Wreck fatality near Point Iriquious, Michigan

[DandyDon]

From Search underway for body of missing scuba diver : News : UpNorthLive.com

PARADISE -- A man drowned yesterday afternoon while scuba diving north of Point Iriquious.
The man was diving the wreck of the S.S. Samuel Mather with three other men around 3 pm yesterday. After the 180 foot dive, one of the divers noticed that the fourth diver was unable to come up and might have passed out. His breathing device fell out of his mouth and started sinking to the bottom.
The third diver tried to grab the man who was passed out, but didn't have enough air. He was forced to watch him sink to the bottom.
There were multiple surface searches between helicopters and boats that took place until sunset yesterday. They have now suspended the surface search , as they found out that the diver weighed 200 pounds and had an additional 100 pounds on his belt.
Michigan State Police divers are looking for his body underwater now.
The man was in his fifties.

 

[JamesK]

"They have now suspended the surface search , as they found out that the diver weighed 200 pounds and had an additional 100 pounds on his belt."

This can't be right? Unless they are talking about all of his gear total.

 

[DiveDad]

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/...eck/-/1719418/15294010/-/b1lrhez/-/index.html

Recovered in 174' of water.

 

[Tessunderwater]

Tragic to hear about such an accident. The article could have been written better but we all know how reporters are.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[rhwestfall]

how awful.....

from the article:
....one of four recreational divers failed to return Monday after exploring the wreckage of the SS Samuel Mather.
The ship lies is in 174 feet of water,

something is a miss-match here (but then again, the press is usually uninformed)...

my thoughts to those involved.

 

[ianr33]

how awful.....

from the article:
....one of four recreational divers failed to return Monday after exploring the wreckage of the SS Samuel Mather.
The ship lies is in 174 feet of water,

something is a miss-match here (but then again, the press is usually uninformed)...

Could mean "recreational" as opposed to "commercial" or "scientific"

I don't really expect a reporter to understand much of anything, much less NDLs overheads etc.

 

[mhoag]

Where was his buddy? Dive alone; die alone...

 

[mala]

Where was his buddy? Dive alone; die alone...

post 1 indicates his buddy didnt have enough air to help and watched him drop to the bottom.

 

[heavierthanlead]

Where was his buddy? Dive alone; die alone...

"...The man was diving the wreck of the S.S. Samuel Mather with three other men". Sounds like a pair of buddy teams to me.

Oh, and for the record, it's (Point) Iroquois.

 

[ghof]

We, as divers know the risks. When you get a little older as this man was, the risks increase. I dove the Mather when I was 48 on air. Everthing went well but the depth on air is significant and it was quite exhausting for me. Proper planning MIGHT have prevented this, who knows? I respect the man and his desire to live life to the fullest.I am sure he will be missed. His buddy will feel bad enough without anyone second guessing what happened.
Mike