Attempted Rescue at Whalers Cove - Point Lobos, CA

[DandyDon]

Police briefs: Whalers Cove diver taken to hospital - MontereyHerald.com :

Cypress Fire Protection District paramedics attempted to resuscitate a diver who was pulled from the water Sunday afternoon at Whalers Cove in Point Lobos State Reserve.
Firefighters received the call at 2:36 p.m. that one member of a three-person dive group appeared to be in distress.
When fire crews arrived, the victim was pulled from the water and cardiopulmonary resuscitation was in progress, said Cal Fire Capt. Richard Lopez.
Firefighters and AMR paramedics took over once on the scene. The victim was transported to Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula.
Lopez had no information on the age, gender or residence of the victim. There was no word on the diver's condition at press time.

 

[House Gecko]

I hate hearing this. I hope the diver is ok.

 

[sug]

Police briefs: Whalers Cove diver taken to hospital - MontereyHerald.com :

I'm sad that this is going to be my first post here...

I was there when the incident happened. My buddy and I were done for the day, packing up. We heard "I need help!" coming from a diver in the water, and a couple of divers still in suits went in to assist. Rest of us in the parking area were trying to get more info, calling 911, communicating with the diver that the help was on its way.

At first we weren't even sure if he was alone or not. Then we realized his buddy was with him, unconscious, facing down. Finally he was pulled out. The second we saw his purpled face, we knew he was in a horrible shape. Medics got the scene and tried really really hard reviving him, but he was transported out without regaining consciousness or any signs of reviving.

The water was calm and I think most of divers were having nice mellow dives through out the day.

I can't comment about the guy's identity (only his buddy knew him at the scene) or the ultimate outcome of the effort, but it didn't look good.

Stay safe everyone.

 

[Peter_C]

Sug, welcome to Scubaboard, hopefully you will stick around as there is a NorCal forum and lots of friendly locals. Is that your video on Vimeo? It is a great vid and really shows how nice of a day it was.

It sounds from your description that they were just a pair of divers? The news articles says they were a team of three though?? Someone else referred to the dive team as they, saying they struggled to bring him to shore, but maybe that was because of the people that swam out to help?

From others present on scene the gentleman was in his 50's and possibly overweight, as in chubby.

It was also suggested the diver had a weak pulse by the EMT but that is unknown for sure.

 

[jewelofnile69]

Sad to hear this!

Welcome, Sug. Please stick around!

Is this the exact same place where that couple lost their lives just a bit ago?

 

[3D diver]

Yes it is...I'm diving there this Sunday.

Very sad.

 

[SCMZ]

My husband and I were the two divers that swam out to help. We had just finished our dive and still had gear on when someone told us that there was a man in trouble. When we got out to them, the victim was not breathing and very blue. We started rescue breaths and called to a guy with a Zodiac and my husband and the boat driver pulled the man aboard and started CPR. The ambulance got there very quickly and the paramedics took over, but I do believe it was probably too late.

The man's buddy told me that they were swimming back into the cove when the victim stopped moving and breathing very suddenly. He didn't specify whether this happened on the surface or underwater (at the time I assumed underwater, but now that I'm thinking back to it I don't think he actually said that). He also told me this was their second of two shallow dives (<40 ft) that day. Conditions were somewhat surgey but not so bad.

The victim and his buddy were a team of two, not 3. Since I swam back with the buddy, I think the EMTs at first thought I was diving with them, which is probably why the news report says 3.

 

[DandyDon]

Thanks so much for your report SCMZ, as well as the efforts of you and your hubby along with the rest. Your heroic attempts gave the diver his best chance.

 

[Peter_C]

SCMZ, I want to say thanks for assisting this gentleman without hesitation. Everyone that goes out of their way to help people as such is a hero in my book, no matter what the actual ending winds up being. You did a great thing!

 

[SCMZ]

Thanks for your kind words. I should also add, if anyone knows anything about what happened to the man, I would really appreciate knowing. Like I said, things did not seem optimistic, but it would be good to know for sure.