this case.

 

[diver 85]

Sorry to hear..Article does state "When she and her dive partner surfaced they both signaled they were OKAY, but Strickland began to struggle on her swim back to the boat. "...sounds like a swimming accident to me??--how were the seas???...

 

[Thalassamania]

My first questions are, "where was her buddy and what was her buddy doing?"

 

[pdenoble]

Phew, its interesting to me that there are so many fatal incidents with seemingly no warning and often on the surface.

I am not a medical person, but I have to wonder if all of these incidents can just be put away in a little box as a "medical issue" like a heart attack and left at that. I understand the actual medical issue may have been the fatal denominator but, I just think factors like stress, overexertion or even a gas issue from a dive or a series of dives can all contribute heavily to sway the odds of experiencing a serious medical issue against you after a dive, especially one which pushes your limits or in a slightly older diver. Yet these factors are seldom discussed or given as a contributing reason.

Fatal accidents that occur soon after surfacing may be caused by arterial gas embolism. Proper and timely autopsy may confirm sometimes this diagnosis. In this case it seems that previous dives were shallow and decompression was not an issue. Medical issues in older divers are always of concern but the evidence is not easy to obtain.