Recovery diver dead, two others injured searching for body - North Carolina

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DandyDon

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Nothing release yet on what went awry.

Sherrill’s Ford Fire and Rescue diver dies during search for missing swimmer on Lake Norman
A member of the Sherrill’s Ford-Terrell Fire and Rescue’s dive team was killed Monday afternoon as he and two other divers searched for a swimmer who had gone missing a day earlier.

Authorities identified the diver as Bradley Long, 28. They haven’t said what led to the diver’s death or to the injury of the two other divers who had trouble in murky water between 50 and 80 feet deep. The injured divers surfaced on their own.

Divers recovered the body of the swimmer, whose name was not released, according to Rick Davis, the Sherrill’s Ford-Terrell fire chief.

“Today Sherrill’s Ford-Terrell Fire and Rescue suffered a tremendous loss,” Davis said. “This afternoon three divers from our department encountered an emergency during the recovery efforts.”

Long, who worked at the Newton Fire Department, was a volunteer with Sherrill’s Ford-Terrell Fire and Rescue and was working with Sherrill’s Ford during the search, according to WBTV, the Observer’s news partner.

The Charlotte Fire Department’s dive team was called in to help in the search, off a private boat landing on Waterview Lane, on the Catawba side of Lake Norman.

Around 7 p.m. firefighters from several departments converged on the scene. One emergency official could be seen holding an American flag.

Dozens of firefighters from neighboring departments gathered around 8 p.m. to escort Long’s body to a waiting vehicle. Some could be seen hugging and shaking hands with Sherrill’s Ford firefighters before the body was driven away.

Officials said the injured divers were responsive when they were taken to the hospital but haven’t released updates on their conditions.

As it grew dark Monday, officials still hadn’t recovered the swimmer who sparked the initial 911 call. Officials say the swimmer jumped off a boat in the water near Mooresville on Sunday. The person’s name has not been released.

Family members of the missing swimmer told WBTV that the 29-year-old was a strong swimmer and that he has a 2-year-old daughter and another child on the way. His pregnant wife was on the boat with him Sunday afternoon, according to WBTV.

A Charlotte Fire Department vehicle was involved in a crash in Iredell County on Monday while responding to the Lake Norman search, officials said. No injuries were reported.
 
What a horrible situation for all. My heart goes out to to the rescue diver, the swimmer & their families.

What jumped out at me was this sentence about the swimmers: "The boat wasn’t anchored and started to float away."

It's a good reminder that there is an element of risk in all water sports & it's a good idea to take precautions even when they're a pain in the *ss. For instance, I've had some friends laugh at me when I won't go swimming after I've been drinking. (I don't mean just a beer or two.) I'm a very strong swimmer, but bad things can happen so why not err on the conservative side?
 
I think that may be North Carolina...
Thanks. I have requested a title change.

I can't start to guess what went wrong. I do hope they share the news when available.
 
I don't normally participate much in this forum but this accident has hit close to home (regionally not personally) and has made the local news. So of course family, friends and coworkers that know I am a diver have asked me to explain how something like this happens and I am at a loss. I know low visibility and risk of entrapment are hazards but beyond that I know absolutely nothing about the risks that SAR divers face. If anyone can give me any other insights to share with nondivers asking about this, I would appreciate it. If you don't feel it appropriate to post please pm.

So very sad and compounded by the fact it was a body recovery effort and not rescue.
 
There are many news stories available on this accident, but no explanation that I have seen. Excerpting from one of those...
Around 4 p.m., Long and two other divers went into the waters. Two resurfaced and were in need of medical attention, but Long did not resurface. Authorities immediately launched a search for him.
So what could hit and injure or kill 3 divers simultaneously? I can only think of one possibility.
 
I have been following this story for the last 16 hours now but all I have are guesses. The most I've gained from articles is they are investigating and will concentrate on the gear. To take out 3 divers at once, I wonder what was in the tanks. But some media is saying the first diver was down for an hour. Doesn't give times on the other 2. Also mentions depths to be 35 to 75 feet. That is quite the range. I hope we find out the whole story so we can learn, and be more safe.
 
sad news for all involved....will monitor for updates.
 
Living in Charlotte, I have also followed this story closely - here is a brief update, not much new info, but a little tidbit:

From WBTV @ 11:04 AM:
Long and two other firefighters went into the water to search for a 29-year-old man who jumped off a boat Sunday and didn't make it out of the water.

Officials said Long and the firefighters experienced an "emergency" in 35 to 75 feet of water, close to where the swimmer went missing. Two divers came out of the water, Long did not, officials said.

"A rescue effort was implemented and when they reached him he had already succumb to his injuries," Catawba County Emergency Management said. The two other firefighters went to Regional Medical Center with minor injuries.

Only new info is this "...he had already succumb to his injuries..." bit. Obviously, this could mean anything. Just so very sad. Last night when I heard about this, the news didn't even mention the 3rd diver (who died) - it only mentioned that two rescue divers had been taken to the hospital.

Also, the diver's age & name were released: 28-year-old Captain Bradley Long.
 

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